Violets and Tricyrtis - Oh, My!

Our Garden Tour was rained out today . . .

We'll try again.

Hardy Little Miss Susan Scare-the-Birds was out there in the elements. Believe me, I tried to offer retirement, but she thought that with a little new makeup, a new dress and shirt, she could make another "go at it!" So there she is, out there in the storm.

Do you see the river that flows through raised beds and especially through the Woodland Walk?

Can you imagine I was at loose ends?
Can you imagine I was feeling a little melancholy?

But guess what! I was able to give a mini-tour to a special guest!
Let me explain . . .

Two years ago, before he stopped blogging, I visited "Iowa Boy," who gave me a wonderful tour of his gardens. He was very generous and shared a few plants. When I found I was going to be on this year's Garden Tour, I wrote and asked if he and his wife would like to visit. At the time, he didn't think he'd be able to make the trip. However, there was a break in the weather (meaning the sun "came out" for about two hours before it rained again). And guess who rang the doorbell?

Yep! "Iowa Boy!" Mr. Shady enjoyed visiting a bit about prairies. But I was very happy to let him wander around through the gardens about which you read. :-)

Again, he shared a couple of plants with me:

Tricyrtis formosa 'Autumn Glow'

and a Korean Violet 'Syletta'

This is an unnamed violet he shared with me in 2008.
Do you see its first offspring?

Believe it or not, I was able to share a couple of my plants with him! He took home a baby Dwarf Aruncus - Goatsbeard and a Dwarf Astilbe 'Pumila.' :-)

This improved my outlook considerably and Made My Day! I know of the superstition that says you're not to thank a person for the gift of plants. So, I'll just say "Thanks!" to Iowa Boy for his visit and his generous nature.



We'll try having that Garden tour next Sunday, June 20. I hope it works out!! After all, the sun still shines - above the clouds! ;-)

Have a great week!

My Visit with Iowa Boy

This is a first of my two October posts under

"2008 Summer Inspiration!"
(I have to do two of them, because I visited two special blogger-gardeners!)

On July 19, 2008, I was cordially welcomed into the gardens of Don (Iowa Boy) and his wife, Liz.

I was a little nervous... after all this is Iowa Boy of 'An Iowa Garden!'

"Be still my beating heart," I said to myself
as I turned into their driveway.
"I'm really here!"

I met two very gracious, generous people! We wound our way around, through shaded pathways, past so many of the plants we see on posts at An Iowa Garden!

Yes, I am always admiring (aren't we all)
and appreciating the vast variety
of plants and information Iowa Boy provides.

So, without further ado, here are some photos I took, albeit without much in the way of identification and/or explanation. Sorry.

1. Click on this photo... we're looking at the TINY plant!

2. Helleborus (variety?)

3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Pinellia tripartita "Golden Dragon ??
8.
9.
10. Orienpet lilies
11.
12.
13.14.
15.16.17.

18.

19.
What a wonderfully restful, shady garden. This was my first introduction to a fellow garden-blogger. I continue to be amazed by the vast numbers of plants and information there is in this world. In fact, about midway through the tour, I began feeling a bit overwhelmed. (If he noticed, Don was too polite to say anything!) ;-)

But his graciousness did not outweigh his generosity. Take a peek below to see a few of the items he sent home with me! I am so excited!! I placed links for plant information... the best information for the pinellia tripartita plants was posted by Don, himself.

Photo 21: Top Left: Pinellia tripartita "Golden Dragon," Top Right: "A violet," Bottom Left: arisaema sikokianum Japanese Jack-in-the-Pulpit or "Snow Rice-Cake Plant, and two others that are not in this photo: hemerocallis, daylily, "Total Look ," and Pinellia tripartita atropurpurea.

Heading home to Shady's Garden!

Here's the little violet in its new home.

Pinellia tripartita "Golden Dragon," up close
Pinellia tripartita "Golden Dragon," in its new home
Pinellia tripartita purpurea, up close
Pinellia tripartita purpurea, in its new home
arisaema sikokianum, Japanese Jack-in-the-Pulpit
(not a clear photo, but here's where he's residing!)
Here's hemerocallis "Total Look" in her new home.
She's grown! :-)
(I think Iowa Boy mentioned his plant had 60+ buds this year!)

Had I not begun blogging a year or so ago, I'd never have "met" so many people on-line. And I'd never have had the pleasure of reading and meeting Iowa Boy from An Iowa Garden!

Now I hope my plants grow!! :-)
Shady G.