July and August are typically the driest and hottest months of the year. This is also the time when most of us have a little more leisure time to relax and spend time outdoors.

In order to truly enjoy this time, key hard scape elements are essential to making this all possible. Adding some "sparkle", in the form of water whether it be something simple like a small fountain or bubbling rock, or something more complex such as a formal pond and meandering stream will all provide a more serene visual and audio effect, while cooling the surrounding air temperature.

Shade is also essential and can be created in a variety of ways, whether it be a wooden structure such as pergola, ornate screening, or gazebos, as well as attractive awnings, and umbrellas. Proper placement of shade trees are also imperative.

Some of my favorite trees:

Golden Rain Tree

Linden

Trident Maple

Hedge Maple

 Other cool Shade Ideas:

"A Canvas Canopy"

"Portable Pavilion"

HELLEBORUS ORIENTALIS

LENTON ROSE

Zones 3-10

Lenton Rose is a modest shade loving perennial that can be found carpeting the shady woodland floors in late winter, early spring when the choices of blooming plants are minimal. Only growing 12-18 inches tall and spreading 15-18 inches in width, this plant creates the biggest impact in the early spring when planted in larger groupings and allowed to reseed.

The clusters of 1-4 nodding blooms range in color from pink, purple, white, and near white with some variation with speckled coloring. In colder climates the fan shaped, or palmatum leaf tends to be deciduous to semi-evergreen through the winter months, however in slightly warmer climates this herbaceous perennial, becomes more woody as it matures and will keep its foliage through the winter. 

Those plant lovers who are looking for a durable, easy to care for naturalizing plant, Lenton Rose is for you. Lenton Rose is  not a food favorite of deer, so it is also a great plant for deer prone areas. A couple things to keep in mind before deciding if this is a plant for you:

This plant is poisonous if ingested, therefore this plant is best used in areas where small children who tend to grab things or dogs who like to chew can not get too.

This plant will also do best in organic, well drained soil in a slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil. You may experience winter damage if planted in cold windy areas as well.

Helleborus orientalis wide foliage looks great with other low maintenance woodland perennials such as ferns, hostas, sarcocca, bleeding heart, lungwort, bergenia etc.