Looks Can Be Deceiving
The landscape has not been touched in at least 15 years. I have seen hedge rows of Forsythia and never realized how invasive it can be. My client's home is surrounded by not just 1 (the forsythia) but 3 invasive plants to zone 7 (the whole left side and back side of her house and trees are over run with ivy). This is a slow process since the homeowner is on a budget and I am working with her to eradicate the invasive plants and to give her home curb appeal.
This looks innocent enough but the Liriope lining the bed to the right was a nightmare to dig out and I had to sharpen my shovel and special tool razor sharp to dig it out and cut it in manageable clumps which weighed about 15lbs a piece. Saved her Iris and daylilies and adding many perennials for a faux country garden look
I started trying to use a shovel to get the Liriope out and found that there was edging. It was like slicing through cement.
The Liriope was used to line the yard on the property line of the next door neighbors to keep the weeds from creeping into her flower bed and into her yard (will show pics soon)
The best $2 I ever spent at a garage sale for my "slicer". I cut the liriope in manageable strips to use as the edging for the property line
This is one section of rooted branches I dug out from the edge of the Forsythia. She also has a fence row of Forsythia that is about 60 or more long!
found hostas mixed in with the rooted Forsythia-I dug all the small hosta up and replanted to untangle the roots of weeds and forsythia
The hosta are in and should now grow since they are no longer strangled by the bush
More Liriope strangling Azaleas on the other side of the yard
this is a random 10x10 foot patch next to the house I have to dig up because you have to dig it out to work the bed and plant.
Testing the yard. Liriope has spilled into her yard! This part of the yard is nothing but Liriope -10x40 foot area at least!
This is a monster! This is what most of her trees look like and the ground behind the Liriope next to her home. The far back is the neighbor's wintercreeper euonymous which is about 10' H x about 12' W and is crossing the ravine you cannot see because the ivy has covered everything up to the concrete ravine.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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I planted quite a few liriope in a garden bed around the outside area. They have all tripled in size and I dread the thought of having to dig up and divide this year but they are very nice when they bloom and mass out. I might offer for some to come and dig up and then I will have less to dig out and a place for the small ones to go. hmmm
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I have liriope all around my property thanks to former owners, but it has to compete with wishteria on one side so there it has been no problem. In other areas of my garden it helps with keeping pine needle mulch contained there and with keeping St. Augustine grass from getting to my garden. In the spring it is beautiful when it blooms. I do see some of it becoming thicker and I know I will have to thin it out soon. I haven't started hating it just yet.
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