GARDEN DOMINOS

1st row, left : removed all ivy covering garage wall; started new path
right : Japanese yew now appear too large for area
2nd row; left : removed overgrown rhododendron by pond
right : cleared area near pergola

Last year I lost Viburnum Plicatum 'mariesii' which had long been the centerpiece in my garden. After a lot of thought and searching I purchased several shrubs to fill in the large area left by her demise : Korean Spice Viburnum, Limelight Hydrangea, Compact Korean Azalea and ' Carol Mackie' Daphne.

March brought a lot of rain this year and we had water coming into the garage. We had to remove all the Ivy from the walls and excavate a trench all the way across which meant moving a lot of soil and plants.

As it was the end of the season last year when I collected and planted all the shrubs I didn't give it a lot of thought. I just wanted to get it filled in before winter. Now that Spring is finally here I've been studying the layout and the more I saw it the less I liked it.

The fall of Queen Marie left my garden out of scale. Its a lot like dominos -when one falls the others follow. The Japanese Yew now appears to overwhelm my small plot and so does the ' Olga Mezzit ' Rhododendron. They'll have to go.

Starting over with a blank canvas. In the meanwhile I've got a lot of plotting and planting to do. Oh well I'm always working in other peoples garden and now I have a chance to work in mine.

Stay tuned for updates.