The space under the witch hazel was rendered very sparse by the Scilla bifolia purge last year. The Diamond Tiara hostas survived being lifted, put aside, and put back. The hyacinths that have been there for decades survived being rearranged. The Scilla bifolia seedlings that had the temerity to sprout have been removed.
Time to look at the rest of this rather bare flowerbed and scout for new residents.
The rue anemone have been flourishing, but so have their neighbors. The ones near the serviceberry are being shaded out.
Clearly they need to be moved, so I dug up the larger ones. There’s not much to them underground, but they have fat storage roots like all the other spring ephemera in this yard.
They are past their blooming period, so the flowers have faded to a pale shell pink, and some have gone to white. They have a way of grabbing any little spotlight.
These are easy to plant with just a regular trowel making a slot 2 or 3 inches deep in the soil. Since they don’t mind shade, I have moved them under the witch hazel, which has brighter shade than where they were, although contact with dappled sunlight on each can be measured in minutes per day there, until early afternoon, when it becomes full shade.
No Scilla bifolia seedlings in sight! I am keeping a sharp eye on this flowerbed. The explosive reproductive proclivities of this Scilla is a gardener’s nightmare—at least this gardener’s.
As a final touch, I dug up the Dutchman’s breeches that were intermeshed with the dwarf Japanese Solomon’s seal and put them in among the hostas—the scaly bulbs need to be poked in just under the surface—any scales that break off will also grow new plants. They are going dormant as the hostas reach full size.