Made In The Shade

Now that the locust tree has its leaves these plants have it made in the shade.  It's great for me too.  If you are looking for me in the garden and it is a sunny day, look in the shady spots.  The lovely purple Campanula portenschlagiana in the foreground is just getting started.  This plant seems to love growing in Ed's stone wall and it has yet to disappoint us.  

This year the Jack-in-the pulpit plants are huge and beautiful.  The large three lobed leaves provide even more shade for Jack.  You have to get down at ground level to get a peek at the fascinating flower.

These bluets growing in a crevice on the top of Ed's wall are in the perfect spot to photograph.  Small clumps of tiny leaves can be seen beneath the tiny little blue four petaled flowers. 

 When we first came here, I remember having just three red columbines that we would look for in the woods every spring.  Now the plant self seeds with abandon in this shade garden.  The flowers make a cloud of red blooms that the hummingbirds find irresistible.  Here columbine plants are crowding my small twinleaf plant.   Weeding in this bed gets a bit tricky.  I admit I am not an unbiased referee.  My favorite plants have the edge.  My maidenhair fern grows nearby. Too many beautiful native wildflowers is a great problem to have.  I will enjoy my time in the shade working on it!