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Originally Posted by Christine O'Meally
I have a window box that's in virtual darkness that I have not been very
successful with.... I hate planting that many annuals every year, it
seems like a waste. And then in the winter, it just looks awful to have
nothing in it, but to tell you the truth, I do nothing outside after the
temperature drops below 40 degrees (and I'm in zone 5, so that means
pretty much from late October on). So I thought it might be nice to put
in some dwarf or midget conifers as the primary plant and then fill in
with annuals or something else. BUT the garden center had some lovely
midget mugho pines, Alberta spruce and arborvitae, but they all said
"full sun." I've had some other "full sun" plants that have done well
in other parts of my property that are part-shade (sedum, for one) and
was wondering if these would die if I put them in there....
If this is a really bad idea, does anyone have any ideas (pictures would
be nice) for creating a shady window box? The space is huge - about 7'
long.
Chris O'Meally
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Variegated euonymus fortunei are attractive small evergreens (allegedly hardy to zone 5) that can work as ground cover, low mounding shrubs or trailers (they will climb a wall if positioned against one. Euonymus 'Harlequin' is particularly pretty, with small green leavest that are heavily mottled with cream, and I have one growing in dense shade by a north-facing wall under a tree. Variegated ivies are also attractive - I think it's only the yellow variegated ones that need sun for good colour - the green and white/cream ones are okay in dense shade. I can't think of any conifers that would be happy in that much shade.
For summer colour, there are the old tried-and-tested annuals for shade such as impatiens and mimululs (I'm trying Impatiens 'Jungle Gold' this year, which apparently needs shade to flower well). Nemophila will also flower in shade.