Part two. The photos of my first post are from around the house; these are from down in the woods below the shade garden, where I've been spending a good deal of time lately.

A glimpse of the stream at the bottom of the woods. This is important to me. We have lived through a few years of pretty steady drought, and, our area not being close to any major bodies of water, and I not having traveled much for several years, the experience of running water is precious. Many drainages in the Italian hills go dry or are greatly reduced in the summer, but I don't remember seeing this one dry when I was working in the area in the summer. The recent rains scoured out the narrow channel a bit more.

Another picture of the stream, same area. The little fall there makes a bathtub-sized pool. The water is freezing, though.

Ficaria verna, lesser celandine. This makes carpets in the woods. If it were hard to grow gardeners would stand on their heads to succeed with it, but it's a total weed so I get to enjoy it for free. It's invasive in the U.S., though, overrunning native early spring woodland plants.

Helleborus foetidus, one of our two native hellebores, an early bloomer now setting seed.

Submitting this now.

Third tranche.

The second of our native hellebores, H. viridis, also now setting seed. I couldn't get a photo that conveys the luxuriant growth of a good specimen of this plant: a near-tropical quality in woods not much given to such effects. H. foetidus is the more common native species at our elevation, while H. viridis appears more frequently higher up, but they grow together everywhere. After several years in our woods H. viridis appears solidly established and has begun to spread; I hope it will seed in the spots that suit it and grow to its handsome best.

Snowflake 'Gravetye Giant' in bloom along the drainage at the start of the woods. Snowflakes are locally native, though we had none on our lands. This selected variety couldn't be more vigorous--each of those clumps started from a single bulb years ago--but it has never seeded. A couple of years ago I planted the plain species, hoping that that would help fertility, but, so far, no signs of offspring, though I stay on the lookout.

And back to the house again for one last photo. This is the escarpment, and, though the photo is overexposed and unclear, it gives an idea of what it looks like now. That's 'Sanguinea' in the background, ceanothus in the foreground, pittosporum in the upper right hand corner with perhaps some 'Clementina Carbonieri' (of commerce) on top, and a glimpse of the persimmon and 'Archduke Joseph' to the top left. A mad confusion of bliss, if you like, and I wish there were others here to see it. Anyway, you folks have the pictures.

I'm wondering, Melissa, if you have this little iris-like species in your woods or nearby? When I first grew it from seed more than twenty years ago, it was sold to me as Iris sisyrinchium. Since then it has been shifted to genus Moraea and then, more recently, to yet another genus, where it is now called Gynandiris sisyrinchium. For the moment, at least ;-). Until recently I just grew it in pots, but a few years ago I decided to "turn it loose" and let it grow in the ground, where it does much better and is more enjoyable. Only about 6" to 8" tall. One common name is "Barbary nut" and it is said to grow in Italy "along the coast", but also up to 2000 m -- but I haven't been able to find a whole lot of info about its range/distribution.

Have to add that your 'Sanguinea' is just spectacular and it looks perfect in your "confusion of bliss" -- it's a rose that really looks at home in natural gardens. I had it here in the transition to the wilder parts of my yard and loved it, but when it hit more than 12' across, that was more space than I could give it!

Catspa, I love your comments, and am glad you like my garden! Of course I love it myself, but it certainly is wild, and incomplete, and imperfect, and perhaps takes a certain kind of gardener to appreciate it. I'm looking forward to my sisters' visit in May, as both are ecologically oriented gardeners, and the elder is a professional horticulturalist and great plant person.

I spent some time recently reading up on hellebores, and felt a small warm glow of collector's interest. The H. argutifolia is on my list, now that H. viridis seems finally to have gotten established. I got H. niger last winter: it looks healthy, and is maturing seed pods. I was told by the nurserywoman I got it from that it seeds around, so am watching with interest.

The Moraea is new to me, though I've heard the name. I could give it a try, though a bit pessimistically, as we have numerous bulb-eating varmints around here. Thanks for the notice.

There's an Internet site, Acta Plantarum, that might interest you. It's a collection of information about all plants that grow wild in Italy, with index and illustrations. It's in Italian, and I don't know how much that would slow you down; much of the site I think would be fairly self-explanatory. I consult it, as just now for the Moraea; and then it's simply heartening that a bunch of volunteers get together to document and share information about wild plants.

Totally agree with you about 'Sanguinea', such a tough, beautiful rose. That's the advantage of all this land: I may never be able adequately to fill it, but I can afford the space for monster roses, and thank goodness for that. We need some places where plants can express their full potential.

Catspa, I forgot to add, thanks for sharing your experiences with summer snowflake. Other gardeners' reports on plants are an important part of why I value sites like this one.

Thank you for sharing, Melissa. So fun to see your gardens!

Thanks for the photos, Melissa! There is always something wonderful going on in your garden - when you first moved there, and started your immense efforts to create it, from scratch, did you take any "before" photos? Those would be amazing to see.

Re the acanthus - I have a near neighbor who has a hedge of what she calls "bears britches" along the side of her house. They look exactly like the photo you posted above.

Jackie

Thanks, oursteelers! Jackie, I had forgotten it, but "bears britches" is a common name for acanthus.

More glorious photos, Melissa! Thank you.

Thanks from me, too, Melissa. The pictures of the stream are, of course, particularly heart-warming to me.

Bart, perhaps you have to live and garden in Italy to appreciate a little stream like that. You're the only one who has commented on it. I feel highly privileged to have it on our property.

I went out this morning and got a couple more pictures of spring flowers (roses are over on the rose pictures thread).

I get utterly obsessed by daffodils in their season. This remnant of a planting years ago, which has clumped up and is looking good to continue, is likely to be either 'Falconet' or 'Martinette', but I'm blessed if I know which. I'm doing a good deal of online shopping/dreaming (actual ordering will be in fall, likely), while strolling around enjoying my flowers, puny though their numbers seem in comparison with the amount of land where I'd like to see them growing.

Our colony of a violet I got from a gardening friend, in whose driveway it persisted in growing. She had forgotten its name. This is growing in the alley, in hardpacked, shady ground: enough to keep it in necessary check, as it's tough as nails. I don't let it out anywhere else, for fear it would overrun my sweet violets (this one is scentless). My current guess is that this is Viola sororia 'Priceana'.

And a closeup. It is a pretty thing. I understand there's a white form, which I would love to get some time, and which is available.

I loved your stream too, Melissa. It gets so dry here, I thought your stream was marvelous.

Mille grazie, Sheila. I guess you can relate to the joy of water in a dry, dry landscape.