Flowerbed Tour: Shade Bed

June 12:

 

I need to figure out some kind of edging for the back of this bed.

By this time of summer, the weed grass is just about taking over.

 

columbine

 

hardy geranium amidst the grass

Heuchera, daisies, and lots of grass

fence side looking East

dogwood, heuchera, and violas

Those little violas self-seeded from last year!

Yes!

 

Flowerbed Tour: Shade & slope

Shade Garden, May 5:

 

Overview: from the far end down

 

Brunnera leafing out, with a few mini daffodils.

Lady's mantle and heuchera slowly getting bigger.

 I finally ripped out that sickly fern.

This columbine was from a neighbor--they were going to rototill the spot where it was at and offered it to me. I knew columbines could live back here, so I gladly took it!

 

One of the heuchera's from VW Garden. 

 

Heuchera and columbine.

I love that electric pink color back here in the shade.

It lights up the whole bed!

 

Red-twig dogwood, also taking its time to leaf out.

  

Overview: this time from the yard end down.

 

May 23:

 

Overview: everything filling in, including slope grass encroaching!

 

Columbine in bloom.

The one the left must be a doubled form--it hardly looks like a columbine.

I love how the one on the right has 2 different colors of flowers on the same plant.

Pulmonaria ("lungwort") also a gift from the neighbor's.

It settled in very quickly and has already grown new leaves.

You can also see the hosta starting to leaf out.

Heuchera and violas.

Those little violas are from last year's plants.

Awesome!

The lilac bush.

Still no blooms, but it looks healthier this year than it has in the past. 

 

Slope: May 5

 

Tulips along the top of the garden wall.

 

Daffodils between the garden and the aspen.

 

and...May 23:

 

So cheerful. Glad they came back this year.

March Flowerbeds: Shade

By the fence, looking out toward yard. 

 

Heuchera and fern 

 

Heuchera and red-twigged dogwood

New Growth:

 



Lady's mantle

Heuchera 'Georgia Peach'

 

 

March 15:

 still pretty quiet back in the shade garden

 

Frosting

Before we get to the good stuff (pictures, as always), let's talk about the weather.

The first week and a half of this year we had rain almost every day, with daytime temps in the 40's and 50's. At first I thought this was a totally strange trend, but looking back to last year, apparently there was a similar warm snap late December. So maybe it's an annual phenomenon.

In any case, here we are with no snow. In January.

Obviously, I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around that.

I have snowflake decorations that are languishing in the box, because it seems a little odd to have snowflakes inside but not out.

Anyway.

 

Ice fog creates some beautifully frosty scenery.

And I am never one to turn down frosting, of any kind.

 

I ran out right after church to take some pictures, but it turns out I didn't need to hurry.

It wasn't going anywhere.

 

Front flowerbeds

 

Hydrangea and daphne

corkscrew rush

echinacea

 potentilla

 

English laurel

boxwood

Echinacea seed heads

Oregon grape

 

Back slope & shade bed

Even the weeds look pretty with some frosting on them!

back slope

children wondering if Mom is crazy

red-twig dogwood

heuchera

grass on the slope

Winter wonderland, indeed.

Happy January, friends!



Shade Bed

First, I should say that this is a mix of pictures: some taken 3 weeks ago (before frost), and the more colorful foliage from 1 week ago.

 

Red-twig dogwood, looking lovely this fall.

I love the variegated colors of the leaves.

Such a good-looking shrub.

 

On the left, columbine, added from VW Gardens.

Actually, all the additions to this bed were gifts from her.

Thanks, again friend!

 

 Neither of my dicentras came back this year.

Of the 3 ferns I had planted, only 1 has survived.

So I added another columbine to the right of the pink heuchera.

Also, this little hosta replacing one of the ferns.

 

These 2 hostas were already here from last year, as was 1 tiarella, and the brunnera, hanging on.

I added the 2 purple heucheras, plus 1 lady's mantle.

I even managed to cut back the grass threatening to overtake the bed.

This has been my most neglected flowerbed this year.

I tried to get back to water it during the hottest parts of the summer, but for the most part, it just chugged along on its own steam...or not, in the case of the ferns.

I'm excited about the added color from the heucheras.

Also, that I know they are tough and should survive.

 

I had forgotten how the hostas change colors in the fall.

That banana yellow next to the heuchera is so pretty!

I can see them from my kitchen window, and it's such a bright little spot back there in the shade.

These 2 aren't quite as yellow, but still set off the other foliage quite nicely.

 

Maybe next year I will spend a little more time back here.

There is hope, since the front terraces are all filled in now.