Celandine Poppy

 

Years ago, I visited a friend's woodland garden. She had a beautiful patch of these yellow blooming flowers that were very pretty. I never forgot those flowers. Several years ago I was given my first Celandine Poppy and over time that one little plant has provided me with plenty of new plants in my woodland garden.

Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) grows in zones 4-8 and it is a native to the United States. It grows from 18 to 24 inches tall and blooms in the spring. The color of the foliage and flowers look great with ferns and other woodland beauties. Celandine Poppy is easy to recognize by it's oak-like shaped leaf. It prefers to grow in part shade in moist soil that is humus rich. Celandine Poppy blooms and makes fuzzy little seedpods that will be filled with seed. It will self sow and over several years you will have a beautiful patch of Celandine Poppy just like my friend had in her garden.

Happy Gardening!

Debbie

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

One of my favorite little spring flowers is Bloodroot or (Sanquinaria canadensis). It comes up early in my woodland garden with beautiful white flowers that just shine in the sunlight. Bloodroot grows from a thick reddish-brown rhizome. If this rhizome is broken or damaged it secretes a red liquid. Now you know how the plant got it's name "Bloodroot".

 

Bloodroot grows when the temperatures are cool in the garden, then it goes dormant until next spring. The plant grows in moist soil that is well drained and it prefers dabbled shade. It will spread in your garden by rhizomes or by seed. I started out with one small plant and between seeding and spreading, I now have lots of it growing in my woodland garden. You can propagate this plant by seed or division. If you are learning to identify native wildflowers, this one is easy to identify because of the unusual shaped leaf.

 

There is a double-flowered  Bloodroot that is in the nursery trade that is spectacular. I plan to add that one to my garden in the future. If you are looking for the double flowered Bloodroot look for Sanquinaria canadensis 'Multiplex'. 

 

Have a great spring and "Happy Gardening"!

 

Debbie

Shade Loving Plants for the Woodland Garden

The Woodland Garden in the Summer

One of my favorite gardens is the Woodland Garden.  Woodland Gardens appeal to me because they are not formal, take less work to maintain and it is a garden designed to appear the way that nature would have made it.  They are relaxing, slightly unkempt, and lush with plantings. Woodland Gardens are places where you just want to sit down, watch the birds and squirrels and enjoy the life around you. 

If you have a wooded area in your landscape, consider designing a Woodland Garden.  Start with an entrance to the garden, like an arbor or gate.  Add a pathway to lead you into and around the garden.  A path can be river rock, mulch, or just dirt.
This garden can be all native plantings or it can contain selected shade loving perennials, shrubs, trees and bulbs that you like.  In my garden, I prefer a combination of natives and plants that I enjoy. I try to add plantings that add year round color in leaves, flowers and bark.  I also add early blooming shrubs and bulbs to start this garden into bloom after a long cold winter.

Plant selection is important in the Woodland Garden.  Plants need to be shade loving and able to survive in low light conditions. They also must be able to tolerate dry conditions that can occur in the summer and competition from the surrounding trees.  Here are a few of my favorite plants in my garden.
 

Annabelle Hydrangea

Assorted colors of  Hosta

Ghost Fern



Japanese Painted Fern

Forget- Me- Not

Virginia Bluebell

Assorted Foam Flowers



Oakleaf Hydrangea with fall color

Oakleaf Hydrangea with Ostrich Ferns

Variegated Solomon's Seal and native Solomon's Seal

Yellow Archangel  (AGGRESSIVE)



Assorted colors of  Hellebore for spring color

Wood Poppy

Sweet Woodruff

Marsh Marigold

Prairie Trillium

Grape Hyacinth

A shrub that I like in my garden is Witch Hazel, which can come in shades of yellow or orange for spring color. I also like  Dogwood and Red Bud trees for their spring color.  Look for shrubs and trees that have blooms and variegated leaves for added color that can be placed along the outside edge of your Woodland Garden.  Native plants that I like are Bloodroot, Mayapples, Jack in the Pulpit and Wild Ginger. Do your research on what plants are available in your area or that are native.

Next week, I plan to make a trip to the Indianapolis Home Show to visit their gardens. Check back for some new pictures of spring flowers.  Those of us who live in cold climates are ready for Spring to arrive!

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Happy Gardening!

Debbie