The Nearly-No-Work Shade Garden

Top 16. May 21, 2001 6:39 AM

» Rocksy - Another great article

I am sending all your tips to my neighbor Carol, who has a North facing bed, with an overhang to boot. Talk about SHADE. I am doing a couple of smaller beds in shade this year too, so the tips are great.
That picture is great, but it isn't the same one that you took with all your daffs is it???
Is the plant that you are talking about, right in the center of the picture?

Tamara...we are still waiting to see the Mighty Oak!! and we know you have a digital too smile

-- posted by Rocksy

Top 17. May 21, 2001 11:06 AM

» Roostergrl - Re: Shade Gardens

In response to message posted by CarolWallace:

Thanks Carol,
I have some pics which will show the plants. I am going to take a few more now that it is in bloom. A friend called it a paper-leaf plant. But she wasn't sure either. LOL! I love foxglove but unfortunately it would be poisonous to my dog.

I have the martha washington geraniums, they prefer at least part shade but thrive in full shade also. I'm not too sure what the true geranium is! I have some that bloom as you describe, these are the ones that grow in full sun up to six feet tall. Hmmmmm! I have got to get those pics on disk! LOL!

Barbe

-- posted by Roostergrl

Top 18. May 21, 2001 2:35 PM

» Carol Wallace - Re: Another great article

In response to message posted by Rocksy:
You've got to be careful about shade that deep. A lot of the plants that we cann shade plants will simply refuse to grow if they don't get SOME light. For instance we call hostas shade plants - even though I grow some in full sun. But I tried them in deep shade and they just dwindled away. The list gets shorter when we talk about deep shade. So far I've managed to grow Chrsitams fern, hellebores, variegated Solomon's seal - that's about it but then I was working under great restriction - this was a garden my husband made for himself one spring - before the trees leafed out. And he wanted an all white garden. I have grown white impatiens there - it doesn't mass out the way it does in light shade but it has a lovely, fragile and elegant look.

The tree with all the white daffs is the famous apple tree next to the gazebo - the one where Maud hangs out. The tree in this photo is a sycamore in my side yard. It's also the very first garden I started at this house.

The petasites is in the center but there is also some closer to the camera. I'll try to get a more close-up photo next time I take out the camera.

-- posted by Carol Wallace

Top 19. May 21, 2001 2:47 PM

» Carol Wallace - Re: Re: Shade Gardens

In response to message posted by bar_be:
A paperleaf plant? That's the trouble with nicknames. They vary from region to region and even person to person.

Martha Washington geraniums are actually perlagoniums - they are annuals in many areas and tend to have foliage that has a zone of markings on eachleaf - which is why they are sometimes called zonal geraniums.

The "true" geranium is a perennial which usually forms a nice mounding shape and its flowers grow more singly - the pelargonium flowers tend to grow in clusters.There is a photo of one kind at http://www.herbweb.com/herbage/A227.htm - they Do come in several sizes from very small ones that are good as edging for a border to fairly large oes - although I've never heard of one that got 6 feet tall!

-- posted by Carol Wallace

Top 20. May 21, 2001 6:21 PM

» Roostergrl - Re: Shade Gardens

In response to message posted by CarolWallace:

Those nicknames just about drive me crazy, too! You go and try and order or buy the plant and you don't have the correct name. LOL!

I checked out the site you posted. Nope, definitely don't have the true geraniums. LOL!
Most of my "pelargoniums" or the zonal type with the markings on the leaves. These are the ones that grow 6 ft tall. Ironic, in talking to my friends I have been collecting these plantings from, they informed me they never grew that tall for them either. Must be something in the soil here. Everything that I've planted since I moved here just grows enormously. LOL!

My first garden had gladiolus that grew well over 7ft tall and bloomed three times from spring to fall. My neighbors would all come by to look and take pictures. As I had never grown them before, I didn't know that it was an abnormality. smile ROFL!
Even my tomatoe plants grew taller than my 6ft fence and kept bearing fruit until October! Now that was unusual even to me. smile

-- posted by Roostergrl

Top 21. May 21, 2001 7:10 PM

» Carol Wallace - Re: Re: Shade Gardens

In response to message posted by bar_be:
I don't know about the soil - sounds to me like it must be the gardener with a magic touch. Do you talk to your plants? Play them music? ;-)

-- posted by Carol Wallace

Top 22. May 22, 2001 1:02 PM

» Roostergrl - Re: Shade Gardens

In response to message posted by CarolWallace:

Don't talk to them very often, but usually I'm in full song while gardening! Even the neighbors know when I am out from hearing me. LOL! smile

-- posted by Roostergrl

Top 23. May 22, 2001 1:41 PM

» Carol Wallace - Re: Re: Shade Gardens

In response to message posted by bar_be:
You know, don't you, that there have been studies to show that plants respond to music. They apparently like Mozart and hate rap. (same here!) You must have a singing voice that they really like.

-- posted by Carol Wallace

Top 24. Apr 13, 2006 7:46 AM

» alexis2225 - dapled sun

I have just moved to a house that faces a south west direction, not so bad I thought. But the area has pine trees in every yard, including mine. In the middle of my back yard and the west side of my house are the only areas that get good sun. I just moved from the Tampa Bay area to Pensacola Fl, and all of the wonderful flowering plants that I am used to growing die here. I do not have deep shade in my yard, but I was wondering if anyone has any ideas what I can plant in my yard. Please any help would be wonderful.

-- posted by alexis2225