After weeding the Douglas fir bed last week, I realized there was a lot of room for new plants in there.  I impulsively went online and ordered some plants I thought would do well.  They landed yesterday and I planted them tonight–all smallish starter plants, but strong and healthy and I got them all for less than $100.  First I watered and planted, then I watered more after just to make sure the poor starts have a chance!  Our dry Seattle summers are not ideal for starting a planting, but I will watch and water and hope that they all make it.  Here’s what I planted:

Towards the edge of the circle, I planted:

3 Aster oblongifolius “October Skies”–I love asters as much for their color as for the timing of their bloom–and I love the way they spread!  This bed gets enough sun that I think these will do great if they survive the summer.

1 Clethra “Hummingbird”–as soon as this cultivar was released, I wanted it.  The start I received is already blooming and should make a great addition to the bed.

A bit farther back, I added:

1 Azalea “Fragrant Star”–fragrance is always appealing to me, and this looks like a graceful cultivar.  Keeping it moist enough through the summer will be critical, as it was in a very small starter pot, so the rootball is very small and will dry out easily.

1 Azalea “Weston’s Lemon Drop”–I’m not usually a big fan of yellow flowers, but the lighter, less bright yellows appeal to me, especially in spring.

The back row includes:

1 Kerria japonica “Golden Guinea”–I planted this in front of a big Aucuba and I think it will shine there.  These bigger single flowers are much more graceful and more in keeping with the woodland nature of the bed than the more common double form.

1 Hydrangea aspera  “Villosa”–this is a spectacular species hydrangea.  It may outgrow the space I provided, but that will be a few years away.  The start was pretty small, but healthy.

1 Hydrangea macrophylla “Izu No Hana”–graceful flowers and healthy looking foliage, the start of this plant I received was already blooming at one foot tall!

1 Hydrangea “Next Generation Pistachio”–not usually a big fan of the mop head types, I was impressed with the very different coloration of this cultivar.

Around the same depth in the bed, I planted two plants that I had grown from seed:

Daphniphyllum macropodum–actually three seedlings in a gallon pot that I planted out together.  I have seen a big full grown specimen in the arboretum (and that’s where my seeds came from about five years ago), and these are beautify shrubs/small trees.

Sinocalycanthus chinensis–I am not absolutely sure of the species, but I believe this is right.  Impressive leaves and I look forward to some of the lovely flowers in a few years.  This seedling is about two feet tall and five years old, growing strongly in a gallon pot.

And lastly, right next to the giant Douglas fir itself, in a sheltered spot, I pulled away the ivy and planted this beauty to hopefully climb the trunk:

Hydrangea anomala “Petiolaris Firefly”–I know these can be fragile and hard to establish, but I do think the environment I am asking this vine to grow in is close to ideal, assuming I can keep it moist enough to establish itself this summer.