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.