No matter how much raking I do in the fall, my flowerbeds are always packed with oak and hickory leaves in the spring. It’s a pretty neat trick considering we don’t even have any trees growing in our yard—they all belong to the neighbors.
I usually wait until the temperatures have moderated a bit before I remove the leaves from on top of the perennials in case there’s a late deep freeze, but last week I uncovered the tulips and daffodils that were peeking out because they are tougher. In the process I also unearthed my Sedum ‘Neon’ plants.
I’m always shocked by how big they are when I first expose them in the spring. They must start growing under the snow because none of my other perennials are ever this robust this early—not even the daylilies. Two weeks ago everything was buried under seven inches of snow. The weird thing is, they don’t even bloom until August, so it’s not like they need a big head start.
Sedum ‘Neon’ grows about 18 inches tall with hot-pink flowers that attract honeybees like crazy:
The plants add some fresh color to the garden in late August through early October when most of the other perennials are pooped out or winding down.