By Jim McCausland, Sunset senior garden writer

Jim and Paula Umbeck have such a lovely, mossy winter garden that we published it last January in a story called Let Your Yard Go Wild. But even then I regretted the decision: though this is one of the finest winter gardens I've seen, it's even better in late spring and early summer, when woodland plants run riot in western Washington.

Walking through this blissful, lakeside space yesterday afternoon, I saw several plants that deserve a place in more gardens.

Japanese Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema sikokianum), far left, earns its keep with striking leaves and flowers that look like porcelain art. Japanese tassel fern (Polystichum polyblepharum), paired at center with a blue hosta, has a kind of coarse perfection that's irresistable. If you like more delicacy, go with maidenhair ferns (Adiantum), shown at right with the ground covering Blechnum penna-marina and a red Japanese maple.

I'm also taken with the many colors of heucheras used in combination (left), and with Podophyllum 'Kaleidoscope', pictured here with maidenhair fern.

You have a chance to see this garden for yourself. It's on the Northwest Perennial Alliance Open Gardens list next month. Join and you can visit.