Jangchub said:

snip

thank you pat, I will report this to Venerable Kim for her
consideration. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of our
lineage at FPMT aka Foundation of the Preservation of the Mahayana
Tradition. When he goes to his house in Washington in the spring he
loves tons and tons of flowers with many different colors. So, all
of this effort is done for him.

Do you have or know if Cimicifuga racemosa and Tiarella thrive in
those parts?

Tiarella should go to zone 3, but my experience is it struggles when
the shade is dry and (though I haven't grown it myself) Cimicifuga
also likes moister conditions.

I've been thinking, though, and recalled that my sister-in-law in Nebraska
(two zones colder and much drier than my lgarden) has Campanula
glomerata blooming in a part-shade spot. (And I grow several different
species/varieties of Campanula in partly shaded spots.)

She also grows Callirhoe involucrata (Wine Cups aka Purple Poppy Mallow)
in sun to part shade areas. They are late spring/summer bloomers.
Very attractive low, creeping plants. (I ought to ask her for some seeds.)

I wish I cold grow these down here. No such chance. I
also recommended Columbines, among many others. The plants need to
be
not much taller than about 20" because this bed is under a window. C.
racemosa is taller, but I don't know how it behaves there. Either
way, Venerable's questions have given me a new found desire to garden
again. It will be 77 most of the week so maybe I will be out there
weeding and removing spent items.

Heh. It may stay (barely) above freezing for 24 hours on Saturday.
I think we've been above freezing at all maybe three or four times since
Christmas. (It's been colder than usual this winter.) On the other hand,
I rather like having the winter 'down time.' Just don't appreciate the
way the wind can cut right through you sometimes. (Like last night,
walking to and from the car when my daughter and I went to our
Japanese culture class.)

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

After enlightenment, the laundry.

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