Home for a gnome

I've mentioned in a a few previous garden posts, that the tree garden got a bit of a makeover this year. Actually, it started last year, when I stuck a few bits of leftover ground-cover sedums in it. When everything else was dying in the high heat of summer, they were still looking fresh.

While having the garden there is nice, it's tough to keep things alive in it for long. The branches keep out most of the rain, and the tree roots suck any avaiable water up so quick there's nothing left for anything else.

But it's the perfect place for the sedum to shine. By spring, the handful of clumps I'd planted were well on their way to taking over. So I pulled out the remaining non-sedums (some dianthans, campanula, etc.), and bought some stonecrop, some iceplants, and hens and chicks... all succulents that would do well with the sedum.

And they have done well - far beyond my expectations

The sedums absolutely took over, filing in every inch. Of course, with the sedums, it's a much smaller scale than the previous garden, so I thought it would make the perfect home for...

A little wee gnome. He is making himself right cozy - as you can see he's already got a little bird bath.

And this lovely little bridge to travel to meet his little frog friend (who, incidentally, the squirrels feel quite fond of as well. They keep stealing him and I find him half buried a few days later.) He also has a little toadstool and a wee wishing well. I was hoping to do more for him, but much of that fairy garden gear is quite expensive! (Especially considering how small it all is!) Maybe next year.

For now he's just enjoying being out and about among the sedums

 Especially this lovely dark stonecrop!

Definitely need a few more of these next year.