Monday, January 17, 2011

Moondance

The garden needs a little sprucing up.  Down the lawn, through the gate, and out to the wall.

DSC_2336_5748

In October 2009, camellias and azaleas were planted in a bed where tomatoes and bougainvilleas once grew.  The only problem is the summertime heat.  The bed gets full sun in the summertime and no sun in the winter.  The azaleas were too delicate to take what our summers dish out.  They were transplanted to spots in the garden that get far less sun and they seem to be doing alright.  However this leaves a void that needs to be filled.

DSC_0741_2068 October 2009

See? 

Blueberries were considered but no variety was short enough for my liking.  I would like to form a very short hedge to divide the vegetable garden from the camellia bed.  The soil has been amended to increase the acidity.  Drainage is fine even though there is a thin blanket of moss.  No sun will do that.  It will burn off in a few months.  There is an irrigation system set up to keep the roots moist but the leaves and stems need to be able to take the heat.

DSC_2339_5751January 2011

Here’s what I’m considering.

image

A Moondance Rose. 

This double award winner is even more vigorously blooming and fragrant than its famous parent, Iceberg. More beautiful, too! Moondance illuminates the garden with larger clusters of bigger, more densely petaled blooms filled with a sweet raspberry essence. A remarkably trouble-free, mildew-resistant plant. Creamy white. Var: JACtanic (Patent 19126) – Jackson & Perkins

This may work if keeping the shrubs pruned down low won’t damage them.  I would like to keep the hedge down to around 3’.

If Moondance is a good choice then the bed needs to get raked and ready for some bare root stock.

What do you think?  Any suggestions?

1 comment:

dorothy said...

I would love to have that brick wall! The "moondance" rose does look pretty and since it comes from iceberg parentage you know it will be hardy. I have "lace cascade", a white climber, which has iceberg parents and it blooms until Dec. I don't know if Chinese fringe flower Loropetalum, would work for your situation...it may get too tall but it is a pretty and does well in the valley. I'll look forward to seeing your progress!