planting in the rain!

Today this very welcomed wet stuff fell from the sky. I was outside all morning getting muddy and very happy about it. First planted out my two young rue scions- one on corner of the rear perennial bed, the other on edge of the front yard bed. Hoping to spread their apparent protection more around the yard.

Planted out all the ajuga (bugleweed)

most in a curve in front of one hydrangea,

a few between roots of the nearby maple.

Then I went to visit a fellow gardener and bought a few shade plants. This one is called pulmonaria, or lungwort. It has dark, speckled leaves kind of like the arum but narrower and it blooms in spring.

Mine are all small and two just babies:

They are barely noticeable planted out but I am sure will grow!

I am not sure of the best location for them in my yard, for now they are near the liriope and hellebores. I found more hellebore seedlings, btw. The ones I dug out and moved earlier in the year have disappeared- so these I will let grow quite a bit larger before I move them, then they won't get forgotten and neglected!

the parent hellebore:

But my real joy today was to buy a half dozen ostrich ferns. Two plants, three small plantlets, and a eight-inch piece of rhizome one of the babies broke off from.

Needless to say, I am thrilled. I really admired the ostrich ferns at someone else's house (who gave me the narrow-leaved hosta) and have wanted some ever since. Planted them behind the huge hostas in the shady sideyard:

Not much to see yet,

 but I'll look forward to spring even more now!