Dreaming of a White Christmas ?

Blooms in the woods.

No, this is not a posting on snow in the garden
although a mess of weather seems to be coming our
way but of the white blooms that were in my garden
last Spring and Summer.

The Honey Locust trees around the house.
The bees love it when they start blooming.





Clematis Silver Moon





Fragrant White Dianthus plumarius





White Geraniums pelargonium





Peach Leafed White Campanula Bell Flower





Black Berry Blooms

White Astilbe (Goats beard, false spirea)




White Armeria (sea thrift)



White Delpinium



Elderberry blooms



White Achillea Yarrow



White Monarda Bee balm



Becky Shasta Daisy

White wave Petunia



White Bush Morning Glory convolvulus cneorum




Morning Glory Vine



Tall Phlox David White



Giant White Siberian Lily



Anemone Honorine Jobert




White Tulip

African Violet

And...............
Amaryllis White Christmas

In The Shade Garden

I have been having visitors in the garden for a few
nights. They have been dining at the bird feeder and
have destroyed two of my plastic feeders.
Not only that but they have had the nerve to unhook
the hanging basket of impatiens that are hanging
on the same tree limb and dumping the whole works
onto the ground. So I knew it was probably raccoons
but what was the deal with unhooking the flowers and
dropping them to the ground. The poor impateins were
put back as best as one can after two crash landings to
the ground but they are now pitiful looking.
So I decided to just set the bird feeder on the potting
bench and watch last night to see what happens.
Well after dark I turned on the light and there on the
potting bench were two adult raccoons and three babies.
Not only were they eating the sunflower seeds from the
bird feeder but the three little ones were playing and
digging into the planted pots of flowers I had setting on
the potting table. The little heathens! :-)
And they had the nerve to just stay there eating
and playing as if they were invited guest and
turning their nose up at me.
I grabbed the broom and started after them
to vacate them from the potting table, telling them
not to come back. Afterwards I wished I had gotten their
picture before I chased them off because despite my
anger I had to shake my head and laugh at
the little marauders.
So I am guessing that the baby heathens were more
than likely playing on the hanging basket and
knocking it off of the tree limb. Children get bored
often times at family gatherings and get into trouble.
Don't you think that parents should teach their children
better table manners?

I have so much shade around in my yard so to add
color I have planted a number of Astilbe plants.
They seem to be such a forgiving plant and grow fairly
well in this old clay soil. The blooms on the plants
dry up and add texture to the garden even after they
have stopped blooming.



The white astilbe adds light to the shade.

I have gathered several ferns from the surrounding
woods and planted them in the shady beds along
with some Japanese Painted ferns.










I do not seem to have much luck with Hostas in my hard
soil but I have put two baby giant blue ones in the woodland
bed and an ostrich fern which I am hoping will be much bigger
next year. I planted and Elephant ear bulb but it is going to be
a baby pachyderm instead it appears. The hard clay soil strikes
again. The failed plants in my beds are too numerous to
mention but the need for flowers keeps me trying over and
over again to find shade and clay accepting plants.

What do you all plant to add color to your shady beds?