The Perfectly Imperfect Woodland Garden

Post 73

I can imagine the perfectly imperfect woodland garden in spring.

For an understory it would have bluebells and forget-me-nots, daffs and species tulips, hellebores, trilliums, woodland poppies, primroses, may apples, wild ginger, ferns, barrenworts, money plants and plants I do not yet know the names of.

The midstory would be azaleas, rhodos, fothergillas, dogwoods, serviceberries and magnolias.

All this would be under ancient trees, with an modest farmhouse and a few well-used outbuildings sharing the plot.

And, of course, this bucolic kingdom (too small, comfortable and unpolished to be an estate,) would be somewhere near a convenient village center, but hidden away, maybe reached by a dirt road winding off a rarely-used street.

Could such a place exist? Yes. of course it could. In fact it does, tended by a retired geneticist who still comes out and digs up a primrose here and there to gift a worthy up-coming plant sale. May we all have her vigor, intelligence, generosity, humor, busy life and green thumb at 92! Hmmm, and would we had and have such virtues at an younger age too.

While few of us live in such natural splendor, many of us garden yards that are at least partially shaded by big trees. This expanse of spring loveliness is an inspiration of what can be done under such conditions.

All these plants spread on their own and grow well between tree roots.

Do you need some of the plants listed and pictured above?  if so, you are in luck. It is almost time for the Ned Wolf Park plant sale.

"Ned Wolf Park is located at the corner of Ellet St. and McCallum St. in the beautiful Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.  This year we've scheduled our annual sale of perennials, shrubs, annuals & miscellaneous garden stuff for Saturday, May 11th from 10 am to 1 pm. "
http://nedwolfpark.blogspot.com/

Reviewing Spring

Post 39

Spring is just about done as the summer humidity begins to hit. No more of of the above--

Or the below--

Such fresh sparseness has had its day

           

Till next year.

Here are a few more of my favorite pics from the season that is passing.

Geums worked well this year with almost two months of bloom, giving a strong, airy dash of color.

This native azalea is a Pinxter Azalea and gives height to the right of the front side path, sorta like a big, fat  pink exclamation point.I like the openness of the native azaleas. There is something about plants that are so covered in blooms you cannot see any air or green that uneases me. Looks stubby, not graceful. I prune this one back right after flowering, otherwise it could grow to 15 feet or so, which would look weird, considering the size of my yard. It likes decent drainage, acid soil and moderate water.  If happy it suckers a bit, but the stems have shallow roots and are easy to dig up and transplant elsewhere.

This was taken in my back yard, which gets a few hours of dappled sun. It shows a rhododendron that was there when we moved in. Next to it I planted an Aucuba japonica that I got at Rare Finds Nursery in N.J. (Rare Finds is a bit out of the way, but it has interesting and unusual stock.) I'm not sure what variety of Aucuba it is, I think maybe Golden King. Anyway, it does great competing with the roots of the silver maple it is sited under.
It is a highly unfashionable plant but nevertheless the right presence in the right spot.



Does anyone not like Irises? They need their own post though, and this one is long enough. So another pic, no more words, and done.