This is the little woodland-y garden I've been fussing with for the last ten years on one side of our parkway.
The spring is very nice and moist, but the summer soil is hardpan clay, for the most part. The tree is a huge old plum, which leafs out super early and makes a golf umbrella over this little patch of dirt. You can stand under it in a rainstorm and not get a drop on you for quite a while. Nice if you're a golfer or a caddy, not so nice if you are a plant.
Vinca and violets are the happiest here, where there is no sprinkler system, and the mistress rarely ever waters. The goal is a natural "woodland" xeriscape, one able to take care of itself for the most part. That's after a lot of stupid planting (before I knew that real gardeners call parkways "hellstrips" for a reason).
I put a few clumps of cheap daffs in. I couldn't really dig them in any deeper since these tree roots are massive, and close to the surface. I guess I should put some more soil on them or something. My dream would be to have this spot covered in lilies of the valley and foxgloves, but the little lilies don't seem to want to spread (we've had the same nine stems come up wearily, year after year, and no more) and the foxgloves, oh the foxgloves. They never seem to self-seed. The concept of a biennial in practice is lost on me, I'm afraid. But the vinca, and the violets. They are happy to be here, and are so encouraged, and so beloved.
My friend Martha, a landscape architect, thinks some scilla would be nice down here. I told her that would be perfect, since I just finished reading Howard's End and have visions of bluebell woods still in my head. More about Howard's End later. That book just utterly and completely blew my mind.
This looks sweet! As someone who deals with hard clay all the time, I can really appreciate it! Have you tried sprinkling gypsum on it? You probably have, but around our area, it is considered the miracle drug!!!! It really will make your clay diggable!
Posted by: Kathi | March 27, 2010 at 11:41 AM
If you're thinking bluebells, you might want to try Spanish hyacinths (aka Spanish bluebells). Good multipliers, love a dry summer, and are really gorgeous, delicate and BLUE! Probably 8" high? I have a bunch planted amongst the roots of our catalpa tree, coming up through the vinca.
Posted by: kitty | March 27, 2010 at 11:42 AM
ohh that's pretty. I've just posted my garden pics. not so pretty though.
Posted by: pixie | March 27, 2010 at 11:47 AM
I love those little unfussy woodsy gardens...they remind me of places one would expect fairies to live. And, I think after living in unbelievably-dry Utah for 10+ years (we're now in OR too), I'm just impressed by any sort of plant coverage.
Posted by: Lisa | March 27, 2010 at 12:06 PM
It's lovely. How about some pulmonaria - it does well for me on clay in the shade and the purple/pink/white palette would compliment your existing planting.
Posted by: Ali | March 27, 2010 at 12:39 PM
yes it is a fairy garden - would love to visit it:) your pics of blooms awhile back made me want so badly to get to our local garden - thought you might enjoy seeing the pics i took there...
http://lovelybud.typepad.com/lovely-bud/2010/03/you-simply-must-see-this-beauty.html
Posted by: Sharon | March 27, 2010 at 01:07 PM
Looks very lovely! I can't wait until I have a house of my own to plant flowers and trees, I hope my garden will look that nice some day.
Posted by: melinda | March 27, 2010 at 01:49 PM
I live in Oregon, western Washington County. Vinca is a lovely color and grows anywhere. That's just the problem. It is invasive. We have fought a patch for years. Love your blog.
Posted by: Susan | March 27, 2010 at 02:03 PM
I am totally in awe of your garden! Just lovely!
Posted by: wishes, true and kind | March 27, 2010 at 02:30 PM
It is a beautiful garden. Oh, Howard's End... such a story! I love it, must read it again. (The movie is good too, Sir Anthony Hopkins is fabulous!)
blessings
~*~
Posted by: Laura | March 27, 2010 at 03:11 PM
This is so lovely. It reminds me of Anne's "Violet Vale" in "Anne of Green Gables."
I love shade gardens but it is much too arid here.
Posted by: Angela | March 27, 2010 at 03:17 PM
Your garden is lovely and enjoy your blog. The vinca is a beautiful color and will grow just about anywhere. It is invasive, a garden thug. We live west of you in Washington County, garden organically, and have fought for years to eliminate a patch. Even the gophers won't touch it!
Posted by: Susan | March 27, 2010 at 05:27 PM
What an enchanting space. If you peep after dark, you really may see fairies!
Posted by: debbie | March 27, 2010 at 05:27 PM
Oh I wish I could give you some of my grandma's lilly of the valley. My mom gave me literally about 5 little plants, and they have spread so much that we mow them when they spread into the lawn and pull them out on the edge of the border as they creep! I love those lillys and they remind me of my grandma every spring!
Posted by: Kristy | March 27, 2010 at 05:35 PM
Alicia,
Lovely garden! Portland is so far ahead of us here in Southern, IN. I too have a shade garden with lots of hostas, ferns, bleeding heards.
I have both sun and shade. I am going to try to do more from SEED this year! Fun to see what comes back each year.
Hoosier hugs,
Cheryl
Posted by: Whosyergurl | March 27, 2010 at 06:07 PM
It's beautiful. Great pics, as usual. Loved Howard's End (the movie). I will have to check out the book.
Posted by: Barb | March 27, 2010 at 06:51 PM
Another good thing to try in the shade is Sweet Woodruff - altho it too can try and take over. I would be glad to send you some!
Hugs from Michigan - Diane
Posted by: Diane | March 27, 2010 at 07:23 PM
Oh how lovely! You are quite ahead of us, for spring flowers. The cherry blossoms are opening up in Washington DC and some redbud trees are blooming and magnolias. Yes! Keep posting gardening pictures! I love them!
Posted by: Candylei | March 27, 2010 at 08:13 PM
Beatiful. We've got lots of similar flowers around at the moment here in England.
Posted by: Sandi | March 28, 2010 at 12:50 AM
I dream of a woodland patch in a garden of my own too. I currently have a tiny courtyard so the closest I have got at the moment is so have pots of bulbs and a container of woodland seed mix. One day..... Your patch looks beautiful and the violets are delightful. I agree you could add some bluebells, they would be lovely.
Posted by: Siona Karen | March 28, 2010 at 01:05 AM
Beautiful. :) I want to do something like this around the mossy old oak in our backyard, but I can't get anything to stay alive in that corner that isn't a hosta.
Posted by: Melanie | March 28, 2010 at 01:49 AM
Ah, yes "Howards End"! I feel like rereading it now. And "A Room With a View" - have you read that one? Forster's "A Passage to India" and "Maurice" are good as well. I enjoyed the movie adaptions of all these as well.
Posted by: mathea | March 28, 2010 at 04:12 AM
How about hellebores? (Good name for a band, too!) Helleborus orientalis, aka The Lenten Rose. Fanstastic early blooms, which last a month for us here outside Chicago, and then deep green, leathery foliage the rest of the season. And the foliage could be evergreen for you. Also check out Epimedium. A real fairy-land groundcover with little blooms in the spring. I have a couple of dry shade gardens and both of those plants do very very well.
I love scilla. The blue may 'clash' with violet hues to some eyes, however. But there is a white scilla. Also Chionodoxa 'Pink Giant' is a fantastic little bulb. Have fun in hellstrip!
Posted by: katie | March 28, 2010 at 05:28 AM
I love your little woodland patch! It looks so pretty. I would love something similar in our garden but unfortunately our 2 springer spaniels find it fun to jump in & out of my flower beds, trampling everything in sight!!
Have a lovely weekend.
xxx
Posted by: Laura | March 28, 2010 at 05:34 AM
Inspiring!
Posted by: Emily | March 28, 2010 at 05:35 AM