Too many people still think of Goldenrods (Solidago sp.) as a weed instead of a garden plant. Resistance to Goldenrods in the garden is built around three misconceptions: 1) Goldenrods cause hay fever; 2) they spread like crazy; and 3) they tend to be too tall and ungainly. (Actually, 2 and 3 are only partial …
The Back Island Bed has never quite clicked. Lots of different plants have been tried in it. Some have worked, others have not. I suppose part of the problem is that the bed, which is in light shade most of the year, is infiltrated with feeder roots from the nearby Silver Maple.
Everybody knows that ferns can make good companions for spring ephemerals, like Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica).
So let’s take a look at the Back Garden in mid-August. Summer is a quiet time in a shade garden, but there are still a few things worth noting.
And this is what the Back Garden looks like in mid-July. The Back Garden sits under the shade of Silver Maples and Siberian Elms, not everyone’s favorite trees, I know. But they give a high, dappled shade that I appreciate.
So I’ve got good Peony news and bad Peony news. I only got Peonies to begin with because Judy wanted some. But now I do like to having a few Peonies around.
Most of the horticultural drama around here is in the front garden. But we shouldn’t forget that on either side of the house there are narrow strips within our property lines. And then there’s the back garden. Let’s take a look at what’s going on in those relatively neglected areas.
Yes, yes – I know I posted about Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) and Bleeding Hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) less than a week ago. But such a change in those few days!
There’s a lot of Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) in our garden and they’re blooming right now. Some people will warn you that this plant is too aggressive. On the other hand, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center calls it “… a fine species to grow in Eastern wildflower gardens, far less aggressive than the introduced …
So I’m still trying to figure out what to plant in place of the Cranberrybush Viburnum (Viburnum trilobum) that are snuggled up against the hedge on the west side of the Back Garden. Whatever I choose has to be pretty shade tolerant, as this spot is shaded by the hedge itself in the afternoon, in …
gardeninacity 