Corner Shade Garden: I’ve Got Things To Do

It’s been a while since I posted about the corner shade garden.  Last year it really wasn’t anything to write about, it was a mess.  I neglected it due to other issues and now comes the time when I need to get it back into shape.  A year of neglect in the garden can mean a lot of work later for repairing the damage.  Weeds grow, produce seed, spread the seed, and grow three times faster when you’re not looking!  So in today’s post I’m going to make a list of things I need to do to get this garden back into shape.  With Easter weekend coming up I doubt I’ll have time to get it all done just yet but perhaps next week I can get this garden ready for showing off.

Here’s the corner shade garden in its current state.  Weeds are all over.  Some grass type weeds, some chickweed, some dandelions and all sorts of other weeds.  Part of this problem could have been prevented with mulching last year. You’ll also notice the the siding needs a good cleaning.  The front porch is also in need of pressure treating.  I’m still hoping to come up with some sort of screen for the AC unit.  I have ideas but haven’t had the time yet.

Not all is bad in the garden though. The tried and true perennials are doing fine, like this heuchera. 

Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’ is one of my favorites.  The foliage is very cool with spots of pink on dark purple leaves.

The ajuga is in bloom along the pathway.  It probably should be divided after blooming to improve it’s coverage.  It will spread well enough on its own so that is a very low priority!  It does need weeded though.  I’m sure you can see the chickweed weaving its way through the ajuga. 

My native honeysuckle (Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens) needs a little bit of pruning.  It’s flowering beautifully this year along the porch.  I love the way it nestles the rain barrel into the area.

I’ll use the pruning leftovers to make cuttings of the oak leaf hydrangea and the honeysuckle. The honeysuckle propagates easily but the oak leaf hydrangea is tricky. It took the honeysuckle about 3 years to get to this stage but it’s one plant well worth planting!