Plants for shade
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Art Inspired by Nature, Artful Garden Objects, Asian Natives, Bonsai, Books, Decorating Ideas, Dish Gardens, Environmental Art, Ferns, Garden projects for kids, Gardening Inspirations, Gifts for Gardeners, Ground Covers, Hanging Baskets, Home, House Plants, Indoor Eden, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Japanese-inspired Gardens, Kokedama, Moss, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Terrariums
Create a Verdant Indoor Eden with Miniature Moss Gardens: Book Review
Miniature Moss Gardens: Create Your Own Japanese Container Gardens These last few weeks of winter can be the longest and gloomiest of the season. Just when the witch hazel begins to bloom, five inches of snow will fall and smother her glorious, golden petals. Late February and early March is my favorite time of the […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Black Leaves - Trees, Black Plants, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Extending the Growing Season, Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Hydrangea, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for summer, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Summer Flowering Combinations, The Seasons, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Loveliest Ladies of August: Summer’s Beautiful, Late Bloomers are Well Worth the Wait …
Blush-tinged blossoms and gorgeous, season-spanning foliage make Hydrangea quercifolia one of my favorite native plants (shown here with Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’ and the lingering blue flowers of Adenophora confusa) . Check out this shrub’s autumn coloration here! After last night’s much-needed rain, I awoke to the sound of hermit thrush, sweetly singing in the hemlock […]
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Asian Natives, Black Plants, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, ornamental grass, Perennial Close-Ups, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Cooling Off in the Dappled Shade: Deepest Violet and Shadow Blue Hues …
Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ with Fothergilla x intermedia ‘Blue Shadow’ Out working in the field during this week’s scorching heat and high humidity, I found myself dodging the sun whenever possible; ducking beneath the cover of every shade tree and arbor in order to hide from burning, mid-day rays. Over the past couple of weeks […]
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Perennials for summer, Plant hunting, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade
Summer’s Sun-Kissed, Freckled Blush … Campanula Punctata ‘Cherry Bells’
Sun-Kissed & Freckled, Summertime Beauty: Campanula punctata ‘Cherry Bells’ (Spotted Bellflower) There’s a new girl in my garden, and she’s got quite a rosy blush going on. Yes, I spied this Spotted Bellflower (Campanula punctata ‘Cherry Bells’) while out shopping for a client’s new garden, and —immediately and completely charmed— I snapped up a few […]
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Native Plants, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Shade Gardening, Vines, Vines - Perennial, White & Silver, Woodland plants
Summer’s Luminous White Blossoms Dance in Ethereal Light & Shadow …
Positioned at the woodland edge to catch the late afternoon light, white plumes of Aruncus dioicus and clusters of pearly Valeriana officinalis dance on the breeze like beautiful girls in diaphanous summer dresses … Moving into high summer now –with temperatures soaring and humidity rising– cooler hues and lighter textures have an undeniable appeal. Strolling […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark flowers, Dark Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Poisonous Plants, Shade Gardening, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Woody Plants
A Bolder Shade of Summertime … Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’
 Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Golden’ with Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Summer Wine’ in the Entry Garden Some like it hot. And, some wither and fade in the mid-day sun. Blossoms come and go quickly at this time of year, but beautiful foliage lasts all season long. Does your garden go through awkward phases throughout the summer; gaps between […]
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Asian Natives, Hydrangea, Living Walls & Fences, Night Garden, Perennial Close-Ups, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Shade Gardening, Silver foliage, Vines, Vines - Perennial, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Moonlight & Shadow on the Rocks … Mysterious Japanese Hydrangea Vine
Moonlight & Shadow on the Rocks. Schizophragma hydrangeoides ‘Moonlight’ in The Secret Garden Moonlight Hydrangea Vine. Her name evokes silver-lined clouds in a velvet sky, and midnight strolls through the Secret Garden. I picture a heroine with long tousled tresses, holding a candle by the forest gate. It’s a fairytale of course, and in the […]
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Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Ground Covers, Native Plants, Nature, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for Spring, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Texture, Unusual Plants, Urns and Vessels, Water Gardens, Woodland plants
Dramatic Darmera Peltata: A Native Beauty for Bog Gardens & Damp Shade…
Darmera peltata’s pretty, pink spray of airy inflorescence Darmera peltata… What a lovely, musical name. Often the botanical labels for plants pale by comparison to their intriguing and creative folk monikers. But in this case, I think the name Darmera peltata is far superior to the common alternatives (Indian rhubarb and umbrella plant). Just look […]
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Climbing plants, Dan Snow Stonework, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Furniture, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Spring, Plants for shade, Pots, Pots and Pottery, Rare Plants, Reflections, scree gardens, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, The Seasons, Woodland plants
A Peek Inside the Misty Moss Walls: Springtime in the Secret Garden …
By May, a cool tapestry of springtime color carpets the Secret Garden path… This week my design studio and office began slowly migrating back down to the Secret Garden Room, where plants and paperwork happily mingle from late spring through early November. Each day on my way to and from appointments, I pass through the […]
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Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Spring, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, Uncategorized, Woodland plants
Lovely, Lavender Lady of the Shadows: The Japanese Wood Poppy Blossoms in The Secret Garden…
Glaucidium palmatum, the Japanese Wood Poppy in my Secret Garden today At times, it felt like a never-ending courtship. I prepared a special spot for her beside the wall; moist, mossy and protected from harsh sunlight and drying winds. I surrounded her with complimentary beauties; maroon leaves and burgundy-tipped ferns. I gave her the darkest, […]
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Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, shrubs, Shrubs for early spring blossoms, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Please Forgive Me, If I Stop and Stare… But Your Beauty, In This Light, Just Takes My Breath Away…
Like Droplets of Gold: Honey-Scented Blossoms of Lindera benzoin Lingering light and warm breezes… A sweet scent like honey fills the air. It’s springtime, and suddenly I’m falling in love all over again. Lindera, pardon me if I stop and stare… But your beauty, in this light, just takes my breath away. Some evenings in […]
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Cooking, Cooking with Kids, Ferns, Fiddleheads, Gourmet Garden, Late Autumn Garden, Mushrooms, Native Plants, Nature, Plant hunting, Plant Propagation, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Recipes, Shiitake Growing, The Seasons, Unusual Plants, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager, Woodland plants
Spring Brunch from the Kitchen Garden: Shirred Eggs with Shiitake & Arugula …
Shirred Eggs with Homegrown Shiitake Mushrooms & Garden-Fresh Arugula I’ve always been a breakfast person. French toast, waffles, eggs, potatoes, pancakes; I enjoy them all. Sometimes, in fact, I would like them all at once. Because of my love affair with breakfast foods, I have developed some pretty liberal ideas about when they should be […]
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Bulb companions, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Spring, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Woodland plants
The Mysterious Moods of ‘Mrs. Moon’…
In the Beginning of the Garden Romance, ‘Mrs. Moon’ (Pulmonaria saccharata) Blushes, Shy and Tender in Spring Rain… Meet ‘Mrs. Moon’, the garden coquette. Hot, cold. Hot, cold. Just when you think you have her figured out, she up and changes her mood. Surely you’ve encountered such a fickle flower; blushing and eager one moment […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Birds, Books, companion planting, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Perennial Close-Ups, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, Spring Ephemerals, Wildflowers and Meadows, Woodland plants
Ephemeral Woodland Wildflowers & Return of the Ethereal Hermit Thrush…
Red Trillium (Trillium erectum) There’s no place quite like New England for experiencing three seasons in one day. Sunday morning I rose to find a chilly house and snow covered gardens. Soon –with the sun shining brightly outside– temperatures soared to 63°. Breakfast in the snowy garden … Well, why not? I threw open the entryway […]
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Decorating Ideas, Decorating the Garden, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Garden Rooms, Glamorous Gardens, Home, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Mudroom, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, pruning, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening
Indoor Eden: Simple,Verdant Beauty… Twisting & Twining English Ivy
Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ – English Ivy Twists and Twines Round a Metal Chair in the Secret Garden Room Busy about the Secret Garden Room this morning –potting, pruning and moving plants around to make room for new seed starts– I suddenly found myself driven to delightful distraction by my gorgeous friend, Ivy. Positioned as she […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Ferncliff, Ferns, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, rock garden plants, scree gardens, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Succulents, The Seasons, Unusual Plants, Walkways - Stone, Woody Plants
Behold the Beautiful Autumn Tapestry: A Kaleidoscopic Carpet at Our Feet…
Geranium ‘Brookside’ shows off in sensational shades of red and orange in mid-November Near-metallic gleam: Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’ (Autumn Brilliance fern) Our native ground-covering Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny spurge) provides beautiful and variable autumn color beneath shrubs along my garden’s entryway and along the shady parts of the path Now that I have accepted the skeletal […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Forcing Branches in Winter, Gothic Garden, Halloween, Hamamelis, Hardy shrubs, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Late Autumn Garden, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, New England, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs/Trees for Forced Flowers, Trees for Fall Foliage, Vermont, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Must Be The Season Of The Witch…
“When I look out my Window, Many sights to see. And when I look out my window, So many different people to be …That it’s strange, so strange.” “You’ve got to pick up every stitch, You’ve got to pick up every stitch, You’ve got to pick up every stitch …Mm, must be the Season of […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Foliage, Fragrance, Herb Gardening, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, North American Trees, Ornamental Berries and Fruit, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Purple and Maroon Foliage, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Spring Blooming Bulbs, The Seasons, Unusual Plants, Viburnum, Witch hazel, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Mellow Yellow: Lovely Lindera Benzoin, North American Native Spicebush…
Lindera benzoin (Spicebush) in front of the Secret Garden wall (see complete plant list below) The question comes up every September in my garden. The meter-reader, oil delivery driver and countless guests have asked: “What’s that bright yellow shrub over there by the wall  …The one covered with birds and red berries?” When I ask, […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Black Plants, Butterflies and Moths, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Exotic Plants, Fantasy Flowers, Ferncliff, Ferns, Foliage, Fragrance, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Gothic Garden, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, The Seasons, Woodland plants
Fashionably Late & Dressed in Maroon: Sweetly-Scented, Autumn Fairy Candles Light Up the Shadowy, Secret Garden…
Actaea simplex/Cimicifuga simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty {also known variously as Fairy Candles, Black Snake Root & Black Cohosh} Actaea simlex ‘Hillside Black Beauty’, here in the Secret Garden with Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’, Lamium maculatum, Helleborus x hybridus ‘Royal Heritage Strain’, Paeonia mouton x lutea ‘High Noon’, Stewartia pseudocamilla, and a background of bronzing Matteuccia […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Black Leaves - Trees, Black Plants, Dried Flowers, Ferncliff, Flower arrangements, flowering shrubs, Foliage, Fragrance, Gothic Garden, Hardy shrubs, Hydrangea, Indoor Table Arrangements, Late Autumn Garden, Old Fashioned Flowers, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Shade Gardening, Shrubs for fall color, Trees, Woody Plants
Hydrangea Paniculata ‘Limelight’: Gorgeous Color & Fragrance in the Vase & Late Summer Beauty in the Garden…
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ in the studio – Beautiful color and fragrance When it comes to romance in the garden, Hydrangea paniculata is never wishy-washy about where she stands. Voluptuous, lacy and fragrant; members of the panicled hydrangea clan are unabashedly feminine. Sometimes blushing and always glowing —the air about her buzzing with […]
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Asian Natives, Exotic Plants, Fantasy Flowers, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for summer, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Summer Flowering Perennials, Woodland plants
Star of Secret Gardens & Shady Dells, Kirengeshoma Palmata: Late Summer’s Graceful, Golden-Yellow Waxbells…
Kirengeshoma palmata (Yellow waxbells) in the Walled Gardens at Ferncliff As the last wisps of fog melted in morning’s brilliant sunlight, I slipped outside through the Secret Garden, eager to gather my tools and begin the day. But there, rising from the damp shadowy walls, stood graceful Kirengeshoma palmata in a sunny spotlight; swollen-yellow buds sparkling […]
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