Foxgloves Are For You, Maybe

In the Old World there were fairies who befriended the creatures of the forest. Sympathetic to the plight of foxes, they made gloves of a woodland flower for them to wear when they raided local hen houses, making it easier to sneak in without being heard. And so the locals began to call that flower "foxglove".

Digitalis purpurea, a native of Ireland, gets its scientific name from the latin words for finger and purple, which describe the shape and color of this common form. An extract of a yellow species, digitalis lanatae, is used for digoxin, a heart medication which increases contractility of the heart and slows the heart rate. Remember that all foxgloves are highly toxic if ingested.

This beautiful flower grows two to five feet tall in moist, acid soil in sun to partial shade, zones 4-8. They sometimes live in zone 9 if given plenty of moisture and no afternoon sun. If you want to kill a foxglove, plant it in an exposed area with poor soil! While there are perennial forms, most foxgloves are biennial, meaning they grow the first year, then flower and produce seed the next, then die. I have had a number of foxglove volunteers in my garden, but I usually buy a few each year to add to their numbers. Foxgloves can be propagated by either seeds or division in early spring. My dream is to have a path through the woods, surrounded on both sides with foxgloves. It hasn't happened yet. I think my soil is a little too lean and dry in the summertime for them to truly prosper.

The taller foxgloves may need staking. I use thin strips of old panty hose to tie mine to slender bamboo stakes, painted dark green for camouflage. It is worth the bit of extra work to keep them upright. (The stretchy fabric of old hosiery also makes a great tie for other plants that require staking.)

With good growing conditions, foxgloves are a wonderful addition to a woodland or cottage setting. Beware, however, if you have pets or children that might eat them. And watch out if you have a hen house! 

A Walk in the Green Woodland

Some people like to make a little garden out of life and walk down a path.                                                                                                                                                                        Jean Anouilh

While the rest of my yard is splashed with voluptuous party colors, the woodland garden celebrates spring in a more sedate, but equally inspiring fashion. There is quiet joy here under the canopy of dogwood, maple, and oak trees. Hush now, and come with me on a walk in the green woodland.

We enter the garden, and we are washed in golden light as it streams across the mossy path.

Above is a view back toward the entrance to the woodland garden. Behind the rabbit is a variegated hydrangea and the ferny ground cover indigofera, with new growth glowing in the sunshine. In a few weeks it will have lovely pink blooms.

Hello rabbit. Here is the planting area with the Japanese maple 'Waterfall', along with spreading yew, hydrangea, hosta, heuchera, ferns, Jacobs ladder, and some azaleas which are not yet in bloom. There is also some newly planted pulmonaria with cottony pale green leaves. I am eager to see how it does.

Autumn fern unfurls its copper fronds toward heaven. Blue ajuga blooms in front.

Here is a view of the planting area from the other end. I still have a lot of planting to do here.

Hosta seiboldiana 'Elegans' is coming up. This is a huge hosta with thick, blue-green leaves. It looks big already, but it will be triple this size in a few weeks.

Here are some close-ups of a few plants we can see.Clockwise from top left: Japanese maple 'Waterfall'; highbush cranberry - a viburnum, not a cranberry!; caladium; hydrangea 'Lady in Red', just beginning to bud.

Look at my new "squirrel crossing"! I ordered this little bridge, and it arrived in a gazillion pieces which I had to put together. Thanks to Lou's power drill with its screwdriver attachment, it wasn't too hard. I painted the rails my favorite color.

Looking back through the woodland garden, we can see the birdhouse in a trident maple tree. Good news! There are blue birds nesting in the bird house! Lets not disturb them. Our footsteps fall quietly on the soft path as we leave.

Thanks for joining me on my woodland walk, and may all your paths this week take you to pleasant places.

You might also like Seven Steps to Making a Woodland Garden.