Betty Truax's Gardens

I love woodland plants.  This bed gets bright shade and is on a slant which makes it a real challenge.  I've planted creeping jenny for a ground cover to help keep the hill in place.  It seems to have helped. The bench in The Sisters Bed butts up against the Woodland Garden which allows me to enjoy both gardens at the same time. Originally, I had trouble with this bed but after a few years of adding compost it is finally coming around. 

Although this bed can be somewhat dry, plants are starting to come into their own finally.  Hostas, toadlily, cranesbill, perennial forget me nots, ferns, iris crista and of course barrenwort are all doing well. Bloodroot, some native woodland phlox, and cardinal flower are managing to do pretty well also.  The turtlehead however, is not doing well.  If it survives the winter I'll move it to the waterfront garden in the spring.  Coral bells also didn't make it... but I may give them another try in a couple of years after I've improved the soil a bit more.

I also have a weiglia planted as an experiment.  I have another weiglia in more sun to see if there is a difference in growth.  So far, the one in more sun is doing slightly better but I'm not disappointed in the progress the woodland weiglia has made.  Additionally, last year I planted a red twig dogwood but it's so new I can't really comment on how well it's doing.