Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Oh my, Muhly, how you've grown!

Another tale of ungardening and regardening.  Earlier this month I wrote about my regardening efforts by replacing the mystery grasses in the front island bed with Pink Muhly (Muhlenbergia Capillaris).  This was how the garden looked after putting the new Pink Muhly in place


This is how that same garden looks a couple weeks later



Notice the difference?

The Pink Muhly has "grown" pretty fast.  Well, not exactly.  It was actually Regardening #2, as I replaced the still new 6" Pink Muhly with even newer, larger ones.  I had looked all over town for the large size Pink Muhly before settling on the 6" plants thinking I needed to get them in the ground.  Of course, as soon as I did I spotted the larger 10" plants and decided to make another switch.  Sooo...  Regardening strikes again in the same spot.  And of course DH has been so very pleased to help...ha ha ha.

A bit obsessive? Perhaps. But this is the most visible spot in the front yard, the area we see first every time we leave or return.   My concern was the smaller plants might not bloom well this year and after eighteen months of sad looking grasses there I'm ready to see a nice display this fall.  Sometimes obsessive makes good gardening sense.

I'm really, really, done replacing these now.  Unless of course I find the five gallon size ready to bloom....

20 comments:

  1. Oh Shirley, I can so totally relate to this story. I have been looking for more ‘Baby Gem’ boxwoods to finish out the front garden. I have all my “nursery haunts” as I call them. We just want to get it right or as close as we can before the HOT weather sets in, especially in a high traffic area. I applaud your efforts! I think it will look wonderful!

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    1. The heat has held off and with the rain predicted this week I felt confident to go ahead and plant.

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  2. Hahaha....I know exactly how this works.
    We'll see if you're really, really done.
    It does look good already, though.

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    1. I'm enjoying all this enabling from my garden blogging friends!

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  3. This is so something that I would do! So inquiring minds...what did you do with the 6" plants? Another place in the garden? Gave them to a friend? Free on the curb (maybe we only do that in Portland)...please tell!

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    1. The 6" plants went to two different spots, along the driveway and into a new garden in the backyard where I'm not nearly as picky.

      Grasses aren't typically free on the curb around here. We used to see agave and yucca around, but now they post on Craigslist.

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  4. It's a woman's prerogative to change our minds, and we often do, and why not. Life would be so boring if we didn't. Oh, and if you do find the five gallon size ones, go for it.

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    1. Thank you Crystal, I'll post about that too.

      I'm determined to have the front garden look good this year even if it means giving it the florist treatment!

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  5. The Obsessive Gardener re-gardens...constantly. I look forward to seeing your muhly in the fall.

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  6. I'm a believer in moving and transplanting, so I totally get it, Shirley. You'll enjoy the bigger plants.

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  7. Clever, but I don't blame you making the "move"! I've even done it with big native cacti, only to watch them die in a freak freeze... But it was better for me than to be lazy and inside watching TV!

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    1. I'm definitely getting good exercise trying to beat the heat!

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  8. I could not find a pic of my first year Gulf Muhly from 6" pots. The second year was spectacular, I thought. Late this winter I divided one clump into two after I set them on fire.

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    1. I just didn't want to wait another year since I found the larger size.

      I do remember when we lived in the southeast how many people burned their yards and grasses in the winter. Even with the rain, that's not an option here.

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  9. hahaha - I'm so glad your husband was delighted to help you! ;) Of course, I totally understand, and if you see bigger ones and re-garden again, I would understand that, too! The only difference is I don't tell my husband! :O

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    1. That area is difficult for me to handle by myself. We are building raised beds in the back where I can rearrange all day if I choose. He's a sweetheart, but asking him to help undo and redo twice does require explanation.

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  10. LOL!!! Famous last words:) I always say that as well. I'm done replacing "xyz" and low and behold, spring comes and....I replace:) As for gardeners being obsessive.....maybe a little:)

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    1. I'll always rearrange and replace, just hope it's not always within a week or two!

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  11. If I have moved plants once I have moved them a dozen times. Sometimes with an hour. I'm afraid I almost always by 4" and hope they will take off in a hurry.

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