The Myrtle Bed

The Myrtle Bed is bisected by a narrow walkway that connects the back patio to the back yard gate and the west lawn. It is due north of my garage, and there is a narrow bed of ferns between the walkway and the back of the garage. In the main part of the bed, north of the walkway, the crepe myrtle shares the space with swamp lilies, orange day-lilies, and the plants that encroach upon the bed when I neglect it, primarily St. Augustine grass, violet woodsorrel, and whitemouth dayflower.

On August 23, 2013, only a few months after I moved in, the west end of the Myrtle Bed was already full of plants that were not considered to belong there.

Click the photo to see it bigger!

On September 24, 2013, a day lily was about to flower.

On February 17, 2014, some violet woodsorrel was growing just on the west side of the crepe myrtle.

On June 17, 2014,  horseweed was growing near the western tip of the myrtle bed.

On October 26, 2014, the myrtle bed was in a sloppy state, with St. Augustine grass coming in from the sides and whitemouth dayflower and other plants growing from seeds. The walkway between the ferns (to the left) and the bed was covered with leaves and dirt.

By January 24, 2015, the bed looked even worse. A thick coat of leaves covered it, and the lilies looked unhealthy, probably because a recent cold snap. It is hard to see the boundary of the bed.