How to: free landscaping

One of the items on my fall ‘to do’ list was to add some plants along the base of our new fence. We wanted something low maintenance and shade tolerant, so we decided to go with a mix of hostas and ferns. Adam’s mom kindly dug up and delivered some ferns a couple of weeks ago (they’re hard to spot between the hostas, but they’re there!) and I planted the hostas over the weekend. The ferns in my front planter really exploded in size over the summer, so I’m hopeful these tiny ferns will do the same thing next year.

All eight hostas actually came from one plant in our yard – yes, it was huge! The plantings look a little limp from the move right now, but next spring they’ll be just as pretty and perky as before (I hope).

According to the Internet, the best time to divide hostas is in either early fall or spring, but in my limited experience, mature hostas are virtually indestructible (so I wouldn’t worry about the timing too much). I worked around the base of my plant with a shovel, getting under the roots and gently lifting until I could pull the whole thing out of the ground. With the plant on its side, I used a kitchen knife to cut through the roots, trying to avoid cutting through any shoots. Just make sure to plant your divisions at the same depth as before and give them a good watering once they’re in the ground.

My camera’s battery was dead, so I quickly snapped these photos with Adam’s phone when I was done. While it doesn’t look like much right now, this little row of greenery is going to be so lovely next year.

It’s really time to put the patio furniture away, but I’m so happy with all the progress we’ve made out here this year. This once awkward patch of lawn is finally turning into the little oasis I’ve been dreaming of!