Misty, pretty much the only things where you can cover up the crown would be things that root all along the stems, and as far as I know, all the things you're talking about won't do that, so they'd all need to be dug and replanted higher up. Covering the crown of most plants will kill them. If they were tomatoes you could just add soil and let them root along the stem--but that's not what you have!

I have, with a few things, been able to stick a shovel under them on a few sides and manage to "elevate" them, and then "pack" soil into the void I've created under them, but I doubt that that would work with big plants. It may sound like a big project, but if you do parts of it at a time it might not seem like so much work! MIGHT not!

Having said all that, with my hardy hibiscus--'Disco Belle'--when I pulled all the nasty rock mulch out from the crowns of the plants I DID fill in the "depressed" area with soil, so, technically, you could say that I buried the "crown" (a couple inches) deeper, but with hibiscus there's not really a crown like with most other plants--it's more like "buds" like peonies. When I've done it, a couple times, it was over winter or in VERY early spring, before there was any growth visible at all, so, basically, what I was doing was just burying the "root" a little deeper where the new buds would form for the next year's growth, so when they started growing in spring the new "shoots" just grew up thru the soil to form the above-ground stems when they got to the surface. No guarantees! But it worked for me! If you try it do it when they're TOTALLY dormant. With hibiscus the depth of the "buds/eyes" doesn't seem to make any difference as to whether or not they'll bloom! I repeat! No guarantees!

Good luck with your project! Maybe some day we'll get to come back at a swap to see "all your new improvements!"

Skybird

I just had the same dilemma in my bed garden. I wanted to add some new soil and wanted to raise up the mini hostas to a height where they would be more visible. I did it in two phases. I moved the giant daylily that was here, then dug up all the mini hostas. I formed a portion of the garden with wood edging and filled that area to a higher fill. Then two weeks went by before I ended up digging up the other plants, adding more soil there and re-arranging them in what I hope will be a better form. The only two plants I didn't lift were the big hosta in the foreground and the Jack Frost brunerra. I just added more soil around them. This is the before (after removing the daylily):

After phase 1 moving of the minis:

Today:

I have a couple more plants I want to squeeze into that area on the left. I have another columbine and a clematis (the non-vining woodland type). I will add mulch after that.

Overall lifting the plants wasn't all that difficult. I used a tarp and some big plant trays to put them on so it wouldn't create such a big mess.

Thanks Skybird and Popmama! Great idea to do it in stages!! I will start with the smaller plants, and I think I will save the hibiscus for last. I think waiting until it is completely dormant and then covering it like you described, Skybird, sounds like it would work. It is just such a large plant in the summer, I imagine the root ball would be very large as well. So I think trying to dig it up may be too difficult and shocking to the plant. And maybe I can mound up the extra dirt around the outside of it and not so much around the interior of where the stems are (I usually leave the stem stalks over the winter for some winter interest, and then cut them back in the spring when I see the new growth starting). Thanks for the good luck!

Popmama - I love your new arrangement you made in that bed!

I finished moving plants today. If anyone is interested, the commemorative columbine is called "Remembrance". I think I made a mistake by moving a Colorado Gold columbine into that area though because I think they prefer more sun.