Though we have a few more days of August, the Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ plants won’t hold their bloom, and as the cup plants have begun their decline, it’s a welcome arrival of new blossoms. They are just about on schedule, unlike the Seven Sons Flower tree, which has been in bud for weeks but hasn’t quite begun to spread its sweet perfume and bee-attracting pollen. But we aren’t going to hijack this joyful post with the waywardness of this season/year.
Like the hosta and the hydrangea, the ubiquitousness of Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ – overused by far too many landscaping plans – had caused it to fall out of favor for a number of years. The three plants we had in our garden were ignored and almost abused. I didn’t tend to them with any manure or mulch, I didn’t divide or pamper, and to be honest I didn’t even bother to water them all that much.
A couple of years ago, however, I noticed a Sedum that has seeded itself outside of our fenced-in pool area, growing in the wild section of the yard. Amused, I watched it intermittently over few years. It kept coming back, and getting larger, all without care, and as it evolved into a handsome plant all by its lonesome, I decided to reward it with a prominent place in the garden bed, with a deep amendment of manure, a thick layer of mulch, and a strong dose of full sunlight.
This marks its second year in its new space, and it has settled in beautifully. More than that, it’s reminded me of the practically perfect form and behavior of the Sedum family, illuminating the three original plants in a new light.
