the way back bed

I have two beds in my garden that I call "Way Back Beds." These are way, way in the back of my yard, far from the garden hose and/or any intent to water them. The Way-Way Back Bed is in the alley, and is the future home of the black raspberry starts. The second, Less Way Back Bed, is in the back of my yard, garage-adjacent.

I looked for some "before" photos in Flickr, and somehow there are none. Probably because I plant it to the brink every year, and every year, everything dies. I have planted at least one: rose, lavender, coreopsis, dianthus, and delphinium that have perished. Last year, I planted many, many coneflowers in hopes that they would return this year and fill in the space. Result?



On the left, hostas. Center, several irises and lillies. Right: a clematis and more lillies. Missing: see above.

I have so much extra space to fill in with flowers, but nothing seems to stick around. So, I've mulched it in hopes of keeping down the millions of weeds that sneak in every summer, and have scattered some annual flower seeds in the open spots, in hopes of coaxing out some blooms.