Blue Hollies planted

Last weekend I planted the Blue Holly bushes (yes, I am behind!):

Blue Holly bushes planted

I really struggled with the placement if them as I wanted to block as much of the irrigation valves as possible, but also I wanted it to look orderly. It seemed like the bushes should line up with the window, so that's what I ended up doing (approximately) and I'm hoping that the bushes will grow and fill in more. They still seem kinda crammed in there, but it works for me.

I followed the instructions given by the nursery for planting them. In a nutshell they are:

1. Dig a hole 2-3 times the width and no deeper than the root ball with the edges sloping downward
2. Remove any girdling roots, which are roots that circle the plant instead of spreading out radially from the plant (these can eventually choke the plant)
3. Create a mixture of 2/3 original soil and 1/3 peat moss
4. Place the plant in the center and fill in with the soil
5. Use water to settle the soil around the plant
6. Mulch 2-4 inches with hardwood bark mulch
7. Water thoroughly

I didn't end up mixing in the ammonium sulfate with the soil, but I did mix in peat humus and topsoil like I did with the Hydrangeas.

They are still alive after one week, so that's good. With the heat and drought conditions that we've had lately, I've watered them a few times with the hose on a trickle at the base of the plant.