A few photos to share, finally! When I was checking out the Glaucidium in the gardens, I was surprised to see the Arisaema ringens is already popping up!
woodland wildflowers
And here's a few of the Hepaticas I planted along my new path. A hint of pink...
The camera just couldn't capture the deep violet-blue of this one. It may be the light, in the morning it looked much darker and I couldn't get the picture until late afternoon.
This is my new path I've been fighting with the weather to finish this week. This area used to have the most wonderful border of Hostas along the top where the first step is. They were planted almost 10 years ago and with two years of severe drought combined with basically total neglect in this area they just withered away :( We started amending the soil when we noticed the Hostas failing and now it's ready for a whole new design! There's quite a steep slope here so I had the brilliant idea of collecting rocks and making steps - not so brilliant because it robbed me of time that should have spent planting! I'm glad I persevered because now I have all these wonderful "pockets" to plant wildflowers in along the edges :)
I'm experimenting with the moss along the steps. Took me three trips to the woods to collect and I'm nowhere near done :( I'll just plan to carry a few bags with me for collecting every time I visit the woods and hopefully sometime this spring it will be complete.
This is the Hepatica planting with a Walking Fern on top of the rock on the left.
On the opposite side of the path is Bloodroot and Dutchmen's Breeches. They weren't very happy with the wind yesterday but they should perk up soon.
Last one for this morning - Wild Ginger (Asarum) from the woods. I was also fortunate to find one small specimen of Polypody Fern growing in a clump of moss - you can barely see it to the left of the Ginger. When you can find them, they're always growing on the rocks so I carefully placed it over the end of the long rock behind the Ginger and will keep my fingers crossed!
Speaking of the wind - we have a stand of Black Bamboo to the left of this area and I had been looking at the dead leaves wondering why they hadn't fallen off yet this year? After I got everything planted and took a break I came back for pictures and found the wind was finally taking care of the dead leaves - they were all over the path and moss! Looks like there will be a lot of spring clean up every year to keep this path clear :(
RCN, my glaucidium may be pink, but I just have one stem coming up; I'm jealous you have 4!
Thanks for the stroll through your woodland garden. Your hepaticas are beautiful!
I also love your path. I too need to update / stabilize paths in my woodland.
But the thought of moving all that stone is too daunting.
I'd hire someone to do it, but I don't trust anyone tromping around in my garden!
Always a dilemma.
Wow! rcn48...beautiful job.
I have stairs in one part of my yard but only two steps big. I just removed an old rug juniper that had seen better days and a bunch of vinca vine that came up from my neighbor's yard. Now I have a small spot of bare ground to replant. I've got dutchman's breeches,mousetail jack's,creeping dogwood and some other things that might work in that spot. Some other woodlanders but just got them so I potted them up and holdng them in the greenhouse until they're grown a bit.
I have epimedium in another bed that propbably look good there but hate moving it,it takes so long to establish them,I hate moving it.
Have had hostas to but this area has several large loblolly pines so hostas I've planted there in the past haven't faired well even after ammending the soil so I try to put plants there that can take some drought and root competion.
I just placed an order with Edelweiss for mid-April delivery but didn't order any woodlanders.
RCN Beautiful path, I love the garden paths. I started one two years ago. Still trying to get it established. It is in a dry shade area so have tried to put in a lot woodland soil.
This is Bloodroot and Ginger in the yard.
Betty
I found this little in my yard this spring. :) It's so cute.
Just got back from a walk in the woods in the hills behind the house. Most are already potted up but I'll try to take a few pics tomorrow. Besides I need an ID or two!!!
Doug
rcn - thanks for correcting my link. I posted the wrong one - that's just what I THINK it always should be. LOL
Your stairs are incredible. I'd love something like that, but my rocks won't cooperate (in shape, location or size).
picabo, beautiful shot of the Bloodroot and Ginger!
Weerobin, I had actually considered hiring a local teenager to help me collect the rocks but I'm too obsessive :( I could have chosen the rocks myself I guess and then used his help hauling them but sometimes it's just easier to get the job done myself - a true Scorpio here! Rick gave me the go ahead to use the plants he bought at a conference in January from Asiatica! Smiled when I was looking up info on one of them and found your picture - seems we have similar tastes :) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/138640/
Doug, can't wait to see your pictures and try to help with IDs!
georgeous... rcn48! Love the path. Looks like something I would do for sure. I have no photos yet. Nothing coming up. Ronna
OK, here's part of my treasure from the walk in the woods last evening. ID needed.
Doug
Another view of the same plant in different pot.
Doug
This plant was popping up every where in clumps. The tubers on them were HUGE. Very hard to dig up. Bluebell?
Doug
Another plant with a "carrot root"!!!
Doug
RCN, you can see why I enjoy Asiatica's catalog, even though I certainly agree with the 'high price / small plant' exasperation.
But I love their weird stock that you aren't likely to find elsewhere.
I like to be the only guy on the planet growing a peltoboykinia.
Mine is doing well by the way - It's popping it's head up this past weekend. I spared you guys the photo...
I'm not sure I'd be bragging about sharing my taste in the peculiar.
Doug, I can't help with the ID's.
I'm interested to find out what the heck that first one is.
They kind of look like different stages/ages of the same plant. What kind of conditions were they growing in? Shady v. sunny, wet v. dry, in the open v. under trees, at the base of trees v. by themselves, in a stand or as individuals . . .
The first ones are the ones I really like too. They were barely poking their heads out from under leaves on the forest floor. When I first saw them without pulling back the leaves I thought they were some kind of fern. Kaite59 the first two are of the same type of plant, just two different specimens.
Doug
Oops. Sorry, Doug. I was looking at the last two pictures.
So did they come from dry shade or does that area sit in water for any portion of the year?
The first two were in the lower forest floor and the second two were higher up on a ridge but only about 50-60 feet higher in elevation. No standing water there at either location that I know of. The whole area has damp moisture from rains, but no creeks or streams at all in the area. I'll go back up in a few days with my camera.
Doug
Weerobin, here's my "peculiar" list of Rick's plants I'm using in this garden: Coptis japonica var. major, Coptis quinquefolia, Diphylleia sinensis, Jeffersonia dubia, Paris polyphylla, Peltoboykinia watanabei, and Pterifophyllum racemosa :) I'm familiar with the Coptis, Jeffersonia and Paris but the others I had to look up to see what the heck they were - height, requirements, etc. I had planned to plant them yesterday but overnight another idea for this area popped into my head! I'd like to include a small water feature - first it was just going to be a shallow pool. Then I remembered the wonderful dragonfly sculpture I've had for two years just waiting for that special spot in the gardens! http://www.kineticfountains.com/dragonfly-dripper-fountain.asp Normally I wouldn't even consider digging deep enough around the roots of the pine tree but I tested the spot yesterday to see if I could get a small pond in there. I planned to terrace along the edge of the path with rocks anyway so I think I can drop in a small pond. There's a source of electricity nearby so all I have to do is snake the electrical cord through the top steps and I think it will work! I pasted these two photos together to show the area I'm going to be planting. The spot where the pots of Hosta are ready and waiting is where the small pond would go. I was thinking more of a kidney shaped pond but the size and price is right on this one :) http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_28472_-1______14602%7C14604%7C28472?listingPage=true&Special=false
Doug I wish I could help with IDs. The mottled foliage on the first one reminds me of Pachysandra procumbens but leaf shape is all wrong. Your second plant does look Virginia Bluebells, roots are right, etc. but I usually see more blue green foliage and yours looks really green and 'fleshy'? I'll be anxious to see if you can these identified :)
RCN, I've killed most everything on your list. Some of them repeatedly.
Except Jeffersonia, which does really well. And I have a peltoboykinia and diphylleia doing fine.
I've failed repeatedly w/ Paris and pteridophyllum.
But I think they're fascinating plants, so, undaunted, replacements are en route this spring (poor guys).
Hope springs eternal.
I'll be interested to know how yours do!
And the pond, fountain and new planting area sounds fabulous.
I presume we'll get to see pictures when everything's in?
By the way, where do you get all the energy?
I may have similar ideas popping into my head occasionally, but I quickly come to my senses and recognize them as delusions.
Then I go back to puttering around, replanting and replanting those peculiar plants.
I know this is more than woodland, but there's a series of woodland and bog photos that are fun and have some of the “weird” plants you’re talking about. This is from Dan Hinkley’s Heronswood garden open house last year. It’s only open once a year for tours now, but Burpee is maintaining it and it looks fabulous.
http://picasaweb.google.com/katiegirl2u/HeronswoodOpenHouse2008?feat=directlink
Arrgghh.. I can't access the link from my work computer.
(Inappropriate use restriction !)
I'll have to check it out at home.
I have Hinkley's book about woodland gardening.
Came out a few years ago.
I don't remember the name.
Lots of pictures of course.
And in true Hinkley fashion, a bunch of obscure plants.
I think it's great.
Bummer - the pictures are enough to brighten anyone's day. And it's hard to get a bad photo, really.
Your Genkwa is more upright than mine. Mine looks to be about the age of your second photo, but for some reason it's more sprawling. I'm a softy for plants that bloom before their foliage is out.
Dan Hinkley’s Heronswood gardens are Beautiful!!. I am off to get RoundUp to kill all my plants. LOL That is how I would love my garden to look. I just need a staff. LOL Thanks for sharing the photos.
Betty
Something to aspire to, right?
Weerobin, just call me "delusional" LOL I'm discouraged to read that you've had problems with some of those plants. Paris is one I've wanted forever but it's really small, most of them are actually and they're going to need lots of TLC :( Energy you ask? I have plenty of it, in my mind at least, it's just having enough to actually get the projects done! If only I could roll back the years, about 20 would probably be just about right :) I will definitely post pictures as this project develops. I actually took quite a bit of time this winter and started a landscape journal with photos of all the work we've done since the house was built. It was fun gathering all the photos and I'll keep adding more as the "projects" continue. If you have some time, take a look - there's over 100 photos already! http://www.pbase.com/rickscustomnursery/our_landscape
Katie, I am so envious, I would love to have the opportunity to visit Heronswood! I think I recognized Darmera in one of your shots. I was drooling when I saw Dan on a television program once with a photo of his Darmera. I love mine in the gardens but it's never been that huge! I think it's too dry where mine is located and I'm thinking of moving it into the area where I want to create a bog garden and see if I can make it happy :)
And there should be a Paris polyphylla photograph in there somewhere, too. It was the first time I had seen one and I knew right off the bat that I had to have it.
They both grow well here as long as the soil has been amended and drains okay. They do need to have evenly moist soil, which isn't so hard for us most of the time, but I know can be hard elsewhere.
Hi ladies. I have a little spot out back that is in shade in the summer and holds water for a day when we get heavy rains. I had thrown some daylilies in there the year before last and am digging them up and moving them to a better spot. I decided to put some native shade plants in, and while at my brother's last week I dug up some dutchman breeches, trillium and bluebells. He has a bottom that floods from a shallow creek and those things grow there in abundance. I just love those things and love walking in his bottom land. I plan to get some ferns and whatever else I run across this spring.
Wonderful - you'll like the shade beauties, I think. Your brother is very generous.
Postmandoug - since you haven't gotten any responses here, have you thought about trying the plant identification forum? I haven't checked there, maybe you already thought of that . . .
Kathy
Kathy, yes I've done that with no responses. I think I'll try the Native Plants forum next. I went on ANOTHER hike in the woods today and found some beautiful plants. There was a group of Virginia Bluebells blooming, had to be at least 700-800 plants. Talk about an awesome sight. A camera just won't do them justice, so here's just one!
Doug
Gorgeous. And it looks like you had sun today, as well. This week we've had some of the gloomiest, wettest, dankest, windiest weather ever. And "they" say we'll have a cooler and wetter than normal spring. This is starting to feel like a trend; we're definitely seeing the signs of global warming.
How would a girl go about getting some Virginia Bluebells out to Seattle? Hint, hint.
Bummer about the ID. I'll bet you'll get something after awhile. Good idea to go to the native plants forum. And, actually, maybe when they're a little older they'll start showing some other identifiable features.
As in when I'm a little older and start showing MORE wrinkles as identifiable features! As far as the VA BB's go, I've gotta make sure mine revive first. They were wilted when I got home. (ooh did I just admit to raiding the woods for plants?) Oh well they're going back into the woods at my house so no harm done I think.
Doug
Understood and agreed - both on the acquiring other identifiable features as we get older and collecting plants from the woods. Hope yours do well!!
Speaking of collecting plants from the woods. Anyone know what this fern is?
It is growing on the side of several trees about 6 feet off the ground near a creek. I would love to take some home, just not sure how to capture it since it seems to grow out of the bark of the tree.
