Hello, friends, and welcome to Gardening with Creekside! Today is an exciting day because we are finally putting the first plants into our Proven Winners Signature Garden. The moment we've been waiting for has arrived, and we can begin planting. Just a quick recap, Jerry has been hard at work installing the irrigation in the Signature Garden over the past two days. Now that the irrigation is in place, we can start planting.
In case you missed it, we received a delivery of stunning Sprinter boxwoods from Proven Winners, thanks to our friends at Johnson's Nursery in eastern North Carolina. These boxwoods are large and beautiful, which is exactly what we wanted for this special garden. Sprinter boxwoods are known for their versatility, thriving in various conditions, from full sun to full shade, and they handle the heat and humidity of North Carolina exceptionally well. Our plan is to create a formal garden look with these boxwoods, even though we're not formal people. We'll be planting them in two raised beds that visitors will walk through to enter the Signature Garden.
Now, on one side of the raised beds, we have a row of Sprinter boxwoods. These boxwoods will be planted close together, about 2 feet apart, as we aim to create a solid boxwood hedge over the coming years. Sprinter boxwoods can be maintained between 2 to 4 feet, but for now, we're keeping them at 2 feet apart. On the other side, facing the garden, we'll have a row of Little Lime Punch panicle hydrangeas. These hydrangeas are sturdy, compact, and produce beautiful creamy white flowers. We have a total of 14 of them, and they will be spaced 4 feet apart to create a future hydrangea hedge.
The planting process involves drilling holes using a power planter augur, adding biotone for a great start, and then filling the holes with native soil. We're doing this during November to ensure the plants establish strong root systems before the summer heat. The Sprinter boxwoods are spaced 2 feet apart, while the Little Lime Punch hydrangeas are spaced 4 feet apart.
Once the planting is complete, we install drip tubing for irrigation and top-dress the beds with Land and Sea compost. Land and Sea compost is an excellent choice as it retains moisture, enriches the soil with organic matter, and provides essential nutrients for the plants. It's a significant investment, but it ensures the best possible conditions for our garden.
We also have plans to address drainage by filling the ditch with gravel and adding decorative River Rock to create a visually appealing dry creek bed. This will help manage excess water runoff and keep the garden looking beautiful.
While we've completed one of the two beds with top-dressing, we'll finish the other one tomorrow morning. It's getting late in the day, and we want to make sure everything is done correctly. The weather is also turning colder, with temperatures dropping to 25 degrees tonight.
Looking ahead, for the summer season, we plan to plant Angel Face Wedgewood Blue Angelonia in the center of the beds, complemented by a mixed border of petunias, coleus, and other annuals in the front. This combination will fill the beds nicely while waiting for the shrubs to mature and provide a tight and lush appearance.
Despite the chill in the air, we are thrilled with the progress we've made today. Our Proven Winners Signature Garden is taking shape, and we can't wait to see how it continues to flourish. Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, thank you for joining us on this gardening journey. Have a fantastic day!
