Shade garden

That's lovely, Nancy! When did you take the photo? Yes, I do know Corydalis lutea and have it in my garden. I also have Corydalis ochraleuca which is a bigger, white version. There are several more smaller Corydalis species - blue and mauve - but not nearly as vigorous. At Hestercombe Gardens in Somerset, the C.ochraleuca has seeded itself in wall crannies and Oh, just everywhere! (Also Erigeron karvinskianus all over the place - just as prolific). Your Hostas are lovely - I've just bought three differing ones for my 'boring' corner which is shady! I hope they look like yours! Can't get them planted today - I've got soaked twice and it is trying to hail or sleet or something equally horrible, plus there's a gale blowing (again). YUK!!!! :-(

Hi Nancy, Corydalia lutea...will remember that.Recently I've been gardening vicariously through the Dominion Seed House catalogue...lol.I came across a shade garden grouping for a reasonable price...think I might try it. It has goat's beard, campanula, lamium, astilbe and hosta... Come to think of it, I haven't rec'd anything from Veseys...usually have by this time of year. We are socked with snow...as I'm sure you are too...Our temps are in the negatories again. Had two or three days of barely above zero and constant rain...heaven help us if it had been a little colder...Our streets are like tunnels the banks are so high.
I have two different species of heuchera.. one has coppery pink leaves (Peach Melba) and the other is a deep almost iridescent maroon. Like their flowers but grow them for their foliage. I have the little white ones too, the specie, I think...very hardy, tough little plants but very pretty in bloom. with green leaves. I'm going to try growing Gunnera this summer...I'm trying for habitat and decorative at the same time...lol. wish me luck. the Gunnera is going to be part of a bog garden. or maybe I'll settle for an ornamental rhubarb instead.. lots of decisions yet to make and the snow is so deep I can't get out to my backyard. Spring has to come sooner or later, right...I pray it's not too much later..lol.

The top photo was from 2007 as spring has not yet arrived in Cape Breton. I also had the blue variety at one time and the color was perfect next to the bright yellows, lime greens and pinks surrounding it , but it was quite fragile a plant and disappeared after a couple of seasons.
The hostas are very hardy and become solid masses as they settle in.
Lori ,I did get a catalogue from Veseys this week and although we have no where near the snow you have in Ontario, it too has set me dreaming of warmer days. We have had incredible winds, windchill temps, heavy downpours , freezing rain , and back to flurries in rounds this past couple of weeks. With twigs all about and the runoff from my neighbour's sump pump flowing under my fence, I will not be venturing into my soggy backyard for a while yet.

Oh dear. You two are really suffering. We have a cold 'snap' at the moment with snow in some parts of the country and more forecast, but NOTHING like your weather. I hope things improve soon. good to look at catalogues and your last-year pictures to cheer you up and have something to look forward to! Chin up! :-)

Beautiful, healthy plants, Nancy - and dog, too!

Is your pup a Bichon or a Poodle? Sweet.

This is my daughter's Bichon who was staying with me for a while while she was relocating. He loved being outdoors and jumped in the garden whenever he had the chance. I was uncertain which plants were poisonous but got rid of my monk's hood at any rate.

The big gunneras come from South America and need special protection in the colder parts of the UK to get them through the winter. Ornamental rhubarbs come from the Himalayas and may be better suited to your climate

Thanks again NancyI have now planted the little Corydalia in a nice shady spot so glad to hear it will self seed thats a bonus it looks lonely by itself

Now I know what that flower is that I see growing from walls near my brother's house. I was never sure if it was a wild-flower or an garden flower.I suppose it depends where you find it :)
I have a lot of shade in my own garden, so it could be useful. Have you tried woodruff ? There's the blue American version Asperula orientalis and the white European version Asperula odoratum - both supposed to be shade tolerant and self seed too.
I've grown the blue one and its very pretty and natural looking.