Finally

I got to do serious gardening today. I cleared about 5 wheelbarrows of old leaves, clumps of grass and weeds from the semi-shade garden beside the front porch. I usually leave a light layer of old leaves for mulch--but since the slugs have already been out and chewing up the spiderwort and hosta I just decided to go for it and clear it all.

I've made two nursery runs and just bought like crazy: two huge japanese painted ferns, two smaller cinnamon ferns, three columbines (burgundy and creme colored), two mourning widows cranesbill geraniums, four coral bells (silver scrolls and midnight rose), four alumroot (snow angel), two white bleeding hearts, and a rosey colored astilbe. I transplanted the chartreuse leaved lungwort from its original bed along with a giant bleeding heart (which divided nicely into four), a large creme astilbe, and a nice clump of hellebore. I still need to transplant some hosta sometime this week, but for now I'm happy.