Delicate woodland flowers

Flower & Garden Magazine, April-May, 1993 by Molly Dean

When My Family and I FIRST moved to the country, we were delighted to have a large piece of property on which to cultivate the gardens we had always dreamed of having. We began with our butterfly garden encircling a pool for waterlilies. We expanded to an old-fashioned rose garden, and finally tamed a small area of woodland and introduced into this many shade-loving flowers.

We have gradually learned to appreciate the more subtle beauty of these plants. Often less showy than their sun-loving counterparts, they still seem to glow with an intense color of their own against their deep forest backdrop. Woodland flowers are often more easily appreciated on an individual basis. Passing through our sunny gardens on a day in late spring, we are greeted by masses of color that somehow hypnotize the eye. The impact here results from the garden as a whole. Moving on to the wooded area, the feeling of stimulation is replaced by one of calm. Here we are more likely to observe the graceful simplicity of a single flower.

Creating the setting for these plants was most important. We began by eliminating brush, thorny vines and scrubby trees. The deep darkness of woods left in a natural state will allow few, if any, desirable plants to grow. But if light is allowed to filter down through selected trees such as our own tuliptrees, dogwoods and hollies, planting possibilities open up.

Our overall approach to the woodland garden has been to cultivate and improve pockets of soil as we have added plants. The first additions to the garden were the larger plants: a few hemlocks, rhododendrons, both Kurume and native azaleas. All thrive in our mountainous area of northeast Georgia.

Then we began to focus on a smaller scale. We discovered that bulbs are among those plants most successfully naturalized in a wooded environment. Those liking sun, such as daffodils, grow well under deciduous trees with high branches. In keeping with our delicate theme, we planted a naturalizing mixture of daffodils in shades of cream and pale yellow.

We found the early-blooming snow crocuses (Crocus chrysanthus) to be available in many soft and unusual colors. Our favorite proved to be |Blue Pearl,' which one year put out blooms only a few days after Christmas. These possess the most delicate shade of blue I have ever seen in a flower.

In general, it seems, we have given a preference to the color blue, which lends a magical air to our woods. There is the intense, almost navy blue of the muscari or grape hyacinth, and the misty blue of the Spanish bluebell (Endymion hispanicus), both at home on a woodland floor. Once well established, both of these bulbs are generous multipliers and develop colonies.

Anemone apennina, the sky-blue windflower, prefers filtered light and a soil enriched with leaf mold. We have been able to grow the wild hyacinth (Camassia quamash) at the edge of our wood, although it is often thought of as a meadow plant. The key seems to be making certain it gets sufficient sun and humus to aid in retention of moisture.

We placed stones salvaged from an old chimney at strategic places to serve as rough seats. Next to one we planted a clump of trout lilies (Erythronium americanum). These produced lovely flowers, ones that are difficult to do justice to in a photograph, with starry bells of glowing yellow on leafless stems.

I had always associated perennial plants with sun but was pleased to learn that many in the softer color ranges actually seem to prefer partial shade, particularly in the South. We extended the rock-bordered beds of the butterfly garden so that they curved into our woodland area. Here we have used many old-fashioned flowers such as primroses in shades of buttery yellow, gentle pink and white.

The bellflower (Campanula persicifolia), native to mountain meadows and open woods, was also a natural choice as well as the whimsical columbine with its distinctly out-of-the-ordinary blossoms. The rosepink, white-tipped blooms of the bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) demand a sheltered and shaded site. Our first plant billowed in size, and we decided to limit our inclusion to one instead of a group.

My daughter was especially anxious to include the foxgloves like those she remembers seeing growing wild in England. Although massive, these flowers possess an airy look with their speckled elf-hat flowers on high stalks. Only one of our foxgloves is a true perennial: merton foxglove (Digitalis x mertonensis) with rusty red flowers. The others are technically biennials but self-sow to become permanent fixtures in the garden.

Other flowers that have thrived for us in partial shade include pinks, sweet Williams and daisies. Throughout the garden, wild violets thrust their heart-shaped leaves. To a degree we have allowed them to flourish.

Among the most charming flowers in our woodland garden have been the wildflowers, many of which are found naturally on our site. As well as the more common purples and blues, we have dainty white confederate violets (Viola sororia) and tiny halberd-leaved yellow violets (Viola hastata). Catesby's trillium (Trillium catesbaei) is a shy plant that we have moved from the untamed areas of our property. This three-petaled flower is a delight to watch as it blushes to deeper shades of pink and then red. Its bud springs from the center of the plant's three leaves, which top a tall, slender stem.