Front side yard update

Cedar sage, grown from seed

The front side yard has changed a lot since early March! The grass is buried under mulch, the wall of bricks is taken down, and plants have been planted.

First, the existing rhododendron is much healthier, thanks to a little pruning, regular watering and fertilizer. It didn't bloom this spring but is growing a lot of new leaves. I'm trying to keep the moss around it but kill off the grass and weeds - I used cardboard which worked pretty well but may need another round to get the rest of the weeds. 

I've added just a few plants around the rhododendron:

• Hummingbird sage, salvia spatacea, one to the right (east) of the rhododendron and one on the other side, they should spread a lot
• Satureja douglasi 'Yerba Buena', trying one as a groundcover in front of the rhododendron and in a couple other areas around the yard
• Inside out flower, vancouveria hexandra, way under the pine tree behind the rhododendron
• Sword fern, polystichum munitum, two on the shadier side of the rhododendron

Rhododendron

Looking east

Behind the rhododendron / under the pine tree

The open area next to the driveway is completely covered in mulch and I've been slowly putting in plants:

• Cedar sage, salvia roemeriana, planted from seed
• Day lilies, hemorocallis 'Pandora's Box'
• Geranium macrorrhizum 'White Ness' 
• Geranium thunbergii 'Jester's Jacket'
• Verbascum chaixii album 'Wedding Candles'
• Veronica 'Waterperry Blue', trying as a groundcover under the yucca
• Fringecup, tellima grandiflora, right in front of the yucca
• Bleeding hearts, dicentra formasa, may be too dry here but trying anyway

Looking east

Looking west

Little plants are trying to spread

Mullein in front of yucca bloom

The area next to the garage has changed the most with the removal of the brick wall, and re-use of the bricks as path edging. I wouldn't have bought them as edging but decided I might as well use them. I'm still playing with the shape, the top of the path needs to be a little wider. I had hoped to plant a large bush in place of the wall, but turns out our power, gas and cable lines all run right next to the garage, so I'm limited to perennials and groundcover. 

Looking east

Looking west from the gate in the fence

Planted on the south (fence) side:

• Kenilworth ivy, cymbalaria moralis, planted one along the walkway
• Creeping phlox, phlox stolonifera 'Sherwood Purple', planted one under the easternmost yucca
• Foxglove, digitalis purpurea, along the fence, grown from seed

The fence side is shadier and I'm trying to keep the moss here but kill the weeds (thus the cardboard). I have aquilegia seedlings to plant in here too. 

Planted on the north (garage) side:

• Penstemon serrulatus
• Rock cress, aubrieta 'Audrey Purple Shades'
• Sedum oreganum, grown from pieces 
• Kinnikinnick, arctostaphylos uva-ursi

The garage side is sunnier and I have visions of a rock garden, although it's mostly covered in mulch right now. I have Jupiter's beard (centranthus ruber) and rock cress grown from seed ready to plant in the fall.

Looking west from the very bottom

Everything needs to grow in, I have more to plant, and have to decide on the final position of the brick border, but this project is coming along nicely.