British Columbia: Suggestions for fast growing plants from seeds, around cedar hedges?

Good morning! Hope you are all getting to enjoy some gardening. Looking for suggestions on companion plants around tall cedar hedges that's in part shade and well drained. Bonus if it starts from seeds and grows fast.

So far, oregano and curry plant worked out ok. Thanks!

 

Can you clarify ... are you wanting permanent plants or annuals.

Fast growing fr seed with satisfaction in a few weeks often means an annual (ie if not a fast growing tree or shrub)

Are you wanting permanent ?

And how tall and wide?

What sun exposure ? (South or north etc) what hours of day

Water restrictions ?

How large an area (length and width of bed)

Deer?

My thoughts are that planting next to cédât or any hedge can be challenge w roots and water

Plus you have to allow for hedge trim space for ladders and tools.

A few things come to mind —-

California poppy seed — if you can find some now

Fox gloves and columbines are easy and re-seed but i believe are biannual (sp?) but are an early bloom like June so then. Nothing for rest of season

Sword fern plants are forever

Hosta .... I bet neighbors have some to share (divide)

NO IVY and i hesitate at periwinkle (v inca

How about a few focal point pots that you ca switch up each phase / season by putting a practical nursery black pot inside a fancy decorative container

Post some pix and other details if you have them

 

Hi, thanks for all the questions and tips...it's giving me lots of ideas to think about and things to try.

Here's a picture, there's some bare spots on the left, right and far corner.

I want to have some permanent plants and fill in the empty areas with annuals.
And, I prefer taller plants if possible because I want to try and cover this little slope over time.

It's a tiny southeast garden with big trees that covers the yard, so I only have about 6 hours of sun a day.
There's no water restrictions. No deer, but lots of raccoons and cats zooming around.
And yes, the cedar roots are quite a challenge, and I should also think more about space for hedge trimming.

The bed area is about 3m by 1m, I tilled the area as much as I can and added mushroom compost and mulch.
I tossed some wildflower seeds last year, some cone flowers grew and Dianthus is coming back this year.

Luckily, my local nursery set up parking lot pick up and I can still get garden supplies fairly easily.
Hopefully, I can find some of the things you suggested here.
Keep safe and thanks again!

 

Evergreen ferns

 

Mulch and planting under cedar tree

Your side yard looks very nice and well kept

And I agree 100% with Ron B suggestion

LINK ABOVE - here are some photos I posted on a recent thread showing sword fern (a sturdy native fern)

Does your shaded small lawn do well?

You could look at some nice grit (crusher) or since that stuff tracks in to the house —- maybe a larger crush like “3/4 minus” which is easy to hose or blow off to clean it and also acts as security noise maker (hard to walk on it without making crunching noise.)

PS - edit to add that this fern has a spread of 2 feet and more so you will pretty much take up quite a bit of your side lawn there.

Explanations re photos are on the other thread linked above

 

While most everybody refers to these hedges as 'cedar', they are not. It's a different species: Thuja and they have different root systems than say a Western Red Cedar. I've been able to grow Hostas to considerable size under my Western Red Cedar in the front yard over the years, but there is so much root competition from Thuja/Arborvitae in the hedge in the backyard that Hostas get choked out, so I've had to resort to growing my Hostas in spin-out bags which keep the hedge's roots away from the Hostas. What does well under Arborvitae is our native Western Bleeding Heart....

Pieter