Barbee's Blog: woodland garden

One section of The Garden At Crocker Croft which has been the most neglected is the Woodland Garden. That bothers me, because it is one of my favorite areas.

Over the years we installed new plants into it, but they have not taken hold and stayed. Those were Phlox divaricata, False Solomon Seal, Fox Glove, and various early-spring ephemerals. I have read that an established biological community of plants, animals and microbes that have developed under specific soil and climatic conditions, a complex of living organisms, will inhibit and defeat any stranger that is introduced. Maybe that is what is happening here, but a good weeding-out of volunteer trees, vines and bushes would help. That has been done more than once before, but status quo continues to reign.

I thought I had more pictures of the Woodland Garden, but these are what I found. If I find more, I will slip them in later.

The little Trillium was already here. It is very short and small.

So were the Wood Poppies, also called Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum). I am sorry one photograph is blurred, but it is the only one I have of that fullness, and at that distance. This is one of my favorite woodland plants. I think the leaves are attractive, too.

And Solomon's Seal

Friends like to visit here in the shade.

The yellow primulas were here on the place, but not at this location. I moved them down here from up in the back yard. They seem to be holding on.

We often find fungi and enjoy seeing them in the little woodland.

I love to walk through the Virginia Bluebells. I introduced them to the garden, only 3 plants, and they seem to be doing well.

At first they are pink then turn blue.

I am sorry this is blurred, but I like the effect anyway.

This colony of plants is eighteen years old. How do I remember? April 9,1991 our second grandchild was born. I wanted to give the new parents some private time alone in the hospital so I ventured forth and found my way to the Tennessee Botanical garden there in Nashville at Cheekwood Estate. I had never been there before and when I arrived I was delighted to discover they were celebrating their Wildflower Weekend. It was beautiful! Among the few things I bought were three young Virginia Bluebell plants. I planted them on the low, moister side of the path in the Woodland Garden. I kept them watered. Then they died.... (I thought).

A few weeks later I was visiting and browsing at Shooting Star Wildflower Nursery over near Frankfort. The owner was helping a customer gather together plants for her shade garden. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation. He said, "And these Virginia Bluebells are nice for a shade garden." She responded, "But there is nothing growing in the pot. That one is dead." He replied, "No, it's just dormant."

"Dormant!!!", I said aloud as I spun around, then embarrassed, I apologized and explained I thought mine had died. He laughed and assured me they would be back come spring. And, they did. Then they dropped seeds. New, young plants can be seen between the older plants.