More beautiful photos, I do enjoy looking at them!

Sorry about your conditions, Trish. Wish that we all could help.

Right where I am, we may have had 2" since May. It has gone within 5 miles south, and ten miles north, not here. Trees in my woods are wilting. Just 8 miles away, in the town I do errands in, it looks so different! Grass is green, trees look good.

Still, that is more than you have had Trish. That must be awful.

I remember the prediction was for a La Nina summer. Last time they said that, it was really dry here too.

Thanks Bob. I'll wait.
Really sorry to hear about all the loss you're having to deal with. We hear about the drought but it hits home when someone you "know" is experiencing it.

Boy, and I thought it was dry here.... yikes.

Wishing everyone all the rain they need.... and no more than what they need!

Thanks for putting those pics up, Juli - very impressive.

Okay, Jo Anne - you've *almost* got me to start looking at epimediums.... right now they'd get lost in the weeds, I'm afraid, but soon - very soon!

Sheryl... Once the epimediums get established, I don't think I have ever pulled a weed out of them. They have pretty impressive root structures!

Really.... another plus! I put in a bunch of hosta, a Japanese maple, some Heuchera and ferns in an area that had been dug up last year for construction. Dumb, dumb, dumb - it must have disturbed every weed seed for 8' down. Sheesh.

Now I'm in the process of laying down cardboard and newspapers, with hopes of drowning some of them in paper and mulch.

Has anyone mentioned balsam for shade?


Karen

For my garden, the ones that thrive in shade:

Hostas




this geranium loves the shade as well:



This is a portion of my garden early morning, in shade, it is in a west facing part. Schefflera, spider plants, china doll, tillandsia and assorted succulents love this area and they thrive well. It is a semi-shady area as it gets full sun around noon time till about 2 pm and then back to shade again once the sun is shielded by the trees outside our property.

nice design

Tarev, is that round feature a fountain? Love it!

Hi Brenda! Yup it is a water fountain I find it nice since it is like a circle of life depiction My husband just rigged some copper tubings in the center of the circle so the water flows with less splash especially during very windy conditions. Glad you like it!

I have a bit of a 'thing' for water features... and that one is awesome. I especially love the 'circle of life' meaning.

i just read that Shoe wants to painted green with envy over all the shade plants so to accommodate him



i live amongst the Redwoods and do NOT have too many places for sunny requirement plants
hence my addiction to the shade plants and one of my top favorites has to be the different Japanese Maples that do well here
but my very favorite shade plant is the Podophyllum group and the showiest of them is most likely Spotty Dotty



and delavayi from which spotty dotty comes



kaleidescope is still a young plant in my garden



after the Podophyllum would be the different Farfugium



then it would be a tossup between BIG Hostas and the different Jacks (Arisaema)



and of course all of the different Ferns and the early blooming Trillium




Dick amongst the Redwoods

Shoe looks like the Jolly Green Giant.

Karen

Hah! "Green with envy", for sure! Great pic, Dick!

However, I LOVE Spotty Dotty! That's a keeper there! I also like your trillium; I have wild trillium in the woods here but yours is no comparison...what a beaut!

Your gardens and greenhouse must be overflowing. (Beautiful delavayi...I've never seen that one.)

Shoe-

Gorgeous! Love that 'spotty dotty'!!

Really like the Podophyllum. I've seen articles with them included but have never seen them for sale. Do you get them online.

NJBob
yes i have purchase all of the Podophyllum on line over the years
i just checked, most of the sources i have used in the past are out of them
the only ones i found available at this time are in the UK and are even more expensive now then previously :(
even thou they have never been cheap

Dick

there is a spotty dotty on ebay now http://www.ebay.com/itm/Podoph...
it may seem expensive but it is from Terra Nova and must be 2 or 3 years old
AND
she seems to have 3 of them