Millie’s Garden Spring 2022 Additions, Part 2

One of our goals as we continue to plant in Millie’s Garden, is to fill in any gaps, mulch in the edges, and make it look more cohesive. The last post outlined a hill fill in, which helped to make that area of the garden look more complete.

As we add each plant, we go by the planting guidelines and leave at least as much space as they say the plant requires for growth. When I look back to the first pictures taken after any plant is planted, it always looks sparse and empty. I have to remember that it’s not empty space, it’s room for each plant to grow.

Phlox

Mon Amour’s favorite plant.

And many plants, like our first year phlox, have gently crept into the space given them to grow. Our pink and purple phlox has really spread and bloomed and has provided a bountiful food source for the first butterflies of the season.

I wanted to add phlox in a few more of our beds, since the first phlox we planted has done so well.

I found a broad leaf phlox that we planted that in the azalea hill- it should be happier in the partial sun on that hill. This particular phlox will reach slightly taller than the narrow leaf phlox and it will bloom late spring into early summer.

Peekaboo and Azaleas

We’ve come a long way since 2019.

The peekaboo rock has been a segmented piece of the garden, with early spring daffodils in front of the rock and a camellia behind it, fall flowering mums and rudbeckia to the left side, and a petite butterfly bush that blooms a moody, dark purple all summer long on the right side.

As we work to blend all of these “segments” along the sides- a gladiolus strip, sprinkled rudbeckia, dots of daisies, meandering milkflower- I wondered what other flowers would be good to add.

Blaauw’s Pink Azalea

As I wandered through the Southern States inventory, Mon Cœur found a beautiful salmon colored azalea. In true MC fashion, she picked up her plant and brought it to me to add to the cart. How could I say no?

Bee balm

Bee balm… it’s not just for bees!

Bee balm has been a height of summer heat bee and butterfly food source, and I found one that has reddish blooms.

Our purple bee balm has spread quickly and abundantly over just a few years, so I am looking forward to seeing how this new, red bee balm will do.

I added two to the side of the garden where we had transplanted milkweed, as I know it will fill in that area nicely over time. It spreads pretty prolifically (almost as well as our mint spreads!), and I think it will mingle well with the milkweed.

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Read about Part 1 here.

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