Happy companions

9 years ago

I've got a few companion plantings that are really catching my eye a lot this spring-

Maidenhair ferns standing tall over Love Pat. Planted in '06, the first year of my garden...they are finally looking like a stand. This is my favorite fern.

And this Japanese Maple at the top of my little hosta hill. Acer 'Shiraz'...I have it in a pot surrounded by a mulch berm...my plan has been to get it into the ground to provide some light shade for this bed, but I never seem to get to it because I have to build a retaining wall for it first. I thought for sure it would be toast after the horrid winter, but every single branch budded out. It's a gem.

Feel free to post any of your favorite Spring companions

Comments (8)

vivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
9 years ago
Coll, Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing. How do you winterize Acer 'Shiraz'? Does it stay in pot? in ground? I have been craving for one but no more space available so will have to stay in a pot.

Vivian
bkay2000
9 years ago
Beautiful gardens...great photos...thanks for sharing.

Is that Liberty screaming on the right of the last photo? If so, he's a looker in the spring.

bk
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Gesila
9 years ago
Beautiful gardens, that Japanese maple makes the eyes flow through to the back of the garden. I love your retaining walls!

Gesila
coll_123
Original Author
9 years ago
thanks, guys. vivian, I literally just took Shiraz and stuck it on the hill, in it's nursery pot, and piled mulch around it about halfway up the side of the pot...if I hadnt run out of mulch, it would have been all the way up the side of the pot. That's where it sits year round, for about 3 years now. Terrible! I am shocked it made it through such a harsh winter unscathed. This whole bed was built over the ruins of a humongous bull pine that came down with a microburst storm of 2010. I had the stump ground out, but the roots are still there, so to plant the "Shiraz" in the ground, I really need to build a small raised bed for it. Now that the pine is gone, this is probably the sunniest part of my garden- full sun until about noon. I also think it is a warmer microclimate in winter- the other corner, on the right side of the back yard, seems much harder on plants.

bkay, yes, that is Liberty. Not very subtle, right? lol. I was worried about that one looking small but its catching up fast.
paul_in_mn
9 years ago
Nice backdrop with that maple.

I envy your stand of maidenhair ferns, thought I had an area established and now down to just a couple.

Paul
vivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
9 years ago
Thank you Coll for the info! Now I get some ideas to try for a Japanese Maple in pot.

Love the hostas, ferns and retaining walls and how they all come together.

Vivian
paul_in_mn
9 years ago
I added this primrose(Primula kisoana) from a garden club sale to a couple of garden spots a couple years back.....nice early flowering and then interesting leaves. Needs some room and be prepared to tighten it up as it wants to ramble.

Paul
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
9 years ago
I love your garden! I would model mine exactly the same as yours if I had the lot for it.