NPA Open Gardens

Primula in the Duryee Garden

Today I saw 2 fun gardens: a happy day. I found them in the Northwest Perennial Alliance Open Gardens Directory. Both were shade gardens. The Duryee garden showed its 50 years’ development. Garden beds were carpeted with plants. There were many ferns & woodland perennials, very lovely in combination.

Podophyllum in the Fishman Garden

The Fishman garden featured Hosta & other woodland perennials. Each plant was perfectly beautiful. This relatively new garden needed more groundcover, which could only enhance the spectacular show of Paris, Podophyllum & Arisaema.

Paris in the Fishman Garden

Join the Northwest Perennial Alliance through their website. There are gardens open every weekend from May to September in King, Snohomish, Island, Kitsap, Pierce & Thurston Counties. The annual membership fee is minimal.

Essential Perennials for Shade

I believe that almost anyone would be happy with a perennial garden which included all the plants listed below. These plants are reliable, easy & beautiful. They provide a range of color, height & texture. Bloom starts early in Spring & lasts until Summer. You will need to keep snails & slugs from disfiguring the large leaves of Hosta & Ligularia. Put them in a plastic bag & throw it in the trash. Do not allow shady perennials to dry out completely in summer. These all tolerate some dryness.

Erythronium oregonum

Aconitum (Monkshood)
Ajuga reptans (Carpet Bugle)
Anemone x hybrida (Japanese Anemone)
Aruncus (Goatsbeard)
Asarum (Wild Ginger)
Astilbe (Ostrich Plume)
Cimicifuga (Bugbane)
Corydalis
Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)
Epimedium (Bishop’s Hat)
Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily)
Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)
Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten Rose)
Hepatica americana (Liverwort)
Heuchera americana
Hosta (Plantain Lily)
Lamium maculatum
Ligularia
Polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal)
Primula vulgaris (Primrose)
Sedum forsterianum
Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup)
Trillium ovatum (Wakerobin)

Peony Shade Garden (Cascadia Garden)

This most-pleasing garden began with a pink single Tree Peony in 1997. Enchanted by the large delicate flowers, I added 4 between 2001 & 2006. By the spring of 2007 there was enough shade to plant a variety of woodland perennials. After a colorful display of red & orange Fall foliage, evergreen & early-blooming perennials are clearly visible until late Spring.

Paeonia suffruticosa, Tellima grandiflora,
Heuchera americana & Dicentra formosa

Plant List

Shrubs
Paeonia suffruticosa: pink single
Paeonia suffruticosa: pink double
Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Taiyo’
Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Yoshinogawa’
Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Zi Er Giao’

Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ &
Heuchera americana ‘Plum Pudding’

Perennials
Aruncus aesthusifolius (Dwarf Goat’s Beard)
Astilbe simplicifolia ‘Sprite’ (Ostrich Plume)
Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese Painted Fern)
Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern)
Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Hillside Black Beauty’ (Bugbane)
Corydalis cava
Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Heart)
Epimedium pinnatum colchicum
Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ (Purple Wood Spurge)
Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ (Cranesbill)
Geranium phaeum (Mourning Widow)
Hacquetia epipactis
Hakonechloa macra ‘Albo Striata’ (Japanese Forest Grass)
Helleborus lividus (Hellebore)
Hepatica americana (Liverwort)
Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’
Heuchera americana ‘Bronze Beacon’
Heuchera americana ‘Green Spice’
Heuchera americana ‘Plum Pudding’
Heuchera americana ‘Velvet Night’
Hosta sieboldiana ‘Kabitan’
Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ (Solomon’s Seal)
Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern)
Primula x juliana ‘Wanda’ (Primrose)
Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup)
Tradescantia virginiana ‘Blue and Gold’ (Spiderwort)
Trillium chloropetalum (Giant Trillium)
Trillium cuneatum (Bloody Butcher)
Trillium luteum (Yellow Toadshade)
Trillium sessile (Toadshade)

Trillium chloropetalum

Groundcovers
Asarum caudatum (Wild Ginger)
Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)
Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley)
Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel)