I have a south-facing front yard with a border on the western side that is partially in the shade of a fence. In addition there are several rhodos (maybe 5' tall) at the south end that also shade the border in the afternoon. I need to plant something (perennials, preferably slow growing) that will grow in the same conditions as the rhodos. Since I am such a garden klutz, it needs to be easy to care for, not too hard to find, and I'd prefer something that at least looks like it might be native to this area. The border is about 4 feet wide and the lower part gets morning to midafternoon sun. The upper part gets some sun in the morning but is mostly shady. There is a large cedar tree about halfway up the border, on the fence line. I have a weird mishmash of plants in there now (probably should move some of them out). In the sunnier bit I have lavender, a Rose of Sharon that isn't doing very well, some daylilies & a small hydrangea. There are hostas and ferns in the shady areas (this is the only part of the border I like) along with a couple of shrubs I don't know the names of and a Heavenly Bamboo. There is an old stump in the middle which is covered with ivy. Now, I know I should get rid of the ivy, but I'll have to replace it with something, since the stump is pretty ugly but too big to remove. And the lavender, the Rose of Sharon and even the hydrangea look a bit out of place and I figure they should be relocated; therefore I need replacement plants for them too.The area they're in gets too much sun for hostas and ferns, but I'd like something that would blend well with them, since that's what I have in the upper part of the border. So, any ideas about any of this, anyone?
I don't live in B.C. (wish I did), but here's a site for sourcing of native plants in Vancouver: http://www.npsbc.org/Use/Nurseries.htm Others who live near you might have some more specific suggestions.
Hi AllThumbs, For your shady area: Heuchera - coral bells, a clump forming native, comes in an array of colorful leaves for color all season long. One of my favorite combos of these would be a group of Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' with Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' in front of them. Click here on Heuchera for pages of them. http://www.terranovanurseries.com/ Tiarella - foam flower, another clump forming native, comes with pretty colored leaves. This first one is called Tiarella 'Neon Lights'. The third pic is a grouping of the plain green leaves, but would look lovely with something in front or behind with colored leaves. http://www.theprimrosepath.com/Featured_Plants/Tiarella/tiarella.htm http://www.terranovanurseries.com/aaa_plant_images/tianl.jpg http://www.apple-valley.com/Tiarella Iron Butterfly.jpg http://www.nargs.org/gardening/images/Tiarella.cordifolia.jpg Corydalis - comes in different colored flowers, seeds around the garden, is easy to pull out and will appear in wonderful spots all by itself. http://www.paghat.com/corydalis.html http://www.robsplants.com/plants/CorydLutea.php http://www.hillkeep.ca/images/corydalis_scouleri_group_copyright.jpg Tricyrtis - toad lily has dainty flowers and blooms in fall. Place near the front of a border or the edge of a path so they can be seen. Best to plant at least 5 together for better impact. http://www.variegatedfoliage.com/tricyr-lasioinset.jpg http://www.gardenweb.com/cyberplt/plants/toadlily.html Asarum - woodland ginger has lovely heart shaped leaves either green or variegated. Makes a good groundcover in shady places. Native and non-natives. http://www.variegatedfoliage.com/pg07v_asarum_shuttleworthii__callaway.JPG http://www.botany.wisc.edu/garden/db/speciesdetail.asp?...um&species=europaeum http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/...sarum_canadense.html http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/asa.can.htm A mix of Japanese painted ferns, sedge (the grassy looking stuff), maidenhair fern in the back and a Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' on the right. http://edonart.jrmhost.com/images/fern_garden_2.jpg More mix with a Heuchera in bloom, a green hosta and astilbe on the extreme left with the small leaves and a plume from an astilbe on the extreme right. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-79.html My astilbe wants more sun and blooms better with at least 4 hours of sun. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-15.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-16.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-17.html Bergenia is evergreen for me but don't like the soil too rich. I love the glossy large leaves. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-19.html Ligularia - many different varieties and different cultivars. They wilt midday but perk back up in the evening. They like it shady and a bit moist. Ligularia 'the rocket' is quite a statement when it blooms and they get large. Ligularia dentata has flowers that look like black eyed susans. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-33.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-34.html Bleeding heart in pink or white. My old fashioned ones bloom for a long time in a moist spot and form a lovely clump. In a dry spot they go dormant mid summer. They look nice with larger leaved hostas. There is a new smaller one called fern-leaf bleeding heart. The entire plant is smaller and blooms on and off all summer. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-21.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-22.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-23.html Helleborus - Lenten rose in many colors and should be evergreen for you. http://www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/shadegt63.htm http://www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/shadegt64.htm http://www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/shadegt65.htm http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/HORT300/plantlist2/sld052.htm http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/HORT300/plantlist2/sld054.htm http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/HORT300/plantlist2/sld055.htm http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=hellebore&btnG=...e+Search&sa=N&tab=wi Pulmonaria - Lungwort is another shade lover with incredible variegation. Many cultivars, some better at resisting powdery mildew then others. The flowers change from pink to blue as they age in the spring. I have 'Mrs Moon' and it's more mildew resistant and an old cultivar. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/7566-44.html http://www.terranovanurseries.com/ http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=Lungwort&btnG=Search Solomon's seal will form a lovely clump. There's an all green native - False Solomon's seal and a Japanese variegated one that's a true Solomon's seal. Mine are mixed with hostas and ferns. Watch the berries on these if you have small kids. http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=solomons+seal&btnG=Search Phlox divaricata - Woodland phlox is a native groundcover with different colored flowers. The most common is blue. Spreads without being invasive and likes rich soil. Nice with ferns growing through it. This is not the tall fragrant phlox. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Phlox divaric...e+Search&sa=N&tab=wi http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/phl.div.htm http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/phloxdiva.html http://www.npr.org/programs/talkingplants/profiles/phlox.html Mitchella repens - Partridgeberry A slow grower that forms a small mat of evergreen foliage. Height 2-4 in. Pink-white flowers in June with red berries that last into winter. Prefers moist soil. http://www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/shadegt72.htm http://www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/shadegt73.htm Iris cristata - Dwarf Crested Iris creates a nice ground cover when grown in a mass. Easy to grow. Height: 6-8 in. Blue-violet flowers in May. A nice contrast to broad leaved plants. Grows best in fertile, well-drained soil with a few hours of sun. http://www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/shadegt69.htm Epimediums aren't evergreen in your zone. Several colors and leaf shapes. Just in case you can't pick just one... http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/page36.html or you could look at these 5 pages! http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=+site:www.plantdelights.com+epimedium Mostly hostas with epimedium in the front. http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/gardens/olb12.jpg Hakonechloa looks great at the front of a bed. Comes in different shades of variegation. Looks great with solid green hostas, purple leaved plants (Ligularia) or large ferns behind it. http://images.google.com/images?svn...resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Hakonechloa&spell=1 http://www.chrisghyselen.be/pictures/arch004.jpg Some nice combos. http://www.gardenlady.com/favorites_2004.html Fothergilla gardenii - native fragrant small shrub http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=A430 http://www.millernursery.com/shrub/fothergillaGardenii.htm This post is too long so I'm going to split it. Newt
Part 2 for the sunnier area. Geranium 'Rozanne' - hardy geranium that starts blooming in May in my daughter's zone 6 garden and blooms until hard frost. Spreads into a lovely clump. http://www.perennials.com/seeplant.html?item=1.230.520 Everblooming daylilies are carefree and will bloom all spring, summer and most of early fall once mature. We planted these lovelies in my daughter's garden to go with 'Rozanne. http://www.perennials.com/seeplant.html?item=1.800.170 These Appster everblooming daylilies come in a range of yellows, orange and red. There's even a plum. There are other everblooming daylilies and a google for 'everblooming daylilly' will get you lots. There are reblooming ones too. http://www.perennials.com/hea.html Some small shrubs for the sunnier area: Itea virginica - Virginia sweetspire an other small native shrub. This first one is the smallest one. http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=X340 http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=K720 http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=D590 http://www.tva.gov/river/landandshore/stabilization/plants/virginia_sweetspire.htm http://www.waynesboronurseries.com/prodimag/itevrhgfall.jpg http://www.floridata.com/ref/I/itea_vir.cfm Dwarf nandina. Here are 6 different dwarf nandinas. I have the 'Woods Dwarf' and love them. They stay small and rounded and the change in color adds interest to the garden. The more sun they get the more color they show. http://www.hort.net/gallery/view/ber/nandowd00 http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/nandina_domes-firepower.html http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/nandina_domes-gulfstream.html http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/nandina_domes-harbourdwarf.html http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/nandina_domes-sangabriel.html http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/nandina_domes-woodsdwarf.html Inkberry: http://www.floridata.com/ref/I/ilex_gla.cfm Dwarf hollies: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ILEVOMB.PDF http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ILEVOMD.PDF http://www.floridata.com/ref/I/ilx_vom.cfm http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ILECREB.PDF http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ILECREC.PDF http://www.floridata.com/ref/I/ilx_bur.cfm http://www.floridata.com/ref/I/ilex_xne.cfm You can also look at hollies here under Ilex. http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Alpha.asp?start=I&end=I Pieris japonica is evergreen and comes in some wonderful selections and several sizes. Lovely in bloom and four season interest as the leaves change color in winter and spring. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=Pieris&btnG=Search&sa=N&tab=wi Abelia comes in some dwarf varieties. Abelia grandiflora can get quite large. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=abelia&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi You don't say what the sun conditions are where the tree stump is, but I suspect it's shade. Consider removing the ivy and putting a large plastic flowerpot saucer with a rock in it as a birdbath. That's what I did with mine. Since it's a plastic one and looks like clay, I can keep it out all winter. I put a birdbath heater in it. Native plants for south coastal British Columbia. http://www.hctf.ca/naturescape/NativePlants.pdf Plants to attract wildlife in British Columbia. http://www.hctf.ca/naturescape/Provincal_Guide_2003.pdf If you decide to mailorder hold on to this site to check references and search for highly rated nurseries near you. You can search by country and then by plant material. http://davesgarden.com/gwd/ Newt
Thanks for all your suggestions, L.Plant & especially Newt! I can't get over how helpful everyone is. I will save everything you have posted on my computer and take my time to go over it before I head out to buy plants. Your help is MUCH appreciated!
AllThumbs, you are so very welcome!! Now don't spend all your grocery money on plants!! ;) Have fun! Newt
