Making Plans

I have plans to dig out the front perennial garden and completely redo it.  Of course, it is a challenging site: rather dry, primarily shady throughout the day, and on an annoying little hill.  So far, I've seen glimpses of flowers that are surviving in the unruly grass and nettles that grew up last summer, so I know things are living in there.  My initial plan is to dig everything out, decide which perennials I want to keep, toss the rest (by that I mean, pawn them off on other people OR literally, toss them), and give all the beds a complete dig over to remove the majority of the grass.  Then, it's a matter of re-planning bed shapes and paths, and planning for new plantings.

I already know what theme I'm leaning toward: a fairy garden.  So I need to round up some interesting stumps, ferns, hostas, and "fairy" plantings like little nodding bells and airy grasses.  I'll be keeping my leaning climbing rose, William Baffin, giving it a good tie onto the trellis to keep it on track with climbing up the house.  It's a challenge deciding what will grow in this little garden space, so I did a google and found a great resource from the University of Minnesota Extension Service, detailing all kinds of things you can plant to grow in difficult locations.  Already I'm in love with the idea of planting snowdrops and cranesbill geraniums and purple fountain grass...

Now, if only I could plant it without having to do all that digging.