For many of us, flowers are a mere afterthought, allbeit a pleasant enough bonus for all our hard work. When the weather turns hot, the pleasantest place in this garden is the woodland. Its very greenness creates an atmosphere of coolness and shelter from the sun, while sacrificing nothing in the way of variety and pattern.

Case in point: the spike moss surrounded by the chevron-decorated leaves of persicaria and filigreed ferns.

This is one of my favorite ferns, but so sorry, it must remain unidentified. Promise to self: keep better track of plant names in future.

This Hypericum ‘Brigadoon’ showed up yesterday for its blossom, but is prized more for the way it covers ground with acid green-to-golden foliage.

I rarely come across a new sedum without adopting it. This pale one is stuggling, because it has been moved several times seeking just the right spot, and now Sammy the cat has taken to napping right on top of it. Sedums are tough customers, so I am betting on its survival against all odds.

Same bed, different sedum…so why does Sammy leave this one alone? She won’t tell.

Back to the woodland with a cool drink and a good book. Isn’t summer grand?