While there are a number of evergreens for shade, most were eliminated as serious contenders because of the degree of shade and the fact that I need something that grows fairly rapidly to at least 20 ' tall while remaining fairly narrow in diameter.
The first serious contender was Magnolia grandiflora, the Southern or Bull Bay Magnolia, one of the few evergreen Magnolias. Of the many cultivars, I settled on 'Edith Bogue', a pyramidal selection with narrow leaves and exceptional cold hardiness. She was knocked out of first place when I found that the sizes available at local nurseries were, a bit too much for my pocketbook. It's a lovely plant and I think I'll order a smaller size through the mail and grow it on for a year or so until there is a place for it in the 'Wilderness'. (Photo courtesy of the Gardening.Com Plant Encyclopedia.)
The winner of the prime spot is Ilex x 'Nellie R. Stevens'. These are readily available in various sizes. I selected three 4' to 5' specimens at a local nursery and brought them home in triumph. While I was at the nursery, I also got Nandina 'Firepower', a dwarf variety with a lovely rusty-rose coloration to the new growth, which fades to a deep straw in the center of some leaves. The red tones to the leaves pick up the deep maroon of a large Bloodgood Maple (Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood') nearby. (Photos courtesy of the Gardening.Com Plant Encyclopedia.)
A strenuous weekend of lifting blooming groundcover in sods, removing a stump, amending the soil, removing roots and planting has resulted in completion of this phase. And it doesn't look bad, if I do say so myself.
The 'Nellie Stevens' Hollies were put at the rear of the border in a triangle on approximately 5' centers. I found I had 5 Aucuba 'Gold Dust', about 18" tall, grown from cuttings. They were put in the same formation to the sides of the front Holly; 3 to the left and 2 to the right. They don't make much of an impact right now, but in a couple of years they will fill in and brighten this shady area year around.
On the right, I put Nandina 'Firepower', forming the point on the triangle made up of the two Aucubas, so it is just slightly to the right of the center Holly.
