Update on the shady garden

The shade garden thingie I’ve got going in the front of the house is doing really well. Of course, like much of my garden, it’s in prime bloom now, and the garden tour is in a week, but what can I do. It’s pretty, perfect, right now. Columbine, foam flower, bleeding heart, lungwort, hosta, ribbon grass, and a new Japanese maple that I just got.

Ok, on to the details. The white sub-zero rose, supposedly hardy to 30 below, is blooming. It came through the winter, at least! Although I have to say that it looks very stunted, and not very healthy. Very few buds, but I added some compost and am hoping for the best. It’s the soil, I think, poor thing.

The same columbine.This oh so pretty Columbine tripled in size from last year to this year. It definitely seems happy in the front of the house, in a bit of shade. I liked it so much that I started a bunch of similar plants from cuttings in the basement this spring, and am just planting them out now.

White foam flower. I bought this one last summer, so never saw it bloom. From the nursery in Northfield, Massachuesetts.This White foam flower is a new type of plant to me. I bought this one last summer, so never saw it bloom, from the nursery in Northfield, Massachusetts.

Ribbon grass, new to me this year. Bought from Agway in Keene. Supposedly likes some shade, so will try it in the bed in front oRibbon grass, also new to me this year. I bought this one from Agway in Keene. It supposedly likes some shade, so will try it in the bed in front of the house with all my other shade-liking things. I like the way is looks next to this big stone. I’m not sure how invasive it will be, but I keep telling myself that I have a big garden, and dividing plants is easy.

Japanese Maple, new to me this year. Bought as Agway, on sale, in Keene, for $25 because it is so small. In the bed by the frontI wasn’t sure what type of small tree to put in this space, and finally settled on this Japanese Maple. I bought it at Agway as well, on sale, in Keene, for $25 because it is so small. It gives a nice focal point to the bed by the front of the house, where it will get partial shade. One very frustrating thing is that since I planted it yesterday, some critter or the other keeps digging it up, so I’ve put heavy rocks around it to see if that will help.

Lupine. Yellow iris.Quick sidebar: Sunny garden is also looking great right now. The Lupine are gorgeous! This huge clump of yellow irises, from the old garden, seems to have survived just fine. Probably ready to spit next year.

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