Fall Combination for Shade: Tricyrtis with Cimicifuga

Tricyrtis 'Blue Wonder'  (Toad lily)  Zones 5 to 8

Cimicifuga 'Chocoholic'  (Snakeroot-Black or Bugbane)  Zones 4 to 8

(follow the above links for more photos on each plant)

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A big thanks to Alistair at Aberdeen Gardening for the inspiration to pair these two shade garden beauties. See his original post, Tricyrtis Hirta, where he combines the toad lily with a purple leaved maple (Acer). 

And that makes me think that I would also like to say thank you to all of the talented garden blog writers that I have been privileged to read this growing season.  I have enjoyed learning from you all about plants, and have loved getting to know your gardens. Thank you for taking the time to sharing your works of beauty with the world!

Fall Gardening Task #2: New perennials for fall planting

This is the next installment in my fall gardening tasks list and one of my favorite subjects: new plants! 

Fall is a great time to plant herbaceous perennials and shrubs: 
they will be invisibly developing their root systems under the ground all winter;
they require less additional watering in fall than summer plantings;
it does not matter how big a mess you make of the work area around your new addition because everything is about to freeze anyway;
and because in PA in October plants go on sale! Check your local nurseries for some treasures.


For the Shade Path garden: This post is also a welcome to some new, old friends... a celebration in finally owning some plants that I have long admired!

 Purple leaved Cimicifuga 'Chocoholic' to bloom alongside the Japanese Anemone

 A stately purple-leaved foliage plant that takes a while to establish its self, but is worth the wait. 
(Note to Bev: I have one now too!)

Common name: Bugbane

 If you are a forest lover, you might spot the green-leaved bugbane out on an autumn walk. Its astilbe-like foliage is topped by these crazy sweet wand blooms. A great addition to any shade garden for fall! Hardiness zones 4 to 8.

The scent of these flowers is intoxicating from many feet away! Swoon.

Another plant with astilbe-like foliage...

Aruncus dioicus. Common name: Goat's beard

This one is supposed to handle dry shade. We shall see! It gets wonderful while plumes in the summer. Hardiness zones 4 to 8.

One for the Back Woodland:

Anemone multiflida 'Rubra'

This one says sun to part shade, so I am going to try it in a spot that gets morning sun and late day sun... we shall see how it does. I love anemones. All of them. I could not pass up trying this one. The tag says it is hardy to zone 2!

I love the divided, geranium-like foliage.

And lest you think I have forgotten the sun gardens, or the overflow of purple flowers in need of some balance in the Driveway Garden:

Oso Easy Paprika. ahem... Landscape Rose.

I will admit to needing to swallow my plant snobbery when I first found myself seriously considering this plant. Could I sink to the level of a "landscape rose?" But the fact is that I would not be a good gardener if I passed up a plant that will fit the needs that I have: that is, add a serious kick of orange to this bed, add another smallish shrub for structure (tag says 2' x 3' max), and bloom all summer/fall.

If you decide that you too must give in, then know that it surely is hardy where you live, unless it is with the polar bears or in Ecuador (zones 3-9).

Happy plant shopping!