Goofy looking...

Okay, here is my kidney shaped bed. I have lovely, rich soil...added some leaf mould and at least
200 HUMONGOUS earthworms (thanks to my 8 yr old helper). This area is almost always damp and it is total shade. It's under a very large Maple tree.

Last year, (our first planting season in this house) I changed this bed twice. First I had irises...they looked weird there. Next, I just planted impatiens and they filled in the bed nicely...nice color, low maintenance but no height...sorta boring...and now I have to plant SOMETHING again.

Since I've been bitten by the hosta bug (most of my yard is shady), I spotted these 3 gems today. They were under $8 each so they have a home now. The plan was to plant the 3 hostas and interplant with impatiens until I can think of something better. However, I think it looks strange right now. Ithink I should move the middle hosta closer to the center, but then what do I do behind it? Maybe put the large one RIGHT in the center and make a "ring" of sorts with the others (may have to purchase a few more) and then outline the bed with impatiens? (I have a whole flat of them already, lol) Thoughts?

You can kinda see my impatiens from last year ...just look behind the kids (first day of school). It was the only pic I could find!

MsKat, I think you've got the right idea, but you may want a little more color....you could try astilbe for some height and color. The impatiens looked real pretty - but with the other color in your baskets and the green on the porch - I'd go for a little more color in your kidney. It's gonna look great I'm sure!

I would leave the middle one where its and move the other 2 out forming a triangle and then surround with the impatiens. I agree with Islandshari though, I would something with a bold color to really stand out or try something in th blue/purple family for a more relaxing look. But needs some color.

Nanny, is this what you mean?

Yes! Looks more natural and balanced, at least to my eye!! But most important to plant so it is pleasing for you!!

Okay here's how it is for this year:
http://picasaweb.google.com/michelle.katt/KidneyBed
I ended up moving those hostas, added dark pink, light pink and white impatiens and two bleeding hearts.

Edited to add: It was VERY windy today, so everything is leaning....

This message was edited May 11, 2007 4:22 PM

Mskatt, when that fills in it will be gorgeous! Good Job!!! :-)

I agree! Be sure to post a photo in a couple months to let us see!!

I know you already have your bed planted but I thought I'd throw another idea out there (maybe for next year)? I think you should look into putting some grass in that bed for added texture and you would get some height. Japanese forest grass is gorgeous (has lots of movement in the wind) and is very colorful for the edge of a bed. Also Corkscrew Rush is really cool and there are several kinds of Rush and Sweetflag that would work in these conditions.
The other benefit besides texture and height is that some of these grasses are evergreen.
There's my 2 cents. Happy Gardening!
Jennifer

Jennifer - I agee completely! The grasses would be such a beautiful, and probably unusual touch. Definately a thought worth pursuing MsKatt!

Hi MsKatt, I did'nt note the size of your new bed, but since you moved your Hostas it looks good, do remember that within the next 2 years, your hosts will have trebbled in the spread, do look out for slugs and snails though, the conditions you have, SHADE, is happy hunting ground for them, they love hostas, if you have the lables for your hostas, check how tall and size of leaf as you dont want to hide them with other plants, you could add a few Bergenia's they like the same conditions and you get all sizes of leaf and colour plus flowers, maybe try a ground cover Ivy and it will help keep weeds away once it gets going, and, it don't have deep roots comes verigated as well, also like the idea of the astilbe, you can also get nice ferns that would be happy in shade too, none of these need any great attention and more or less look after them selves, you dont always need flower to give eye catching effect, sometimes just different texture and colours of greenery is stunning to the eye, but till your Hostas bulk out a bit, you are doing fine, it is a good idea to go to the garden center and just group some plants together in the pots, move them around till you are happy with the efect and the conditions the plants like, then you dont waste so much money on the wrong plants, so happy hunting and good luck, hope this helps.
WeeNel UK.

Looks very nice! In the first photos I was thinking some caladium in and among the hostas might add a nice splash of color as well.

I have caladium bulbs planted in pots in my greenhouse, but nothing pushing through the soil yet. :(

I hadn't thought about the tall grasses... have to check into that. Thanks for all the great responses!

Michelle

This is an unusaul bed that needs some serious attention. Hostas are not going to cut it. You need a specimen ( a single focal plant that really grabs some attention), or turn the thing into a pond, which is what it looks like it use to be at one time. The placement of the bed in the middle of the concrete is going to be very hard to deal with and will prbably never look right unless you just get it perfect. Yes goofy is the right word, but turning that space into a pond would give the entire area a new feel.

Hi grasshopdesign! Welcome to DG. One thing though - you were a little harsh there. Not everyone can do big garden renovations when they feel like it, and so we all do the best we can with what we want to plant. MsKatt is expressing herself, her way, and you will find that encouragement goes a longer way that criticisim. A pond it may have been, but now it is MsKatt's hosta garden.

How about something tall and spkiy in it somewhere to draw the eye upward?

I can take the criticism :) after all, I asked for opinions. I'm not sure what I can put in (spikey -wise). That hosta in the middle is quite tall (about 2 ft) and all the spikey things I've found are about the same height.

Anyhooo...the kidney shaped bed in the middle of a concrete slab is my cross to bear. It's in a stupid spot in my yard (right in front of the front porch). It was never a pond, the previous owners had a tree there when the cement slab was poured. The tree eventually died and the opening was left.

There are too many small children around for a pond in my front yard.

In a year or two when DH busts up the cement, the hostas and bleeding hearts will be moved to another shady bed and I won't even have a kidney bed to deal with.

LOL - spiky was the best I can come up with - I am a beginner myself :) I was thinking of one of those grasses or maybe lilies or irises that grow tall.

I found something...sorta spikey!! I think it looks kinda cool :) If no one else does, that's okay, too. :) My mom doesn't like it, lol.

Sorry for the crappy pix....

Side view.

MsKat, I think once the plants in your bed fill out a bit, you will see a big difference and you already have some nice shades and textures of green that will look good, the thing about gardening is, you just have to be patient, try out, change if you dont like, it is all in the enjoyment so your doing great, I have been gardening for years and still learning, I garden on a large scale, love it and would rather do that than anything else, aint I lucky, I can spend a whole winter thinking and planning, then set it all out, am happy with it, then either watch a golf match or something on TV and see the layout of the course and then I think, why did'nt I think of that plant beside such and such, or even driving into town, I get ideas, so as you get more confident and experience, you get to know your own garden better, everyone has different tastes and amount of time/money they can devote to the hobby of gardening, so just enjoy, it is your space, just look on anything you dont like, as a learning curve, and what you do like, pat yourself on the back, happy gardening.
WeeNel UK.

I love your quirky kidney-shaped bed, you did a great job with it MsKatt. It is all about fun, as WeeNel said, it can't last so enjoy it while you can! Happy gardening.

I agree with Grasshop, hostas will not give you the effect you desire. I predict that it won't look right until there is some height. Picture #2 is the most helpful. There is a 4-5' wide bed in the middle of a patio. Look at all of the horizontal planes...the patio, the porch, the porch roof, even the stone siding. Low plants like impatiens and hosta don't really interrupt those horizontal planes.

In picture #2, take away the cute kids, and ask yourself what your eye is drawn to. My eye is not drawn to the bed, but rather to the porch beyond. Something with height and a non-horizontal habit would interrupt this.

I think a 4-5' high shrub/small tree is part of the solution. I would offset it left, maybe put a smaller shrub to the right.

Off the top of my head, Seven Son's Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) with pruning, Japanese Maple, 'Pink Diamond' Hydrangea, Clethra 'Ruby Spice'

SB

If she plans to get rid of the area in a year or two, its not worth putting a tree or shrub in and then having to relocate it and hope it survives being moved.

Why would she have to move it, just because DH is going to bust up the cement?

MsKatt, it would be helpful to know what follows the busting up of the cement...replacement patio? Lawn? What do you have in mind?

I think dark purple potato vine in a raised flower pot (0r three) would really make the green pop and give you a feel of a more permanent future planting. perhaps a trellis with clematis(I have one that does pretty well all things considered.)

Also just the vine wound around the hostas would be cool.

How do you do the bush overlay on the pic? I need that info!

Something in a pot potentially coudl give the height, yet it would be portable or temporary...best of both worlds.

Mama26boys, you copy the pic into Paint or similar program, add the shrubery, then save it and upload it just as you would any other pic.

Stressbaby (and others);

We are going to bust up the cement (because it's ugly) and we're not completely sure what we are going to do. I'm *thinking* a sort of "Y" shaped sidewalk...with the prongs of the "Y" going to either side of the porch and the "tail" of the Y leading to the driveway. The sidewalk will most likely be stamped cement of some sort.

I know you can't see behind my kids in the second picture, but I have a plastic pouch with impatiens hanging on the wrought iron post behind them. DH is adding another hanger so I can hang a second bag above it. I'm hoping that will help with some of the height issues.

There used to be a tree in that bed and it died. It seems that the previous owner couldn't get much to live in that spot. There is a very large maple that is within 10 feet of that bed.

I think I've done pretty much what I can witht that bed this year. My plant budget is starting to get stretched and I have a few other beds to work on. Thanks to everyone who made suggestions!

Michelle

I was going to suggest a hydrangea(cause I love em). You could put it in a large pot, put it in the middle of your hostas. That way you can move it if you need to, but it'll give height. I think what you've done to it this year is going to look great once it fills in! Good Job!

Kristie

Michelle, some people ask for ideas, and only get one or two. You must have the magic touch! Good luck with your kidney!

Happy gardening!

Shari

I guess if you ever move the stuff in that bed, you would have a kidney transplant.

hahahaha....

I know...I know...to think that I have bleeding hearts in my kidney!!!

Michelle :)

LOL...that could be a serious problem!!!

I think a birdbath would be really pretty and your hostas would fill in nicely around it. You could watch the birds from your porch.

I've been finding a lot of gardening materials on craigslist and ebay for next to nothing!

Oh, birdbath...good idea too!

MsKatt I'm new on this site and I was wondering what is the name of that plant u planted on the left? I have a big bush of them in my yard and they are not doing justice to my rose brush which is right next to them.

I think you are talking about the bleeding hearts... correct? The one with the little pink flowers.

Just a quick update: