Specialty Gardening: Fall chores, how's it going?, 1 by jkom51

jkom51 wrote:
Very busy here in Northern CA (and sore, too, LOL). Had our first good rainfall a week ago, hope it will continue to end our 3-yr drought. Soil softened up so decided to fill some holes in the garden beds. I like to 'pack 'em tight' and some plants just don't make it, either because their more-established neighbors crowd them out or our 6-month-long dry summers make them croak. This is our prime planting season; the winter rains (assuming we get them) allow plants to get established and make it through our dry summers without too much water.

I needed three or four plants....but came home with almost 15 instead! Can you say, "plant dominoes"?!? Have been busy with the trowel and shovel putting the new lovelies in. Still have one big dead plant to take out and half-a-dozen new ones to site.

Two years ago in the fall I reworked this north-facing bed. My beautiful 'Emperor 1' Japanese maple had died, so I bought a replacement (same kind) because I really like the mix of plants in this bed just the way they are. Here's what it looked like about a month ago. The maple will go bare by next month, but the calla, iris, plectranthus, azaleas and rhodies will keep the bed looking nice all through the winter.