the moss/water garden in May

 A view of the waterfall..  Someday this waterfall will get a cement base for the rocks, I hope. 

 The London Pride saxifragia, some of the water iris (not yet in bloom),  my best mossy edging rock and some of the Wulfenii along the side of the pond next to the deck.  The light was terrible for this series of photos, but its all I had time to do.  

 The yellow loosestrife before it blooms.  It is a tall striking plant in bloom with its golden flowers and dark green foliage..  It is now in bloom.  It has a long bloom period.
LOOSESTRIFE  (yellow) Lysimachia punctata, commonly called loosestrife, is native to central/southern Europe and Turkey, but has over time escaped gardens throughout many parts of the northern U.S., particularly in the northeastern states, where it has naturalized in waste places, ditches and along roadsides. It is a rhizomatous perennial that grows to 3’ (infrequently to 4’) tall on stiff upright stems clad with pubescent, ovate to lance-shaped, medium green leaves (to 3” long)in whorls of 3 or 4 (occasionally opposite). Cup-shaped, five-petalled, bright yellow flowers (to 1” across) in axillary whorls  bloom from May to September. Additional common names for this plant include yellow loosestrife, garden loosestrife or whorled loosestrife. Notwithstanding the common names, Lysimachia is a member of the primrose family and not the loosestrife family (Lythrum). Lysimachia is not as aggressive a spreader as the infamous purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria. 
In my garden it grows by the cedar hedge and the pond.  

 This lovely little Japanese red cutleaf maple is one of the original plants for this garden room.

 This is the side of the pond where the stump of the old plum tree is.  A few years ago I renovated the stone paths.  I am slowly developing the little area into a nice pond-side garden room.  We see the waterfall that is across the 9 feet of water.  At the corners of this side of the pond we see the two little willows.  The willows are set so that their feet are in the water.  Lovely in the Springtime with the pussy willows.  We see some of the water iris at the edge and on the right is part of the Lebanon cedar at the corner by the stone/cement path along that side of the pond.  Last year I planted a few irises and some minature goldenrod, and a few other perennials.  Just a few days ago I moved the lantern to this area.  Its a work in progress.  The dutch iris are too tall for the lantern.  I need a lower growing plant in the area.  Blue eyed grass would work, but I am not that fond of its aggressive seeding about everywhere.

 A close up of the Wulfenia.
Wulfenia x schwarzii: this tough and compact perennial is perfect for morning sun or part shade! In the Plantain family, it is related to Veronica & Parahebe. Dense rosettes of leathery leaves are crowned by spikes of soft violet-purple flowers for 3 or 4 months in spring and early summer. Neat & tidy and oh so pretty!
It grows along the deck side of the pond along the edging rocks.  It is spreading very nicely in the clay soil.  Amazing.

 This little hosta grows along the stepping stones  and moss that is across from the fig tree bed.  Its planting hole has been improved with  compost and it is spreading out in the clay soil.   I once read that if you can get plants established in clay soil they do very well.  I do not understand that, but this hosta (and other plants in my garden) growing in its compost spot in the clay is a fine example.  The Wulfenia, above is another good example.  

 This Brunnera 'Jack Frost' is a new addition to the moss/water garden room.  It grows along beside the dry stream, in the moss area, and near the red of the Japanese maple.  It has shade and I will be giving it abundant water until it is established.   I grew it in a pot for a year before planting it out earlier this year.
Brunnera macrophylla `Jack Frost'... 1gal $15.00ea  at Fraser Thimble Farm
     Ht.35cm. Z2.  This early spring bloomer produces stunning mounds of silver foiled
     foliage topped with sprays of blue.
     Common Names: Siberian Bugloss, False Forget-Me-Not, Heartleaf Brunnera
     Plant Type: A slow-spreading, clump-forming perennial.
     Mature Plant Size: Brunnera is not a large plant. It forms a low mound with the height
     coming from the flower stalks. Expect it to reach a mature size of 12 to 20 inches (h)
     x 12 to 24 inches (w). Many of the cultivars will spread less quickly than the species.
     Sun Exposure: Plant in partial to full shade. Brunnera can grow in full sun, but it will
     need more moisture. The variegated leaves can easily burn in direct sunlight and plants
     may go dormant in extreme heat.
     Bloom Time: You will start to get sprays of blue flowers in mid- to late spring. Brunnera
     can stay in bloom for about 4 weeks.
     Flower Color: The delicate, 5-petaled, blue flowers come in sprays held above the foliage.
     They range from pastel to electric blue, often with a yellow center.
     Leaves: The first leaves of the season tend to be oblong, but later leaves are heart-shaped,
     slightly puckered, and many have a tendency to curl or furl. They can be a solid deep green
     or variegated or spotted with silvery-white tones.
     Native Area: Siberia and parts of the Mediterranean but has not become invasive when grown in
     other areas.
     Soil:  Brunnera is not particular about soil pH, but it does like rich, moist soil. Lots of organic             matter and organic mulch will help it become established quickly and keep it growing  well.
     Propagating: Only the species Brunnera macrophylla will grow true from seed. Start the seeds in
     fall if you want blooms the first season. When the plants are in good growing conditions, they
     will self-seed on their own.
     Brunnera cultivars are started as plants. Although they will set seed, they do not grow true to
     seed and the resulting plants will not necessarily look like the original plant.
     Brunnera plants prefer rich soil but do not require supplemental feeding, as long as the soil is
     not too poor or dry.
     Water:  Keep new plants well watered. While Brunnera plants prefer constant moisture, they will
     become more drought tolerant once they are established. Mulching will help maintain the cool,
     moist soil that Brunnera prefers.
     The species, with solid green leaves, is readily available. It has the lovely sprays of blue flower
     and is an extremely tough plant. Some of the newer cultivars include: Brunnera "Diane's Gold"
     - Golden-yellow leaves and blue flowers.
     Brunnera "Hadspen Cream" - Large leaves with irregular white outer margins.
     Brunnera "Jack Frost" - Silvery leaves with green veins.
     Brunnera "Langtrees" (aka "Silver Spot") - Leaves are dotted with silver. A very hardy plant.
     Brunnera "Looking Glass" - Silver leaves look almost metallic
     Brunnera is also a great choice for containers. The variegated leaf varieties will make a nice
     filler throughout the season. Many are hardy enough to remain in containers throughout the                 winter, with a little extra protection.
     Use Brunnera in shade gardens, woodland settings, and near ponds. It can make a great ground            cover and looks beautiful lining a path or border, although it can take a while to fill in.
     Since deer and slugs do not often bother Brunnera, it makes a nice alternative to Hosta.                       Companions with different textures and leaf shapes include hellebores, iris, hostas, bleeding heart,       geraniums, and even late-blooming daffodils.
     The older leaves may start to get tattered and can be cut back during the growing season, to
     encourage new leaves to fill in. Don't cut the whole plant back to the ground in the fall.
     The leaves will help protect the crown during winter and you can easily prune the plant in the
     spring when the new leaves begin to emerge.
     If you do not want your plants to self-seed, deadhead as the flowers start to fade. If you would
     like to collect the seed to sow, allow the flowers to dry slightly, then cut and let then finish
     drying in a paper bag. The seeds will fall off as the flowers dry.
     Divide in early spring. Brunnera can be short-lived and dividing your plants about every 3-5 years
     will keep them around longer.
     Pests:  Since Brunnera prefers cool, moist shade, slugs may become a problem, but varieties with
     thicker leaves are rarely bothered.
Since I have European wall lizards in my garden I do not seem to have trouble with slugs.
I have some of the species Brunnera growing in the woodland for years.  I have not divided it and it has spread out nicely.

 The moss garden room gone wild on May 30th.  This is truly magical in May when it is all cleaned up.

 More of the Wulfinia

 The lupines growing in the boulevard garden.  Love the color of this one.  I do hope it seeds around this area of the boulevard garden.

 The honeysuckle privet small hedge in the boulevard garden.  Its not a great hedging plant but the bees love it, so I leave it.

 The lovely white foxglove by the fig tree.  I am letting the foxgloves seed all around the garden.  I hope I can get some of this white one's seed to turn out to be white.  Hopefully on the west side of the pond.

 I cannot find the name of this big leaved plant.  It is quite aggressive and I have to keep it under control.  I have quite a few of these aggressive plants in the woodland.  I should get rid of them, but they look soooo 'woodsy'.  After I finish the cleaning up the pond area I am going to do more work in the woodland area.

Earlier in the year I cleaned up part of this area of the woodland, including the big fern and the old lily of the valley shrub that grows over the old compost bin.  I think I am winning the war of the bluebells in the woodland with the leaf mulch, but have to keep after them too.  Lots to do yet in this area. 

The long view up the old sidewalk and back into the woodland.  The little plastic rings you see are where some milkweed seed was suppose to germinate.  I don't think I will get any of them to grow, now.