Removal of the Vines and Such

by Teresa
(Lexington, Ky)

On the side of the house that I'm renting is a flowerbed that is still a work in progress. Today I had the privilege of clearing out the weeds to reveal a satisfying view of the plants that I chose to place there sometime after I moved into that house. One of the best looking plants growing in the center of that bed at the moment is the cushion spurge or euphorbia. Its foliage is attractive even after the bright yellow of the bracts in spring disappear. I had a 'Gold Flame' honeysuckle growing to the right of it, but I dug it up this afternoon as my dad pulled it out. It was messy and overgrown and took away from the view of other plants. Now the bed appears more neat and I've got space for something else interesting such as more irises, a clementis, or daylilies. (BTW, I discovered large pods from the milkweed vine that had twined itself around the honeysuckle).

Also to the right of the cushion spurge is 'May Night' salvia, irises, a yarrow, rudbeckia, and a creeping sedum. What ends the flowerbed on the very right side is Rose of Sharon. However, I want that done away with and to be able to grow something else in that spot. Oh, and I forgot that I have some daylilies growing near where the honeysuckle vine had been. Their blooms are a deep red color which stand out either in late spring or early summer- whenever daylilies bloom.

Now to the left of the of the cushion spurge are more rudbeckia, three clumps of liriope, Swedish ivy, 'Autumn Fire' sedum, another daylily ('Fairytale Pink') and 'Snow Hill' salvia. Other plants more in the center are 'Alaska' shasta daisies and hollyhocks(both grown from seed), a tri-colored euonymous, and alliums which will send up their stalks in spring. At the far left of this bed is a goldenrod ('Fireworks').

The most beautiful flowers in this bed open during the springtime and they are these frilly coral-orange poppy blooms which show up best on a rainy day. The poppies continue to be interesting after the petals fall off and reveal attractive seed pods with purple crowns that to me look like velvet.

The last thing I want to mention are the findings I came upon while weeding this bed today. Under debris on the left side I discovered small starts of rose campion. And on the right end of the bed are a couple of starts of lamb's ear. What treasures do you find when you weed? :)