In article ,
ospam (Susan Fein) wrote:

x-no-archive: yes

have an idea of shade loving perenials that
i can use. I would like to plant some shrubs/evergreens? as a backdrop. What
shrubs would thrive in these conditions?

Aucuba japonica, Mr. Goldstrike loves shade and will brighten it with the
bright yellow and green mottled leaves it has. I use this as a shady area
hedge; it should grow to 6'.

Goldstrike is a male plant. There are many cultivars, & those which are
female produce large bright-bright red berries, if a male is present. So
to get the most out of this evergreen requires at least two. The negatives
for this shrub are it's a bit "much" at times -- big & overt with its
pokadot leaves -- & it's rather overly common. The plusses are the big
berries, something evergreen that LIKES the shade, & the spottiness puts a
bit of color in a dark corner.
http://www.paghat.com/aucuba.html

Another good choice would be evergreen huckleberry, Vaccinium ovatum:
http://www.paghat.com/huckleberry.html

For really tough areas of the garden that are perhaps outside easy
watering range, the best evergreen for drier shade is Oregon Grape
(Mahonia species). Four species are very commonly offered, plus a few
others occasionally, & several cultivars. Some are short, some are quite
large, so a broad range of choices. Bright yellow flowers, edible blue
berries. Here are M. aquifolium & M. repens:
http://www.paghat.com/oregongrape.html
http://www.paghat.com/oregongrape2.html

For TINY evergreens, wintergreen & lingonberries are ideal. Wintergreen
does well in deep shade, survives bright shade. Lingonberry prefers bright
shade to berry well (edible!) but will also do well in deep shade though
berrying less well.
http://www.paghat.com/wintergreen.html
http://www.paghat.com/lingonberry.html

But there's more "seasonal" interest in deciduous shrubs & should really
select a few things for the beauty of their winter form. Evergreens can
sometmies seem just a little passive after a while. A great deciduous
choice would be Snowberry, which keeps its fat white berries into winter
dangling along twiggy leafless branches; it releafs with two distinct
leaves (loabed & unloabed) on the same bush; & it has lovely bell-flowers:
http://www.paghat.com/snowberry.html
Similarly some of the deciduous huckleberries if selected for the form of
their branches are going to be SO interesting as they go through seasonal
changes & they're no less beautiful in winter. It's perhaps greatest to
look into what one's local native garden-worthy wild shrubs are, & who
find who specializes in native plants. There are vacciniums local to just
about every region in the USA, some for bright sun, but many for bright to
deep shade. Many of them are not in wide distribution to the nursery
trade, so are rare plants outside their zones, meaning they can be
something unique for the garden that is locally personal. Choice plants
can be had by becoming involved in local Native Plant Societies which have
annual sales & loads of advice, & as a generality are very aware of
ecological safeguards so that not many of 'em are crooks sneaking into
national parks for their stock.

-paghat the ratgirl

I also use skimmia japonica in a shady foundation bed. The bright red
berries
most of the year against dark evergeen leaves are very pretty.

Susan

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/