Flax & Berberis Plantings

Once upon a time, when the Jelly Bean Border was young, a little red flax sat proudly at the corner of the fence underneath the Liquidamber tree. Its best friend was a self-seeded Berberis shrub.

corner red flax and berberis 1999

But the Berberis grew - and grew - and forgot about its little friend. Below, in a more recent picture taken in the summer of 2003, the Berberis is bigger and bossier, and the small red flax is smaller and more squashed in. Of course this results from the gardener not pruning her shrubs properly!

corner red flax and berberis 2003

The roses on the fence are climbing white Iceberg, Phyllis Bide and Graham Thomas. And so much for the seedling Berberis - you can see the poor little flax struggling underneath!

Footnote

I'm sorry to say that the little flax straggled on for a few more years, then simply faded away!