Sunday, June 7, 2009

rhodies

mist maiden

The dry shade of our woodland garden is not an easy master. I have learned that when a plant is labeled as "tolerates shade" it does not mean it thrives in shade. It means that it copes. Usually it becomes anorexic, clings to life for a couple seasons and turns to compost. I stopped expecting massive, showy blooms and became satisfied with mere survival. The ones that do pull through, grow at a glacial rate. It seemed that we always had room for more plants and I have been plugging in new ones every spring. I was a member of the local horticultural society and bought tissue-culture rhododendrons, tiny plant sprigs, a half-dozen at a time. This year we have finally gained some momentum and are getting a payout on our patience.



percy wiseman

henry's red



vinecrest

4 comments:

Susan said...

love the vinecrest !

sparringK9 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
chickory said...

i'll say the patience paid off. wow. i have an entire bank of rhodies...im in north georgia...its pretty deep forest so only certain areas bloom. light pink. but ive never seen red like in your photos. amazing. and lovely photography here.

Cynthia Pittmann said...

Wow those paper thin flowers are incredible...what a lovely woodland-scape. Thanks for sharing your gardening efforts. Hope you are having fun with Susan! You both painted the walls? I guess it was a working/playing weekend.<3