Porch Pansy: Shaun’s Perennials

Shaun is a master floral designer and a great gardener. One of his favorite flowerbeds is his Perennial Shade Garden. In the garden are Solomon’s Seal, hosta, fern, astilbe, epimedium and Japanese anemone. Everything in the bed blooms with a white blossom, but the only two left to bloom this season are the hosta and anemone. He divides everything up every year to keep this bed full.

The garden runs the length of this walk as you enter the backyard. Across from it are the three containers we saw in Shaun’s Containers. The Solomon’s Seal really dominates here.

July 8

The stately astilbe

The quiet calm of epimedium

The cool hosta

Understated Japanese anemone

July 25

On this date I returned later in the day when the shade was fuller to see the deep greens of the shade garden.

August 19

The Japanese anemone finally blossomed…

… and so has the hosta. This particular hosta exudes the sweetest fragrance, like baked goods out of the oven.

In the springtime, Shaun's gardens bloom in cooler colors, like blues and lavenders, but in late summer oranges and reds compliment the hotter months. Some of the cooler colors can be seen in Shaun’s Containers post in the clematis and liatris.

Shaun also has a Hot Weather Perennial Garden that really came to life on my second visit July 25.

The bed lines the back porch and is full of dahlias, lilies and liatrus, just to name a few.