The Maple Hill Hop 28

Welcome to 
The Maple Hill Hop,
where we share what's going on outside our doors
whatever the season.

A few years ago, we put in this curved bed.
Flax lily was the Florida-friendly choice here,
as it needs no supplemental watering
and can take the full sun on this side of the house.

Especially near the garage, it was getting pretty thick.
Flax lily is so easily divided, this task was completed in no time.

A cart full of transplants await a new home.

Here's how it looked after the thinning.
Now the native petunias in front can enjoy the sunshine.

Whenever a plant is relocated,
time is taken to trim the roots just a bit.
This allows the plant a "fresh start" and new growth is imminent.

The back bed on the west side of the yard needed a little 
somethin' somethin'.  
This is the shadiest part of our yard 
and the curve looked like it could use a bit of pizzazz.

Fortunately, flax lily doesn't mind a little bit of shade
and will do fine right here next to the ferns.
This is also a favorite hangout of our aviary friends.
More nooks and crannies in which to hide.

It feels great to be able to recycle plants to different parts of the garden.
They should be quite content in their new home.

What do you do with plants that need thinning out?

 Let's HOP!

An InLinkz Link-up

 

Plant Profile-Flax Lily

 Our series on Florida-friendly plants continues this week with another drought-tolerant specimen.
Even if you don't live in Florida,
you may be able to grow these beautiful low maintenance plants.

Flax Lily

Flax lily is used along our driveway to hug the curved bed.
It adds a variegated splash to the border
and also treats us to a spray of
delicate white flowers with a hint of golden centers.





Another drought tolerant example,
flax lily requires no supplemental watering
and can withstand our hot, humid summers.




When thinning is required,
just dig 'em up and replant elsewhere in the garden.
They also add height to container plantings.
This is a hearty plant that doesn't need coddling.
We'll be featuring just such a project next week on 
The Maple Hill Hop.
You can find it here.


Once every couple of years, they are cut down to the quick.
They regenerate within weeks.



This is one Florida-friendly plant that won't disappoint.
For the gardener who enjoys the beauty without all the work,
this is a superb choice.


Week One-Bulbine
Week Two-Native Milkweed
Week Three-African Iris 
Week Four-Society Garlic

You can find more Florida-friendly posts here. 

Beginning of the Blue Garden

Last year, we added this curve to the front of our house

using flax lily as one of the main plant materials.

 

We promptly got a letter from the HOA

stating that it hadn't been approved.

Yeah, whatever...

I like the movement it gives the front entrance.

As an avid reader of Hoe and Shovel,

I remembered Meems posting about the unsightly issue

with the leaves

and how to deal with them.

She suggested something mighty drastic.

If you've read her blog (and you really should!),

you know that she is quite an accomplished gardener.

I trust her implicitly.

So I did it.

Right down to the quick!

Know what happened?

They grew back beautifully!

The leaves seemed more vibrant and healthy.

Flax lily is a Florida-friendly plant.

It is drought-tolerant, has year-round color,

blooms, and easily multiplies itself.

What's not to love?

As part of the "blue garden makeover" project,

these lovelies needed to be moved over

to make room for other plant material.

They will also be divided at this time,

to give more flow to this bed framing the driveway.

They are easily segmented by digging them up

and gingerly separating the roots.

This was the first step in simplifying the front beds.

Happy gardening y'all!