planting the earth sheltered mounding

Jill has been busy these past few weeks!

The earth banking that 'shelters' Waxwings on its north side needed a planting scheme. Our plan was to create a heather bank with low growing conifers. Then we realised that the northern sides of the building remain in shade between November and February. Heathers need full sun.

Undeterred we threw away that planting scheme and began again.

And now we are using plants that will tolerate shade - conifers are still in there, but now we are using such things as azaleas, skimmias and box to create a structure. Heucheras, hostas, bergenias, tellimas, liriopes, carex and geraniums are planted in groups. The advantage of this planting for us is that we have been propagating lots of these for some time.

We still have heathers in our sites but will try them out in small groups. If they work and are unaffected by the shade during their dormant season, we will increase their number.

My job is to fill my wheelbarrow with wood chippings and barrow them up the mound to mulch the shrubs. It'll be such fun!!! Volunteers form an orderly queue......

I've also adorned the northern cedar boarded vertical wall with a house sparrow colony box. You can just see it in the top left hand corner of the photo. Of course, the sparrows that were close by moved away just before I put up the box - typical....