Saturday, April 17, 2010

Thank goodness for perennials!

With the crazy fluctuating weather this spring, and the many diversions provided by Facebook, we have not spent very much time in the gardens so far this year. Fortunately, the shade garden is filled with perennials. So we have blooms and foliage -– all with little or no effort on our part!

The centerpiece of the shade garden is the old-fashioned bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis).  Previous gardeners planted it, but we have enjoyed it for years now.

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Another beauty (and source of pride and joy) is our Hellebore ‘Mardi Gras Black.’

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Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) is blooming much earlier this year. I wonder if we will still have some for May 1st for Curmudgeon’s French class?

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In another part of the shade garden, the dainty white flowered anemones  (Anemone nemorosa) continue to spread and bloom beautifully against a backdrop of Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’ and an evergreen fern.

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Here’s a little texture and form to go with the blooms in the shade garden.

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Overhead in the shade garden, the lilacs are blooming. Sigh…

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The sunny patio also has beautiful blooms now. The golden leopard’s bane (Doronicum) explodes from its pot.

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The irises beside the house look so much healthier and happier since Curmudgeon divided them last fall.

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Here is a new iris waiting to be planted. As soon as I unloaded it from the truck, I knew one would come home with me.

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Since it’s purple, Curmudgeon approved of this new addition.  :-)