Hi!
I'm transplanted Zone 5 master gardener who is trying to be something other than a master dummy down here in Zone 7/8.
I have just purchased an acre of lovely--if slightly overrun--shade garden, and am happily going through my first year of watch and wait...learning what I have and what to do with it. Any hints on Triangle gardening in general, and hydrangeas iin particular? When do I trim back, and how much. Also, am I the only gardener down here who doesn't have the patience for the much-vaunted rose...? Will I be accepted in the community if my yard bears not a single rose bush...???...and does anybody want the ones I have...?

Welcome to the Triangle! Best advice I can give is that you make trips to the
Arboretum (near NCSU), the UNC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, etc. to see
just some shade gardening for this area. You might also want to check out Plant
Delights Open House this weekend or next (www.plantdelighs.com) as well.
Another piece of advice would be that several things rated as "full sun" for
cooler zones would toast here and should only get morning sun and afternoon
shade.

As for the roses, I only have one type of shrub rose in my yard. It serves as a
feeding stop for Japanese beetles but is strongly enough to survive. I think
there are probably a lot of other folks out there who don't have roses so
you'll have company with your no-rose zone.

Again, welcome!

Marcy Hege wrote:

... You might also want to
check out Plant Delights Open House this weekend or next
(www.plantdelighs.com) as well.

Actually that's http://www.plantdelights.com/

--
Susan Hogarth ***
"If we cannot adjust our differences peacefully we are less than human."
- F. Herbert

oops...not enough coffee this morning.

Marcy Hege wrote:

oops...not enough coffee this morning.

I hear that! :-)

--
Susan Hogarth ***
"If we cannot adjust our differences peacefully we are less than human."
- F. Herbert

Welcome to the Triangle and tri.gardens, Kathie!

I heartily second Marcy's comments about visiting Raulston Arboretum
http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/, etc. and the warning about plants
that we knew as "sun-loving" in the North.

I think you are definitely on the right track in a year of "watch and
ait" -- it's important to get an idea of the sun patterns in your yard,
say in the winter when the shade trees have no leaves, etc.

As for the roses, I hear you! I had never grown roses until I moved here,
and I was entranced by the fact that one was still blooming when we moved in
in December! (We moved here from northern Vermont.) However, there are
days when I really wonder if I was out of my mind to plant more roses,
though! I often think I should have stuck with azaleas, a
newly-rediscovered delight that I missed in northern New England.

Speaking of azaleas, depending on the type of shade you have, azaleas,
rhododendrons, and dogwood might do well for you. I suggest you visit
various neighborhoods next May(?) to see the dogwood & azaleas in full
bloom. (If you really want to see dogwoods that are glorious, check out
some of the older neighborhoods -- that's where you'll usually find the
mature plantings.)

As for the "extraneous roses," I know of a couple local gardeners on
rec.gardens.roses, and I'll forward your post to them by email (*not*
posting to another newsgroup).

Good luck,

Anne Lurie
NE Raleigh


"Kathie" wrote in message
...

Hi!
I'm transplanted Zone 5 master gardener who is trying to be something
other than a master dummy down here in Zone 7/8.
I have just purchased an acre of lovely--if slightly overrun--shade
garden, and am happily going through my first year of watch and
wait...learning what I have and what to do with it. Any hints on
Triangle gardening in general, and hydrangeas iin particular? When do
I trim back, and how much. Also, am I the only gardener down here who
doesn't have the patience for the much-vaunted rose...? Will I be
accepted in the community if my yard bears not a single rose
bush...???...and does anybody want the ones I have...?


--
Kathie

Kat ~=^..^=~
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welcome to the south!!

Ok first thing is this (from a zone 6 person)

The summers here are (usually) very hot and dry - sporadic thunderstorms
cant be counted on for real rain. While the winters are warmer but still
not as cold as they need to be.

This area is really on the border of zone 7, not really close to zone 8 , so
REAL zone 7 plants need protection from northern winter winds and winter
morning sun.

GIVE up on amending the soil and go straight to raised beds, you will spend
ALOT less time and hassle than trying to convert native clay soil to anytype
of real soil.

Raleigh landfill of of buffaloe road has leaf mulch cheap, make use of it!!

The local places I like other than plants delights of course

Logans trading company - raleigh
lassiter mills - raleigh
Niche Gardens (chapel hill/carrboro)
Camellia Forest (chapel hill/carrboro)
farmers market - raleigh

good luck

Tomato lord
Obtw we have lots of deer that would LOVE your roses


"Kathie" wrote in message
...

Hi!
I'm transplanted Zone 5 master gardener who is trying to be something
other than a master dummy down here in Zone 7/8.
I have just purchased an acre of lovely--if slightly overrun--shade
garden, and am happily going through my first year of watch and
wait...learning what I have and what to do with it. Any hints on
Triangle gardening in general, and hydrangeas iin particular? When do
I trim back, and how much. Also, am I the only gardener down here who
doesn't have the patience for the much-vaunted rose...? Will I be
accepted in the community if my yard bears not a single rose
bush...???...and does anybody want the ones I have...?


--
Kathie

Kat ~=^..^=~
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk



----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000
Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption
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Tomatolord wrote:

This area is really on the border of zone 7, not really close to zone 8 , so
REAL zone 7 plants need protection from northern winter winds and winter
morning sun.

What do you mean? I am in Zone 7B where i live in Durham County and,
according to the new upcoming zone map, will be moving to 8 when it is
officially adopted. To be honest, I haven't had any problems with my
plants even after this past winter except for one gradenia that got
snapped by the December ice storm.

GIVE up on amending the soil and go straight to raised beds, you will spend
ALOT less time and hassle than trying to convert native clay soil to anytype
of real soil.

Totally agree with that. This has been a subject of past debate on
rec.gardens.roses but I just don't see the poitn of amending. Sooner or
later you're going to hit that clay barrier.

Welcome to the triangle! Mind sharing the UK connection? *smile* I
noticed you're posting with a UK address.

Susan
shsimko at duke dot edu

Tomatolord wrote:

This area is really on the border of zone 7, not really close to zone 8 , so
REAL zone 7 plants need protection from northern winter winds and winter
morning sun.

What do you mean? I am in Zone 7B where i live in Durham County and,
according to the new upcoming zone map, will be moving to 8 when it is
officially adopted. To be honest, I haven't had any problems with my
plants even after this past winter except for one gradenia that got
snapped by the December ice storm.

GIVE up on amending the soil and go straight to raised beds, you will spend
ALOT less time and hassle than trying to convert native clay soil to anytype
of real soil.

Totally agree with that. This has been a subject of past debate on
rec.gardens.roses but I just don't see the poitn of amending. Sooner or
later you're going to hit that clay barrier.

Welcome to the triangle! Mind sharing the UK connection? *smile* I
noticed you're posting with a UK address.

Susan
shsimko at duke dot edu