Filling in the Gap

I have written about the enormous juniper bush next to the house that I removed.  It was time for me to think about what I was going to put in the empty space.  I wanted a bush that would grow fairly tall, but which wouldn't spread out and end up being too close to the house again.  I had thought about a tree azalea such as the ones I have in front of the house.  But they require part shade and this spot is in bright sun from around 11:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M.  I had also considered a lilac, but my neighbor told me that they are a pain in the neck because of their huge, spreading root system.

Today I made another trip to the nursery, and looked at the selection of shrubs.   The one that caught my eye was a Japanese "sky pencil" holly.  It grows to a height of five or six feet, but has a spread of only two to three feet.  It grows in sun or part shade.  It seemed to meet my specifications perfectly, so I bought it as well as a half dozen perennial flowers to plant around it.

Usually I am guilty of planting things too close together.  However when I returned home and placed the items in the spot, I realized that they were not enough to fill the area.

I need to buy another small bush and some more perennials.  So next week I shall make yet another trip to one of the area nurseries.