This past year has been all about digging deep-all kinds of deep-moving forward when you thought you couldn’t pivot one more time. This story is about the good kind of digging deep- the kind that gets you elbows deep in dirt! This past fall, Amy Grigg of Cite Design, asked if I could plant her landscape design for a lovely couple in Church Hill. I was so excited to bring paper to life! Here is what we started with. The couple had previously installed bluestone pavers to create a walkway and are waiting for the concrete at the end of the steps to be hardscaped with more bluestone, once the workers become available. They had also planted a dwarf Ginko tree that they wanted to keep. It was great because I didn’t have a lot to dig out of the existing space!

The photo above is a front facing shot of the before exterior.

I pulled everything out and broke up the soil. I conditioned the soil by adding compost and hand tilled it to get what I like to call sexy dirt. Just look at that rich soil, all ready to grow some stuff!

Then I followed Amy’s plant list and placed everything according to her plan. Sweet mahonia is in the back, a lot of hostas, compact holly, mondo grass, cranesbill geranium, and wild ginger. It’s a yellow, green palate, with a hint of purple from the perennial geranium. All that is left to do is plant, water, and mulch!

TA DA! All done. It will sleep through the winter and we can check back in Spring! SM