Well done

The annual cleanup of the space around the ornamental well is now complete. We have transformed the well's look over the years since we've owned the house. It has gone from being hidden behind shrubs and crowded with growth to being spare and spartan. I prefer the latter to the former.

The bed around the well is ready and the walkways are cleared of grass.

One year I decided that lavender would look nice planted inside the well. That lasted until the lavender got too bulky and started not looking right. So I moved the lavender and planted some flowering plants along with some herbs. The annual herbs got to be a lot of trouble so I replaced them with perennial mint. The mint fills the well in summer but, of course, it's beginning to crowd out the purple campanule (bellflower). So be it.

Last year I put some bulbs in around the base. There was also some thyme. But this past winter the moles invaded this section of the yard (the little brown patches you see are former mole hills) and the base of the well was not spared. Very early this spring the weeds invaded and it was a mess. So I dug everything out. As much as I could. There are still some roots and bulbs that escaped my spade.

This year I'm planting annuals around the base of the well. Some marigolds, zinnia, and flax. We're looking forward to a little color this summer.