Sunday, May 18, 2008

Sunday Garden Stroll: Shade Plants

Since we are leaving for California later than planned, I have a chance for one more post. (Someone is watching the house, watering the kitties and feeding the plants. Brigands, be gone.) Thank you so much for all of your kind words and prayers about my young great-nephew. I plan to gather them all together for my niece after our trip. The funeral will be on Wednesday, May 22.

I am glad that Cloudscome of A Wrung Sponge is doing her Sunday Garden Tour again. I took some photos of plants in the shade garden this morning. Please click on the individual photos in order to enlarge them.

A brand new plant is the Disporum smithii ("Smith's fairybells" or "fairy lanterns") that I planted yesterday in memory of my great-nephew:


Here's how the fairy lanterns look with dappled light shining through the blossoms:


Keeping company with the fairy lanterns are a number of trillium, including this newly-blossomed "Bashful wakerobin":



This is Solomon's Seal, planted in front of one of the fragrant sarcococca (and HipWriterMama, you'll be pleased to know the latter is a deer-resistant plant):



Finally, here is the overview of the shade garden:


For the majority of the photos, I had to crouch down low, hold the camera accordingly, and then crop the pictures so that the angles wouldn't look wonky. Those of you who are wondering about the green plastic pots may be amused to know that they are "beer garden" slug traps. They work surprisingly well, as long as my husband doesn't keep drinking all of the beer I save for the slugs.

8 comments:

Jules at 7-Imp said...

Lovely, especially the fairy lanterns for your nephew. I wish you were my neighbor for many reasons, but one is so that I could come admire your gardens (though I must say our coreopsis (how do you make that word plural anyway? Coreopses?) are beautiful -- and right by our front door. Not that I had anything to do with them---either my husband or my mother-in-law planted them; can't remember---but I can still admire them. And there's some mint growing right next to them.

Have a safe trip! Be strong.

Jules

Yorkshire Pudding said...

I hope the disporum smithii thrives in your garden to ensure that the little boy's life echoes through your memories years from now. Regarding Miranda The Fairy -she is my gift to you and Lucia at this sad time.

Lone Star Ma said...

The fairy lanterns are a lovely tribute. Thinking of you and you family.

Saints and Spinners said...

LSM: Thanks! By the way, I found other flowers are called fairy lanterns, too: http://www.ventanawild.org/news/se99/fairylan.html

Saints and Spinners said...

Jules: I have a variety of coreopsis and I have been looking for the name of that flower. Thank you so much! Here is the link to the kind I believe is coming back for a 5th year.

Thank you for the safe trip wishes.

YP: Thank you for Miranda the Fairy. If the disporum smithii doesn't thrive, then I will simply plant something else to remind us of Charles, but I do hope that it is comfortable among the other shade plants here.

Vivian Mahoney said...

Big hugs for your family, especially Lucia. My nine-year-old was five when her cousin passed away and it was difficult.

The fairy lanterns look magical! Such a lovely way to inspire wonderful memories.

Hugs.

Andromeda Jazmon said...

Alkelda I am so sorry to hear about your great nephew. I hope you can all find some comfort together in this sad time.

Your shade garden is quite lovely! The fairy lanterns are enchanting. I look forward to seeing your garden all through the season! Thanks for joining my tour.

Timothy Carter said...

Not a bad way for a slug to go, when you think about it! Lovely photos, well taken. They remind me of my wife Violet's work - she loves nature shots!