If anyone is interested I have posted some photos of my shade garden. Enjoy!

http://www.pbase.com/dfrench200/garden_2006

Very very nice, Doug!

What is the twin leaf plant - haven't seen that before.

It is Jeffersonia Diphylla an uncommon native to the midatlantic (not to my back yard however :-) ). Flowers early in the season with a bloom that looks very similar to Bloodroot. The bloom only lasts 2 days a the most. The foliage is the main attraction and stands about 12-18 inches high and each pair of leaf is about 5" across. You can see the seed pod too. I have not collected them before but I did notice a seedling this year aproximately 5 feet away from the parent plant...cool!

Doug, what a beautiful shade garden! Of course, I love shade gardens because they always seem so serene and peaceful! They can provide a quiet retreat where you can just kick-back, relax and get refreshed!

Oh how pretty!!

very, very nice!!

Doug, I love your garden. Wish you were here to do the same to mine!!!!!

Doug thanks for your pictures. Your garden is beautiful, so beautiful that I saved some pictures for my desktop. Hope you don't mind.

I agree with patches sooooo peaceful.

Hey Doug,

I'm alittle father south in Virginia but we have to make a deal about the Helleborus. I tried starting helleborus from seed last year and it was a big failure. How about I send you the seeds and you send me back a couple of the plants and keep the rest for germinating them.

And then there are the Arisaema sikokianum, what a great looking plant. How long have you had it? Is it hard to care for? Tell all please. I think it looks fantastic.

Your entire garden looks fantastic. I'm so glad you were willing to share your pictures.

TK, I started a thread in this forum earlier this year regarding my Helleborus. I seem to remember someone telling me that they take a long time to sprout. I've never tried growing them from seed so I don't know if that's true!

Thank you for the kind words!!! As for the Arisaema Sik. This will be its 3rd rebloom for me. I didnt do too much to the soil other than ad a lot of organic matter. I think I have been somewhat lucky in that I have since read that they can rot easily. I have planted more and added a lot of grit to help with the drainage as I have had other Arisaema varieties disappear after 1 year.
As for the seeds I am far to impatient to wait for that. Im always willing to try though!!!

I am flattered that you are using my photos for your desktop! I have an equal passion for photography as I do gardening. Keep checking the website as I am either planting new stuff or taking photos of what is already there :-)

I'll keep watching Doug.

Thanks for the belated permission.

Dfrench200- What a beautiful garden! Its really impressive.

Wow, some people really have a gift for designing their gardens and you seem like one of them. The way the pathway winds through the beautiful landscape is just wonderful. Love the variety of plants also.

Wow - what an absolutely beautiful garden!

Doug that is beautiful. I love your combinations just perfect.

Wow! I love it, a ideal shade garden! I love the pathways. No money spent! Presently perfect, loving it a lot!

Wow! Now that is impressive. I feel like I would really enjoy spending some quiet time there. Thanx for the pics.

Beautiful garden. great photography too. You could make those shots into greeting cards!!

What a wonderful shade garden! I will be using it as my inspiration when I design my own. Thanks for posting the pictures.

Joanne

Doug the pictures on the west side is gorgeous! lots of color now does the area get any sun at all or is it in the shade all the time?Reason I got an area west side that gets shade in the morning and sun in the afternoon?Would the flowers purple and red tones work in my garden?Japanese maple what size does it get?Thank you for sharing the pictures just beautiful.

Wow, what a fabulous garden. Thanks for sharing.

All I can say, is WOW!!.....gorgeous!

Doug, Absolutly gorgeous!!!! You get a tranquill feeling just looking at the pix. The only thing missing is a little bench or chair to sit and soak up the atmosphere. That colombine is beautiful. Your Areisaema Sikokianum is great. You just have to keep looking at it. lol My neighbor has two and she calls them Jack in the Pulpits, but your Jacks are much smaller. Are they in the same family? I have some shade and I got 2 Toad Lilies this year. The pix look neat, but I`ll have to wait until fall to see what it`s going to be like. Exotic, I think? Sue

Cinta, enjoyed your pix very much!!!! I`m from Pa., also. Do you have to take all those plants inside in the winter? You must have a florda room. Thanks for sharing. Sue

Doug,
Could you tell me the name of the bright pink & purple flowers that are in the looking east pic.
Do you know if they would grow in Wi.
I'm re-doing an area in my front yard, which is mostly shade & would like to find some flowering bushes.
Tammy

Hi Tammy, those flowering bushes are azaleas. Good luck with the 're-do'!

The green Jack in the Pulpits are the North American natives so they are probably the same (asuming hers are not imports). Our native Jacks have quit a bit of variety... some of them have purple stripes on the hood with a purple spathe. I love the Toad Lilies I have. Very cool flowers!!

Doug, What is the beautiful "red" flowering shrub along the fence???!!!

Terry in Texas

Thanks for the comments!! I dont get a whole lot of sun. The upper canopy of the trees is pretty dense. If you are refering to the purple and red shrubs then they are azaleas. That Japanese maple variety can get big. But I have had mine in the ground for 6 years and it is about 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall. It is a weeping variety so it wont get too tall but it will continue to get wider.

Hi Terry! That is an Azalea... Thanks!

Doug,
Last week I was looking at azaleas, but I was a little hesitant to buy, not being sure about what to plant.
They look very bright. I love the pinks and purples.
Great, that helps me make up my mind.
Thanks
Tammy
Wisconsin

What a beautiful garden!

Doug - what beautiful garden!! great photography as well. i am extremely jealous

Doug:

I'm with Claire on this one... seems as if someone is as good of a photographer as he is a gardener! Beautiful pictures!

Amazing pictures Doug

What a beautiful garden, your photos are absolutely breathtaking:)

Absolutely stunning!!! Hat's off to you!

Beautiful gardens
Nice photography too!

Awesome! You should be proud of those pictures.

That is beautiful. Keep up the good work . Would love to see more . Thanks a bunch for sharing them .

I agree....keep em' coming!!!

doug

You put us all to shame........

Very fine work.......
b

Doug, I hope you'll post some more pictures this year so we can see how it have grown and anything new you've done. I love looking at pictures of gardens from one year to the next.

Wow!! Doug, I just viewed your photos and they gave me a lift. Thank you very much for sharing. I got some ideas from looking at what you did.

What I noticed (besides your outstanding plants) was your soil. It certainly looked like you spend a lot of time bringing it to the condition it is in.

I echo what patches said. Some more pictures please.

Head on over to The New Forum..

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Re~start a shade gardening post/thread there...

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