A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Gardener's Chat Can I plant these here?

Hi Gardeners.

I'm Michelle, and I've posted here a few times, and read a lot of your posts and looked at everyone's beautiful pictures. I've been gardening for two years now, and I think I might be getting the hang of it. I live in Northern NJ.

After a few failures, a few successes, and lots of time spent watching the pattern of light as it changes throughout the day in different places in my yard, I think I've finally found a spot to plant the little garden of my dreams - a cutting garden! Hurray!

My son's preschool had a native plant sale supplied by a really nice area nursery, and I bought some "deer resistant" plants (deer, rabbits, and groundhogs are a problem for me):

Bee balm (monarda didyma)--a bright red one
Echinacea (I can't remember the variety name, but it's one whose petals stay out rigid rather than drooping)
Gaillardia amber wheels (someone here recommended Gaillardia as pest resistant. I wish I could remember who you were, but I send you my thanks! They are beautiful flowers and nothing eats them).

I also have the following plants to move from other parts of my yard. I have to move them b/c they are not getting enough sun right now:

Lavender
Threadleaf Coreopsis (also called tickseed)
Sea holly (this one I am worried about moving, as I read it forms a tap root, but it flops after flowering where it is, so I think I have to move it).
Gaillardia goblin (This variety is lower growing than amber wheels. I will divide the two plants I have that are thriving).
Veronica (this poor plant might be dead. Two little sprouts came up this spring, so I dug them up along with the roots and put them in a pot on my sunny deck. Hopefully I can save her, cause boy was she pretty).

Now for my question. Sorry for such a long post!

The spot that I found that I think will work for me gets dappled sun all morning, and then direct sun from about 12:30-4:30. As summer goes on, I'm pretty sure that it gets a little more direct sun.

Can anyone see a reason why any of the plants I've mentioned will not like it there? Does four hours + the dappled sun count as full sun? I'm really afraid to take the plunge. Up until now I've only planted one or two plants at a time, and this time I've laid out a whole garden.

Thanks for reading!

Michelle

Hi, Michelle. I am a little hazy on what works in other zones. But I can tell you that all of those would be getting plenty of sunshine in the 4+ hours if they were here in southern California.

Thanks Tina. I think it's actually quite different in the two zones, but I still can't seem to get a consistent answer from anyone around here about what is "full sun." I'm going to try to take the plunge. I'm just so anxious about putting so many plants down in one spot--every time a kill a plant I feel like I've just drowned a kitten. Guess there's only one way to learn!

Full sun anywhere is considered 6 or more hours of direct sun. But I have found some plants can take less and thrive. And they do get some energy from the 'dappled' sun also.

I plant lots of full sun in part shade...they grow, just not as big or as nice as full sun would.

Here in Tx I have all your plants listed in early morning dappled sun and afternoon Full sun and they all do well, remember it really gets hot here in Tx,, so I'm confident yours will do well there in NJ. Remember when you transplant to water daily til they get established, the veronica should do well and yes they are beautiful, it make take a while for them to get established in their new spot, be patient as this year it may not bloom well but next year you'll be greatly rewarded!

Thanks everyone. I've been watching the sun in that spot for a year, and I'm hopeful it's a good spot. When I've got it all set up I will take a picture. My poor veronica barely came back this spring, so I am nursing it in a pot, but it seems to be doing ok. I doubt it will bloom, but I will be patient, as you said Angelblossom.

Thanks again!

Michelle