in clover: a good foundation

As promised, part two!  Here's a long shot of the foundation bed post mulch.  

I think the birdbath, stones and succulent container planting look much nicer with the dark brown soil conditioner as an undercoat.  I use a product called Soil Conditioner.  It is an excellent soil amendment for the clay soil we have around here and it is a good looking mulch.  If you are in town, you can purchase it at Fayette Seed.  It's about $5 a bag.   

When I met this charming English lady, she was no longer in possession of whatever she originally held overhead.  She was in a bad marriage to an oversized birdbath top.  I encouraged them to go their separate ways!  Some years I have placed a small terracotta pot of annuals on her head but I've never really been quite satisfied.  Pre-mulch, here she is, sans head dress...





That's a tiny birdbath at the front of the bed...hmmm...worth a try.....





I'm not sure but I think I will leave her this way for a time.  I thought the arrangement seemed a little off balance so I added a marble urn borrowed from the front garden. I like threes...

This stone trough sits in the center of this shaded bed.  I usually fill it with impatiens but by the middle of summer, the impatiens grow so large they completely cover the trough.  This year I'd like to highlight the lovely and unusual French trough.  More succulents?  Not sure.  I think I will look for inspiration at the gardening center.  Those are tiny lettuce sprouts growing now.  The seeds came free in the mail and I planted them way too late, it's getting much too warm for lettuce but aren't they cute?

The marble urn needs something.  I considered impatiens but I decided that this year, I would like this bed to be completely green...no other color.  There is lots of color elsewhere in the garden.  The urn does not hold much soil, this bed does not get much light and I like to keep things as simple as possible so I used an asparagus fern for the urn, just to soften up my lady and carry the green color throughout. It should grow and fill out nicely.

I hope that no matter where you live, you find a little quiet time to go outside and plant a little something, somewhere.  It is so good for the soul! 

Peace,  Lisa