As you may have read, I recently lost my Grevillea 'Neil Bell'. It's demise was quick and unexpected. By all indications it was quite happy in my garden, growing and flowering almost continually for a couple of years. I went out last week to remove it, no sense in letting a dead shrub linger. Here's an after...
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And a (blurry) before. Actually since I neglected to take a before photo this is an edited version of an image taken in August. The now deseased Grevillea foliage is circled in orange.
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After removal...
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And before.
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I know what you're thinking. Well, at least I think I do. But before I admit it let's be sad about what was lost for just a bit longer.
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There are still bits of green at the base of the now brown leaves.
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And flower buds, forever frozen in time.
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I wondered what I would find when digging it out, turns out there were no surprises. No odd smells, happy roots all around, well until I severed them with the shovel.
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The ground was moist, but not wet. The mystery was not solved.
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So back to the empty spot. Which, admit it, looking at the earlier photos you were thinking wasn't really so empty, right?
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But there's bare soil! Looking on the bright side, the demise of the large Grevillea will allow the things surrounding the empty spot to stretch out a bit.
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The Stachyurus salicifolius will have room to shine.
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And the same goes for the Hamamelis x intermedia 'Early Bright'.
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And the Eriobotrya japonica too (think I crowd things much?).
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There's also a NOID Callistemon, maybe C. sieberi.
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And a Lobelia laxiflora...
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Or several. Do they seed around?
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Speaking of seeding, I discovered a seedling from my Euphorbia stygiana, which died the winter of 2013.
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And was happy to see this Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow'lives on, despite having been buried.
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What, you think I'm done? Silly! There's also a Leptospermum lanigerum 'Silver Form'...
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Which is quite lovely.
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And a Yucca recurvifolia.
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Oh wait, and mixed in with the Canna's and next to the Eriobotrya japonica is a Cryptomeria japonica 'Rasen'. So in other words, lots of things to grow and fill the hole. Maybe I shouldn't be too sad about losing the Grevillea?
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Well, I was starting to feel that way, until I spent an hour or two outside the other day and watched the confused humming birds trying to find what's not there anymore.
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Sorry little guys. Darn.
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All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
And a (blurry) before. Actually since I neglected to take a before photo this is an edited version of an image taken in August. The now deseased Grevillea foliage is circled in orange.
After removal...
And before.
I know what you're thinking. Well, at least I think I do. But before I admit it let's be sad about what was lost for just a bit longer.
There are still bits of green at the base of the now brown leaves.
And flower buds, forever frozen in time.
I wondered what I would find when digging it out, turns out there were no surprises. No odd smells, happy roots all around, well until I severed them with the shovel.
The ground was moist, but not wet. The mystery was not solved.
So back to the empty spot. Which, admit it, looking at the earlier photos you were thinking wasn't really so empty, right?
But there's bare soil! Looking on the bright side, the demise of the large Grevillea will allow the things surrounding the empty spot to stretch out a bit.
The Stachyurus salicifolius will have room to shine.
And the same goes for the Hamamelis x intermedia 'Early Bright'.
And the Eriobotrya japonica too (think I crowd things much?).
There's also a NOID Callistemon, maybe C. sieberi.
And a Lobelia laxiflora...
Or several. Do they seed around?
Speaking of seeding, I discovered a seedling from my Euphorbia stygiana, which died the winter of 2013.
And was happy to see this Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow'lives on, despite having been buried.
What, you think I'm done? Silly! There's also a Leptospermum lanigerum 'Silver Form'...
Which is quite lovely.
And a Yucca recurvifolia.
Oh wait, and mixed in with the Canna's and next to the Eriobotrya japonica is a Cryptomeria japonica 'Rasen'. So in other words, lots of things to grow and fill the hole. Maybe I shouldn't be too sad about losing the Grevillea?
Well, I was starting to feel that way, until I spent an hour or two outside the other day and watched the confused humming birds trying to find what's not there anymore.
Sorry little guys. Darn.
All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.