Photoshop Landscaping Mock Up vs. Reality

I've been wanting to do something about my front bed for a few months now. Over time, I'm less happy with how the rocks on the left hand side make an 'eye' shape that takes a bite out of the shape of the mulch bed. Also, since my boxwood go in a nice arch across the front, it would be nice if the bed line followed that same path.

I didn't want to get out there and start moving rocks without a plan, so I actually used Photoshop to test out the curves to see if I thought I would like it.

I'm still not 100% happy with the lines. Once you decide to make things symmetrical, then you have to be perfect or it will look funny. Sigh, the things I decide to worry about...

Now the mulch line follows the arch of the boxwood row

Thuja plicata 'Whipcord' and Other Interesting Conifers

I spotted some interesting conifers at Allisonville Nursery yesterday. They have dozens of varieties, so I didn't catalog everything, but I wanted to post some photos of a couple interesting ones I spotted.

Large conifer selection

Mini conifer and succulent container, a really cool combination!

So adorable, Pinus mugo 'Mops'

Whipcord Western Red Cedar - Thuja plicata 'Whipcord' - looks almost like an ornamental grass at first, but it's closely related to other arborvitae evergreen trees. Imagine taking an Emerald Green arborvitae and stretching out the fingers of each of its evergreen fronds and you'd make this bizarre plant. Whipcord is the perfect name for it.

Expensive But Long-Awaited New Additions

I think I've had black mondo grass on my wish list since I first created a wish list. And I've been wanting a Japanese forest grass for just as long, but got one last year for free from my dad - only to have it shredded by rabbits and barely alive. I'm tired of waiting around for it to take off, I just want a nice big one now!

Since Chris and I saved money buying a modest couch and love seat instead of a huge sectional, he treated me to a trip to Allisonville Nursery to look around. They had an entire cart of black mondo grass and Japanese forest grass together! Perfect marketing combo.

I was shocked how expensive they were! $16.99 for each of the pots below, total after tax was $56.

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' (black mondo grass) and Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' (Japanese forest grass)

I suppose I got a little more bang for my buck with the black mondo grass because each pot had one main clump and 2 baby clumps in it - connected to the main clump with an underground rhizome but with its own substantial set of roots. I teased them apart and planted them each separately.

Since the black mondo grass was so expensive, I wanted to give it the best possible chance to survive - especially since I am right on the border of its winter hardiness. I ended up planting it in a variety of places on 2 different sides of my house. I also paired it with plants I already had in place that were brighter, like my creeping Jenny and Scotch moss.

Black mondo grass paired with Creeping Jenny - Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' - or Gold Moneywort

Black mondo grass and Scotch moss (Sagina subulata 'Aurea')

I forgot I haven't blogged about my creeping Jenny yet - that was actually a bargain because I found it on the sale table at Lowe's for $1, so that offsets the price a little haha! I didn't realize until just now how many of these things have GOLD in their name. Anything gold pairs with black mondo grass, we have 'All Gold' Japanese forest grass, both the creeping Jenny and Scotch moss have variety names 'Aurea'. According to Wikipedia: Aurea is a Latin female name meaning "golden."

Giving this tiny clump a go as a rock garden accent. I think it will hate the clay soil, but it's worth a shot.