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#1
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shade garden foundation plants
hi all,
I have been lurking around here for a while and am hoping that someone may be able to make some suggestions. We have an area at the back of our yard which is quite heavily shaded by three chinese elm trees and a privacy fence and is currently barren of all plant forms. I am wanting to create a shade garden in this area and already 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?( I would like to use some of the juniper shrubs but am doubtful that they would do well) We are in the texas panhandle (zone 6B)and have alkaline clay soil though I have added a considerable amount of compost and well rotted manure in preparation for planting. Any sugestions would be greatly welcomed Sarah |
#2
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shade garden foundation plants
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'. 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 |
#3
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shade garden foundation plants
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/ |
#5
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shade garden foundation plants
Up against the fence or as a backdrop, you could use rhododendrons or
azaleas, camellias and gardenias. You could also use hydrangeas, cleyera, or mahonia. These are all shrubs or bushes that do well in shady spots. In front of those you could use holly ferns, soft shield ferns, autumn ferns, japanese painted ferns, shaggy shield ferns, cinnamon ferns, or tassel ferns. You can also mix in some different hosta. There are a ton of different varieties in all sizes and colors. Smaller groundcover plants include lamium, vinca, pachysandra, ivy, ajuga, liriope, and mondo grass. I also like bergenia for it's winter bronze color on the leaves. It also gets bright green in summer and shoots up flowers and new babies that can be divided into new plants. You can also use purple or green oxalis (shamrocks), lily of the valley, carex grass, helleborus, heuchera, or astilbe. I don't know if Juniper would do well in that area. I looked in one of my local nursery catalogs and it shows all juniperus as being in full to part sun to do well. If you would do a search on google or yahoo and look up the names of the plants/shrubs I've listed, you can probably get some pictures and descriptions of them. Planting ferns in groups of three or five and then doing a group of hosta looks absolutely gorgeous. I'm currently planting japanese painted ferns, holly ferns, and soft shield ferns around some hosta that were already in place on the north side of my house and it already looks beautiful. Once they fill in, it will look like a tropical garden. I'm also planting some ajuga on the edges. One favorite in shade is the Lamium with it's frosty leaves and puffy little flowers. I use Beacon Silver and it spreads very quickly and hugs the ground. I hope I've helped you in some selections. Good luck. Penny Zone 7b- North Carolina "Shawn and Sarah" wrote in message ... hi all, I have been lurking around here for a while and am hoping that someone may be able to make some suggestions. We have an area at the back of our yard which is quite heavily shaded by three chinese elm trees and a privacy fence and is currently barren of all plant forms. I am wanting to create a shade garden in this area and already 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?( I would like to use some of the juniper shrubs but am doubtful that they would do well) We are in the texas panhandle (zone 6B)and have alkaline clay soil though I have added a considerable amount of compost and well rotted manure in preparation for planting. Any sugestions would be greatly welcomed Sarah |
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