In the foreground of the same border as E. c. characias, is a charming, fast spreading groundcover, Fragaria 'Pink Panda'. This was given me by a gardening friend and I have enjoyed it immensely. For me, the foliage remained fresh all through our hot, summer drought; it rebloomed sporadically once cool weather set in and the foliage still looks great. It spreads rapidly by over ground runners of a beautiful strawberry color. I hate to have to cut them off to keep it in bounds.
Nearby is another gray-leafed plant that covers ground in sun or medium shade; Stachys byzantina. Bitter cold, snow and ice will end the display, turning the fuzzy leaves to mush. But it's good for a month or more, I should think.
Still another gray leaf that keeps its color until the bitter end, is the rhizomatous grass, Elymus glaucus (more correctly called Leymus glaucus). This really wants as much sun as it can get, but tolerates mild shade cast by larger plants, in my garden. It is a fast spreader and needs to be dug out periodically so it doesn't take over the world, but it is a lovely thing.
Here,there and everywhere are two plants that I leave to their own devices unless they get on my nerves.Fat clumps of basal foliage mark the spots where Digitalis purpurea will put up her spires next May. The pebbly green foliage looks lush now, but it will draw into itself a bit when it gets really cold.
And, of course, Pulmonaria saccharata 'Mrs. Moon' is almost everywhere in my garden. There are few areas without at least a handful of these stalwarts. She, too, will go into hiding when the weather really gets bad, yet her cheerful, silver spangled leaves will brighten odd corners until then. In very early spring, before really breaking ground, the flowers start to bloom, first in pink, then finishing in blue. The overall impression of a mass is a sheet of blue.
I hope you've enjoyed the tour and have found a new plant or two to try in your own garden, to keep the winter blahs at bay. If you grow some that I don't, tell me about them. Pop in to the discussion connected to this article or email me at mtalt@clark.net. See ya' next time.
Glossery of Common Names
- Artemisia = Mugwort
- Digitalis = Foxgloves
- Epimedium = Barrenwort
- Euphorbia = Spurge
- Fragaria = Strawberry
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Marge Talt's Shade Gardening topic, please visit the Discussions page.