While I loved the color and fun of the urban gardens of Buffalo as part of Buffa10, the garden that moved me the most was out in the country, the garden of Hosta experts Mike and Kathy Shadrack. (My review of Mike's book, written with Diana Grenfeld, is here.) According to Mike, the property is nicknamed "Fallingwater East" because of the stream that flows under the house.
view of the stream from the Shadracks' deck
While the other bloggers indulged in tea and crumpets,
or toured Kathy's sunny garden
or Mike's Hosta dell, I found myself exploring the woods on my own. I started off in the area where Mike grows some of his larger Hostas interspersed with ferns and wildflowers.
a Maianthemum (Smilacina) of some sort (Kathy of Cold Climate Gardening has identified it as Maianthemum canadese)
the falls
When I asked what was off in the woods to the other side, Mike responded, "Just some ferns and logs." Hah! Hardly - more like a sea of ferns,
nestled among the roots of majestic beeches.
I had never been in beech woods; the woods of Northern Illinois are mostly oak and hickory savannas. It was awe inspiring to be surrounded by unsullied, smooth beech trunks as far as I could see, pristine, without buckthorn or garlic mustard.
I was transported to the timeless and eternal. In a transcendent moment, a shaft of sun highlighted the leaves.
My eyes welled up, and I was glad I was the only one who wandered in the woods.
But, I wasn't alone. I turned and saw someone coming down the path toward me: it was Christopher, from Outside Clyde, who clearly loves nature and wildflowers as much as I do. He wasn't moved to tears because he lives surrounded by this kind of beauty in the mountains of North Carolina and is used to it.
Before I embarrassed myself, I left the woods and rejoined the other bloggers in the shady Zen garden.
In addition to Hostas, there was the Jack-in-the pulpit relative Green Dragon,
Arisaema dracontium,
and mosses.
On the hillside was the now familiar combination of a large Hosta and large Alliums.
Even with the Alliums in seedhead, this still works. There were other beautiful plants in the sun,
but I was drawn back to the shade.
and to wild plants.
Spigelia marilandica (Indian pink)
an Asian Arisaema
Mike and Kathy were wonderful hosts, and Elizabeth and Jim outdid themselves in getting us this private tour for Buffa10. It's a special place I'll never forget.