Glorious as the sunshine is, it can make for tiring, dusty gardening. I’ve been hanging out in my woodland garden, where the coolness is welcome to both me and to the shade-dwellers that grow there. I planted must of these shade loving plants last autumn, along with lots of lovely ferns. You can read about the ferns here.
Cobra Lily – Arisaema speciosum
I grew this in a pot last year then planted it out in the garden last autumn. They come from the temperate forests of the Himalyas so I wasn’t sure it was totally hardy but decided to risk it as it would look stunning in the woodland garden, if it survived. It has good drainage and was well mulched heading into winter.
Surviving and thriving it is. This week the flower was fully out with its deep burgundy, hooded shape, striped white to guide insects inside. The leaves are beautiful in their own right, with their ridged palm shape and mottled stalk.
Can you tell I like this plant?
Bog primroses – Primula wilsonii var wilsonii
If you’ve got a damp shady area or a bog garden then you must plant some bog primroses. This week they started flowering. They’re not fully open yet but I’m impatient to share them.
They’re a candelabra style flower in garnet pink. Even better, the leaves are glossy with a year-round bright emerald colouring.
Corydalis elata
I was given this plant by a local Alpine Garden Society member with a glorious garden who was happy to share some shade lovers for my woodland area. This has a pretty blue flower with feathery foliage and stands tall at the path edge showing off its kingfisher plumage. 
Valeriana pyrenaica
Another gift from my AGS pal, this is also occupying a commanding position at the path edge. It’s 4ft tall and topped with a pretty pink frothy flower. My woodland bible, Beth Chatto’s ‘The Shade Garden’ says this will seed around mildly, which I’m very happy with.
Geranium phaeum
The flowers on this plant are not big but are a rich ribena colour up close. I read that two common names of this are ‘mourning widow’ and ‘black widow’, which rather take the shine off my love for this plant. I’ll do with the other common name I found instead – dusky cranesbill. I like that one.
Silene vulgaris
Talking unpleasant common names, this wildflower is called the bladder campion. This tallish plant could well have self-seeded here, as it has elsewhere in my garden before. However, I did plant these, another gift.
I can see where the name bladder comes in, from the shape of the puffed up flower. Maybe balloon campion would been a more pleasant name. However, I looked up the word balloon and it only emerged in the late 16th Century, originating from the french and italian words for ball. Before that the word bladder would have been commonly used for any air or fluid filled shape such as this.
This seasonal diary is part of a weekly link-up of garden bloggers from around the world, called Six on Saturday. For more information and links to other blogs crammed with gardening activity, check the blog of host The Propagator.
What a lovely and interesting selection! That lily is just wow!
Thanks Ciar. I’m really enjoying having an area to grow a wider range of plants in. The ariseama seems happy down there.
The shady woodland garden looks like a lovely spot to take refuge from the heat. The Corydalis elata is beautiful.
Yes, I walked into that area from the scorching heat yesterday and instantly felt the temperature drop a few degrees. It’s also quite tucked away so my family can’t find me. They then phone me to find out where I am!
For the first year, I have success on the arisaema because I had planted an A. tortuosum and the plant is intact, very pretty this year unlike in previous years.
Pretty corydalis too, this week in your Six Katharine.
Thanks Fred – the corydalis is a hit with me. I saw your tortuosum in social media – it looks great. I’ll be looking out for a tubour!
I am becoming more and more in love with woodland plants. These are lovely. 🙂
I’m with you Gill. This area has given me a whole new combination of plants to experiment with and I’m annoyed that I hadn’t done it sooner!
Lovely as your woodland plants are, I don’t think I have enough space for even a tiny woodland.😣 That blue of the Cordyalis is stunning, similar shade to the Himalayan poppy I grew 40 + years ago. Unfortunately, it didn’t come back the next season. Very pretty, interesting Six-on-Saturday.
Oh yes, the Himalayan poppies are incredible. I was looking at ordering some online for delivery in the autumn. It would be great to be able to give them a go.
Corydalis elata is a new name for me but I have a plant of what I have always called Corydalis flexuosa which is tall like yours and now I’m wondering if it might be elata. Research needed. I’m very fond of woodland plants but my suitable space is very small and gets very dry and quite a few things have been and gone, including several Arisaemas. Yours is a beauty.
I’m hoping this is indeed elata. The lady who gave it to me is a real plantswoman who knows her stuff so I always trust her labels. I have been watering a bit in my woodland garden recently because I’ve got so many new plants in there and this spring has been just so hot and dry. I’m hoping this won’t be necessary in the long term as I’d hate to lose any of these plants.
I’ve been taking refuge in from the sun in my woodland garden too. There’s plenty to keep me busy there … weeding 😂 The Cobra lily is absolutely amazing. I hope it continues to thrive. Your other woodland plants are very lovely too.
It’s definitely the place to be when the sun beats down.
Am I too late to plant Dhalia tubers or must I buy plants?
East Sussex garden. Warm & sunny.
Not too late. If they’re still in good condition they should grow away quickly in this warm weather but keep them watered. They’ll flower a bit later than if you’d planted them sooner or forced them indoors but that’s ok. They’ll be worth waiting for.
It can be tricky getting interesting plants for the shady bits, & you’ve given me lots of good ideas. especially love the cobra lily & am glad it survived winter. Do S&S like it?
Hi Lora – the slimy ones don’t seem to go for the Cobra Lily. The leaf and flower are intact. Some of the hostas there have been affected so I know they’re around!
Good to see your Cobra Lily is thriving – it’s quite an imposing plant! I love Valeriana and tried to grow it a couple of years ago, but it just wasn’t co-operating. I expect I probably tried to grow it in the wrong place. Yours is looking good.
Hi Catherine, I was given a lovely healthy Valerian plant by my friend so I’m keeping my fingers crossed it’s happy there and will set some seed. I love the frothy pink flowers. They look a bit like the bubbles in pink champagne.
Lovely to be able to admire your shade loving beauties…the silene is so delicate. I’ve been watering my valarian like mad, and isn’t the scent wonderful?
Hi Noelle – watering is getting tedious here too. These plants really do prefer the rain!
Oh that Cobra Lily looks like my type of plant. I am a big fan of shade loving plants and do have a corner where I can plant them. I hope all is well.