I like raised bed look specially if you want mini in it.

can you step back.. and give us a better pic of the location ... i dont get the two wood fences [or whatever they are ...... let alone worry about the retaining block ...

ken

Yes, I sure can. Those "wood fences" are actually a bed. It's a garden bed. Anyways...Here are some other pictures.

Do you have a walking path between house wall and garden bed? My concern with mini Hosta is that they have to be admired closely. Right now my eye goes straight for wall and basement windows cover.

Which view is more central? As in desired? Last pic?

Me-I would remove that bed altogether in such case, move something taller to the back near house wall as phlox, lilies, shrubbery and move raised stone bed mini hosta where tradescantia and white pot currently is.

From my observation of beds placed in gardens I visited it can make a great statement but has to be in separate area as focal point of attention.

You could stack pots of hostas on cinderblocks in there and have a cascade of hostas showing.

I love that idea, zkathy. But hostas in pots don't seem to do as well here. I tried one last year, a cheap one, and it failed. I'd like to perfect the process but I'm not willing to risk any of these special ones in the experiment.

Here is the progress on what I decided to do. I thought a lot about the ability to really see the minis and how they tend to get swallowed up by the larger plants. So I wanted to elevate them.

I bought some border wood and elevated one portion of the bed. This is specifically for the minis. The rest of the bed will have larger plants. I will clean up the columbines, move things around a bit and plant my new Tokudama Aureonebulosa which will go on the far side to balance out the NOID in the foreground.

We'll call it a compromise, some low, some higher up.

I think Linda has the right idea. Move it out, raise the bed (PT 4x4s to raise the bed, (painted black to 'hide' them) to where the soil level is mattress level and screw on some side rails (stained to the color of the headboard and footboard) to make it look like a bed (needs to be longer in proportion to a real bed as well) and fill it with (yuck) minis and some other low growing plants to make a blanket.....hey how about a design to make it look like a real blanket/quilt! Now you would have a real WOW!, in your yard..........and something tall to cover that (utility?) box against the house. I'm sorry, but now, it looks as if the bed boards were discarded into the backyard. Jon

It's not a utility box, it's an egress window with a plexi-glass window-well cover. I tend to keep that area clear in case one may actually need to escape.

I sort of think this has a nice ring to it, "The Discarded Garden". It sort of represents my style which is not for everyone.

Thank you all for the advice. It did give me some more ideas and I have more progress I can make. My yard is very small, so there aren't a lot of new projects. Now it's sort of manipulating and improving what I already have.

LOL. I think portions of my garden fit that description. Looking at your pictures it looks as if to the right, in front of the tree, might be a perfect 'resting place' for a proper 'Mini Bed' -Jon

I like your solution!

Popmama, what was your problem overwintering in pots? I too have had only few hosts in pots but did not have a problem... Now of course I got few more and special ones...hmmm

lindalana, I kept it in the pot and tipped the pot on its side and put it in a protected spot in my yard. It did not survive. I know some people put them in a shed. I don't have a shed. I could try the garage. But I already over-winter about 10 cannas in the garage in their pots, so I'm hesitant to add more pots to the garage system.

I had a hosta survive a winter in a pot on my deck. I didn't expect it to survive but i was SO happy it came back. It was one of those light weight pots, maybe it was more insulated? This was in the Hudson Valley of NY, so that is Z5? the winters there were warmer than where i live now in the midwest.

I have a cheap-o hosta I bought this year specifically to "jazz up" a container. I may try again with it. The one last year was in a fairly large clay pot.

Popmama, try potting it up in a pot that just fits the hosta. Too much media, especially when it is drenching from rains, then freezes, is potential for rot. I failed the first winter with my newly potted hostas experiment but have not had a problem since. Good luck with your cheapo! :-).

P.S. I've never lost a hosta in a pot over winter yet that was lying on its side regardless of the amount of media, or lack thereof...touch wood, lol.

I thought that when over wintering in pots in cold climates they should be set on the side with a hole dug out to set them in and then covered with leaves or something else to trap heat from ground.

....and when in a garage watering with ice cubes was needed.

If it a garden BED then it could be fun to have some sort of pattern that look like pillows, or quilt...I don't know how to do it, but it could be awfully cute!

Best garden bed idea I have seen on one of the tours, white frilly antique bed frame in the middle of the island and all hostas have names with sleeping or dreams...