Many thanks to Paul and Nancy for doing that for me.
I loosened the soil this morning with my garden weasel then raked. There are a lot of roots left over as you can imagine. I pulled a lot of stuff out and cut a lot more stuff that was too deep and tough to pull. So far so good.
Now to put my plan into action. The plan is/was to transplant the azalea to the spot where the shrub had been and plant the ornamental peppers in front of it...halfway between the azalea and the sidewalk. But, the plan has changed. The azalea and the peppers will still be planted as stated...with a major variation.
I don't like how the garden slopes toward the sidewalk. There is a lot of water and mud run-off when I water my plants. I have gone so far as to dig motes around the bleeding hearts just to contain the water.
While working on the soil this morning I had a brilliant idea! Terrace the newly opened space. Plant the azalea on the upper level, surround the upper terrace with patio stones standing up or flat, depending on where they were used. Then on the lower level I can plant the ornamental peppers in a trench. The entire outer edge of the area will be lined with stone edging. No more mud run-off.
I am so excited. See the picture for the "as it is now" look. When it's finished, it will look beautiful, and I will post pictures just to prove it. Stay tuned!
