Gardening Magazine

PLANNING SESSION - Old Sun Garden

By Dyarnell @dyarnell

PLANNING SESSION - old sun gardenToday while relaxing in the tub I planned the replanting of the Old Sun Garden, i.e. right-hand side, beneath the windows.
PLANNING SESSION - old sun gardenUnfortunately it had to be ripped out last fall due to construction. I committed to preserving its idea and building on it, after all, it was (ironically) the one part of the garden I felt I had right.Nevertheless this is still an opportunity to purposefully improve on where I had casually ended up. 
PLANNING SESSION - old sun gardenHeliopolis grow window-height but no more, are easily pruned (for variable bloom times) and are prolific self seeders (which for now is good but one day I may regret), all solid reasons to retain them, limiting them to the back, immediately below the windows to keep them in check.
In front of the their bright yellow, daisy-like blooms a row of taller, transparent grasses. Height v. transparency? No question. I choose height; the taller the grass the better, certainly some Heliopsis will manage to show through. Along with the grass will be purple Iris from the Sun Garden and of course daffodils for spring interest.
In front of the grasses: a combination of Purple Liatris and Blue Sea Holly.PLANNING SESSION - old sun gardenI first saw these two beauties together in a garden designed by my friend Jess Dixon.  I think my heart actually skipped a beat. Stunning. I wanted it. A lot of it.Now I shall have it.
PLANNING SESSION - old sun gardenThey are tall plants for the front border but I would like it to be clear to everyone they are not passing between gardens, but rather passing through a single garden, and height is one tool to reinforce that feeling.
Check back with me in the summer to see if I am true to my vision.
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