Woodland Plants.

Woodland.

 The second stage of the woodland is coming alive,  Helleborus have been out for some time now, along with the Galanthus it is the Erythroniums, Epimediums and Trilliums to set the stage and you need fillers to set the scene around them. The fillers take a while to make a woodland look good, you need plants to start seeding around, and making large clumps, and that takes time. Plenty of mulch helps to keep the ground moist in summer. Above Brunnera macrophylla Betty Bowring approx 60cm high by approx same width is our first filler, and gently seeds around. From the Caucasus.

Brunnera macrophylla Langtrees has silvery-grey marks on it leaves from  Dr Rogerson's garden in Devon called 'Langtrees'.

Omphalodes cappadocica seeds around a little too vigorously but is easily removed, and a beautiful blue.

One Omphalodes to try and get seed of, is the rare Omphalodes luciliae which I have grown and flowered and all to briefly it left me. Most times the seed is named incorrectly but some of the specialist seed places may offer it from time to time, with its green-grey foliage and Ice blue flowers exquisite. It is from Greece and Spain and should do well, I would grow it in the garden next time and not in a pot as I think it would do better.

Omphalodes cappadocica Starry Eyes, does not alway come true from seed it sometimes reverts back to its parent Omphalodes cappadocica. Antique Perennials have bought in a few new varieties of Omphalodes, Omphalodes 'Cherry Ingram' is one being done by tissue culture, so you need to keep your eyes open when shopping at your nursery for the new varieties to Australia.

Omphalodes verna blue flowers, good ground cover.

Omphalodes verna alba slow to multiply in this garden, web photo.

Corydalis cheilanthifolia from China I thought I would have to try and raise this Corydalis from seed again, almost an impossibility as the seed needs to be kept moist. There is a large Garden near me called Tindale Gardens and they have a plant stall day, by the friends once a year, and there was one small plant of Corydalis cheilanthifolia. It has unmistakable foliage almost like a fern and gets a bronzy look to the foliage during the year.  I lost all of my plants in the drought, but now there are a few new seedlings flowering.

Pachyphragma macrophylla I first read about this plant in The Green Tapestry by Beth Chatto and she writes "When the drifts of snowdrops are fading Pachyphragma macrophylla gives the effect of further snow patches beneath the still-bare trees" thats what I would like to create, still a way off. From the Caucasus and northeastern Turkey. It sets good seed and is spreading around gently. I know some of these plants are easy to grow and I can hear the poo! poo! from here, but you do need to have some easy plants in your garden, otherwise you would just give up gardening altogether.