More Shade Garden Ideas April 12, 2015

Today I am linking with-

Saturday Critters  hosted by Eileen

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma and Mystical Magical Teacher

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Here is another shade garden I've been developing under a large Big-Leaf Maple tree, Acer macrophyllum.

Some Lunaria annua, also known as Silver Dollar plant from their seed pod disks, reseed themselves here faithfully, the magenta ones are taller.  It is another plant that is perfectly adapted to our wet and dry seasons, a biennial that blooms its second year, with heart-shaped leaves.

Some also have white flowers that look good with the variegated Vinca major.

Another variegated plant here is Phalaris arundinacea, Ribbon grass.  These plants are very invasive so not good for small lots, but good here to suppress weeds.

Another invasive that made its way here is the annual Herb Robert, but at least it is easy to pull out, and seems really good at supressing other weeds.  It is rather ferny in appearance with little magenta flowers that match the Lunaria, and also makes a medicinal tea.

I also planted a hellebore here, and Cyrtomium fortunei var. clevicola fern-

The large and spreading Berberis darwinii, blooming now with gold flowers

among the tiny glossy holly-like leaves.  Berberis are nice to plant here because they are too prickly for deer to eat.

A native Trillium grandiflorum is blooming here, it always looks like a bouquet.  It is another ephemeral plant that is perfectly adapted to the wet and dry seasons, coming up in the rains of late winter, blooming, then disappearing in the heat and drought of summer.  I tried some California native annuals here which should also be adapted, but they disappointed in that they did not reseed.

  

Here is another Trillium growing by our pump house-

I tried sowing Trillium seeds I collected from the plants before with no apparent result.  Then my husband replaced the roof for the pump house, and left the old roof on the ground next to the pump house for a while.   Many tiny Trillium plants sprang up underneath!  So now I have a clue how to start the seeds.

It seems the caterpillars are out already, a Ranchman's Tiger Moth cat, Platyprepia virginalis-

Celeste enjoying the ambience and pear blossoms-

I hope the weather is treating you well.   Hannah

                                                        or cameras are macro

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