My Summer Project: Part 2

This is actually where my summer project started: the north side of my house.  This is a difficult area to photograph, as it's very narrow and long.  Basically this garden is a foundation planting, I have only about 8' from my house to the end of my property.  While it does get some late western sun, it is very shady.  Which makes it about perfect since shade is my favorite place to garden!  

A lot of the plants in this garden I've had for a few years, but for various reasons they've been in pots since day 1.  Only a few hostas were moved from another garden or potted last year.  The Rhododendrons were sad looking work rescues planted last year and are recovering beautifully.  And the Polygonatum humile was the last remnant of the garden that was here up until last spring.  Despite how narrow this area is, it's long which has allowed a plant selection equally as diverse and numerous as my larger front sunny garden.  Lots of Hostas of course, but a diverse selection of others as well:

Aquilegia mix

Aralia cordata 'Sun King'

Aster (Eurybia) divaricatus 'Eastern Star'

Aster macrophylla 'Alba'

Athyrium 'Ghost'

Atractylodes japonica

Atractylodes ovata

Chelonopsis yagiharana

Clematis virginiana

Dirca palustris

Eleuthrococcus sieboldianus 'Variegatus'

Enkianthus campanulatus

Fagus sylvatica 'Aurea Pendula'

Geranium maculataum

Geranium 'Perfect Storm'

Hosta 'Awakening Angel'

Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears'

Hosta 'Bridal Falls'

Hosta 'Cutting Edge'

Hosta 'Dixie Cups'

Hosta 'Dragon's Eye'

Hosta 'Earth Angel'

Hosta 'El Nino'

Hosta 'Fallen Angel'

Hosta 'Foxfire Irish Moon'

Hosta 'Gemstone'

Hosta 'Irish Luck'

Hosta 'Key West'

Hosta 'Lime Smoothie'

Hosta 'Paradise Tritone'

Hosta 'Potomac Pride' sport

Hosta 'Queen of the Seas'

Hosta 'Remember Me'

Hosta 'Ringtail'

Hosta 'Sea Gulf Stream'

Hosta 'Stir It Up'

Hosta ventricosa 'Aureomarginata'

Hydrangea anomala var. petiolaris 'Early Light'

Hydrangea arborescens 'Bella Anna'

Hydrangea arborescens 'Invincibelle Spirit'

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Forever Together'

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Wedding Ring'

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'

Hydrangea serrata 'Tuff Stuff'

Kirengeshoma palmata 'Magic Touch'

Lamium orvala 'Alba'

Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Gold Angel'

Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Mountain Madness'

Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Silver Angel'

Lonicera 'Harlequin'

Lonicera oblongifolia

Lonicera villosa

Oxalis crassipes

Polygonatum humile

Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'

Polygonatum 'Prince Charming'

Pulmonaria 'Pink Twilight'

Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans'

Salvia koyamae

Solidago flexicaulis 'Variegata'

Taxus baccatta 'Amersfoort'

Thalictrum 'Black Stockings'

Tiarella 'Oregon Trail'

Tiarella 'Spring Symphony'

Tricyrtis 'Golden Gleam'

Tricyrtis 'Golden Glory'

66 varieties of plants, 22 of which are Hosta varieties.  You'll notice some other repetitions in Genus names here too, This garden is home to some of my other "collections" of plants.  Hydrangea, Leucosceptrum, Lonicera, and Polygonatum are all top notch shade plants and I'll be adding more to the gardens.  With the exception of Hydrangea, all of those deserve more use.  Tiarella also deserves more popularity (at least around here) and I have room for more of those in this garden and will add more varieties in time.  

I do still have room for a few smaller plants in this garden, and definitely have room for some groundcovers.  Also, this garden will wrap around to the East side of the house next year which has more space and already has some shrubs in place.  That area would be planted as well, except it's full of potted plants that SHOULD be at the nursery location.  More on that in part 3.

Rhododendrons, hostas, and Miscellany

Aster divaricatus 'Eastern Star' - Every shade garden NEEDS this plant!

Geranium 'Perfect Storm'

Pulmonaria 'Pink Twilight'

Pulmonaria 'Pink Twilight' taken today - NO MILDEW!

Enkianthus campanulatus

Hydrangea anomala var petiolaris 'Early Light'

Hosta 'Gemstone'

Taxus 'Amersfoort'

Hosta 'Remember Me'

Hosta 'Dixie Cups'

Hosta 'El Nino'

Tricyrtis 'Golden Gleam'

Solidago flexicaulis 'Variegata'

Oxalis crassipes

Hanging Hostas of Hampshire

I thought I'd share this video from youtube.  Thanks to Hostaholic1 for uploading!

The Hanging Hosta Garden in Lindford, Hampshire is the creation of June Colley and her partner John. The collection of over 1300 hosta cultivars is diplayed in several garden settings including an English Garden, a Waterfall and Stream Garden and an Islamic Garden. Many of the hostas are displayed at eye level to give a wonderful tapestry of foliage and colour. The garden is open to the public by appointment and in July under the National Garden Scheme. 

See the website www.ngs.org.uk  

Spring Color

I've finally had a chance to get out and take some pictures of the spring color in my gardens over the last week or so.  Everything is definitely behind this year, due to our very cold temps.  We've had a few warm days now and the plants are responding to warmth very quickly, doubling in size in a a matter of days.

Cornus sericea unnamed gold mutation

 First up is a neat shrub I found a number of years ago.  It's a red twig dogwood that provides a bright spot of gold in the spring then changes green through the season.  All other traits seem normal, growth has been fast I will guess it will hit 8' tall and wide.  There are other gold-leaf selections out there that are similar, I don't know that I'll name it or introduce it for sale.  I am growing some seed from it in hopes for a variety that stays gold all season.


Arabis sturrii

  Arabis sturrii is a great spring bloomer that forms  low cushions.  White flowers in May followed by green glossy foliage the rest of the season.  It's a good nectar plant for early season butterflies and moths.


Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine'

  Corydalis are in bloom now.  C. cheilanthifolia is now finished and 'Blackberry Wine' is getting started.  These are great plants for spring color and seasonal texture.  They like partial shade and good drainage.  'Blackberry Wine' will bloom sporadically through the season.








Epimedium 'Fire Dragon'


 Epimediums are in full bloom for me now.  They've been gaining in popularity in the past few years.  One of my favorites is 'Fire Dragon' which has fairly large (for an Epimedium) flowers that last much longer than others in my garden.  'Amber Queen' is fairly similar, I'm not sure how long the blooms will last.  'Lilafee' is a nice purple flowering variety is petite.  'Niveum' is a great white variety.  These are all easy to grow in shade to partial shade and are tolerant of dry soil. 
 


 

Epimedium 'Niveum'

Epimedium 'Lilafee'



 

Hepatica acutiloba is an underused woodland plant that does great in a shade garden.  Flowers range in color and can be white, pink, or blue.  They put on a good show of small flowers in spring, then the glossy foliage looks great all season. 

 The various Heuchera, xHeucherella, and Tiarella are looking great now, 'Southern Comfort' and 'Fire Chief' are looking great.  All of the new ones I planted have returned beautifully.  Tiarella 'Cascade Creeper' is coming up well, this is one of my new favorites.  There are some great new varieties this year that I can't wait to get planted: Heuchera: 'Apple Crisp', 'Pear Crisp', & 'Electric Lime'.  xHeucherella 'Redstone Falls', 'Yellowstone Falls', & 'Solar Eclipse'. 

 Iris lutescens var. campelli is a diminutive species of bearded iris with light purple standards and slightly darker falls.  I've struggled with this one for awhile, but I've finally found a spot where it seems happy.  I have other dwarf bearded hybrids in bloom as well, and they are always among my favorite spring bloomers.  If you don't have any dwarf iris, pick some up.

 Mertensia virginica alba.  I picked up a white form of Virginia bluebells last year, and it's in bloom now.  I probably should move it to a spot more suitable to its spreading nature.

Hostas are an obsession of mine (I have over 300 varieties) and the gold varieties are always my favorite as they come up.  'Dawn's Early Light' and 'Nancy' are especially bright.  Both look great all season as well.  'Dawn's Early Light' changes to bright green/chartreuse but has pebbled round leaves and a great mound habit.  'Nancy' stays a fairly bright chartreuse and has a good form.



'Dawn's Early Light'



'Nancy'