I'd do columbine for sure, and if you can get your hands on seed for woodland phlox, hellebores, celandine poppies, digitalis, and meadow rue; those should be fairly easy as they reseed around without help. Many of the ephemerals would be good candidates to get by joining NCNPS and going on a dig to rescue plants. I think many of them are not so easy by seed. Ephemerals are great if you only want a show in spring. If you want a bit more than that, plan to interplant with later emerging things like hostas that will hold up after the ephems have melted. Hosta ventricosa is easy from seed & i have some...

Members of the Friends of the N C Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill get free seeds of native plants once a year. As I recall, you get to choose 8 pks from a list of about 2 dozen, many of which are suitable for shade. This might be a good reason to consider joining. We try to visit the nature center in Chattanooga (Reflection Riding Arboretum & Botanical Garden) in late spring when they are having their Native Plant Sale. The woods there are usually alight with blue wood phlox and a non-native, Blue-Eyed Mary (Omphalodes verna) both of which I believe can be started from seed.

I think I will need to tell Santa that I need a membership to the NCNPS and the Friends of NCBG. I'll use that more than a vacuum cleaner and I'll be much happier :). I think I would love to go on a rescue, sounds like alot of fun.

I would love to put some hostas in this area but the deer demolitioned my others. I'll have to research some of the others. I have celandine poppies and a yellow columbine. I planted some other columbine but I forgot which colors. I think I'll look into phlox, meadow rue and the Blue Eyed Mary. It is a brand new area with good soil. I have a feeling it will be one of my favorite gardens in the yard. Dirtrx

Oh, ephemeral gardens are pure magic in the spring! You can almost see the fairies dance. Going on a dig is fun, but it's also a lot more work than you might think at first. Try to go on one where tom harville will be the firs time- he always wears yellow and is easy to spot. he's super knowledgeable and funny and will get ya going on the right foot. He lives in our area, and is the state prez at the moment, i think.

My gardens could use a little magic right now and in the spring. I'd happy be to provide a home for any fairies or elves that need a new place. As long as they don't come riding in on deer or bring pet voles we are good lol. Dirtrx