A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Shade resistant ideas

We recently adopted an old home with a problematic front yard. The front is covered with 100 plus year old spruce trees that block about 90% of the sun. We have trimmed some of the lower branches and now get some morning and afternoon sun. The soil is sandy but does remain slightly moist.

We began our efforts last year with a few scattered Hostas and would like to continue filling in going forward. Ultimately, we would like full perennials, separated with a stone path and NO GRASS.

Any suggestions you have would be much appreciated. We are in Southern New York State.

Regards,

Hello Bluebonnet,

NO GRASS!!!! <img border="0" alt="[clappy]" title="" src="graemlins/clappy.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[clappy]" title="" src="graemlins/clappy.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[clappy]" title="" src="graemlins/clappy.gif" />
You're after my own heart.
(If it were up to me I'd have not one stitch of it)

First off, here's some really good reading of Bill's here from the main part of The Garden Helper....
Ground Cover Plants which Grow in the Shade


My first one to think of in that area is my own personal taste and testimony is Mrs. Moon. (Pulminaria, Lungwort's) They are the nicest plants...They are lovely in the spring, when they first come up, little leaves, long. slendar, this one variety has tiny white or grayish silver dots on it, quite cute, and the flowers are beautiful.
pictures of Lungworts There's about 4 or 5 pictures, click the single arrow to the left.
These are not Mrs. Moon, but in the ballpark of her. But there is soooooooo many different varieties of those, it's unbelieveable. Some tiny little things, and some of a reasonable sized clump if you let them naturalize.
Mine have done that and it's a nice size self clumping plant, and they are great in a wet or moist area, I think that keeps them blooming a bit longer in the spring. (and if you pick the flowers that'll prolong them flowering as well)
And my other personal favorite is Corydalis,
Corydalis it comes in purple, blue, yellow, and I think there's whites' and reds' too. They are so delicate.
And yet another one is Pulsatilla
That has about 3 or 4 pictures, click the single arrow to the right, I believe.

There is such a choice of more..
I'll think up some more for you, but there's alot of reading there for you!!

Weezie

Bluebonnet....I am soooo jealous....I would love to have a place with all the trees!!! I would make seating areas and swings....oh boy you got my imagination going. Enjoy your new home! If you have pix we would love to see them.
Catlover

Did I hear no grass! WONDERFUL!! I am slowly getting rid of all the grass in my entire yard.

I really like the plants weezie mentioned.

And every good garden has a seat of some kind.

Woodland wildflowers would be a natural! The wildflowers are some my favorite.

Hi Bluebonnet,
Congratulations on your new home. I grew up in the Catskill mountains and miss them so much. Your home sounds wonderful!

Great suggestions from Weezie! I especially love my Mrs. Moon lungwort as the flowers change from blue to pink as they age and the spotted leaves brighten a shady spot. Think about heuchera as well. These are natives and often called coral bells. The hummingbirds are attracted to the red flowered ones. There are some wonderful colorful leaves now. I have one that is especially pretty called 'plum pudding'.

rainy side gardeners info

Here's 'Palace purple.
http://www.stacysgreenhouses.com/LPerennialTemplate.asp?cid=2729

Here's several.
http://www.theprimrosepath.com/listings/heuchera1.htm

Berginia is nice for moist shade and is evergreen.
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/bergenia.html

Primula japonica loves moist shade.
http://www.hort.net/gallery/view/pri/prija/
http://www.sunfarm.com/picks/primulajaponicapostfordwhite-020155.phtml

Galium odoratum - sweet woodruff will naturalize and be a great foil for dark colored leaves.
http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/ga_ratum.html

Cornus canadensis - bunchberry is a wonderful native.
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/61705.jpg

Helleborus will also make a nice evergreen ground cover.
http://www.sunfarm.com/plantlist/hellebores_main.phtml

Newt

Newt,

I really liked the examples of the hucheras that you posted! I haven't been too acquainted with hucheras so I wasn't aware of all the color variations.

Barb

Bluebonnet,

I hear ya about the trees in the yard blocking the sun! We had a huge pine planted right smack in front of my house! They planted it so close that it was dangerous, so we had to remove it.

How about bleeding heart? They are so pretty in the spring. You could get a white variety and a pink. My neighbor has one and it's glorious...and it spreads. I planted a lady's fern under my pine tree before we realized that it had to be removed.

Barb

Hi Barb,
Glad you liked the heucheras. The bleeding heart is a great idea too!

Newt

also is a bleeding heart with gold leaves.is "gold heart yellow shrimp plant will grow in shade but you'd want it indoors in winter,bugle weed(agjuga reptans)ostrich fern

Thanks to all for the suggestions. We are still checking all the links for information. Once we thaw a bit, we will truly test the soil in front for drainage and pH. I would expect acidic soil with the number of old spruce in the front but we will test. Equally, while the soil is very sandy it seems to hold water in some spots. We will dig a few holes and test it. It was good to read the information on your site. Thanks for the links.

So far we've selected Christmas rose and Monkshood because they are also deer resistant. We may also move some bleeding heart from the back that we discovered last year (New home for us and we enjoyed watch the surprises sprout from the yard last year). The bleeding heart in the backyard are the largest I've ever seen - four feet tall.

Thanks to all for your feedback.

One more question, any suggestions regarding where to order Christmas rose, Monkshood and Hucheras?

Thanks

Bluebonnet, are there any local mom and pop garden shops in your area? That would be a good place to start.

With the heucheras you might be able to find the more common ones at some of the larger garden centers. Many of these are not your ordinary generic type plants, but every once in a while Franks and Lowe`s have some very different plants.

That link to the Helleborus is wonderful!!

I would suggest some colombine. My do Really well in the shade. They are beautiful and dainty, but I don't know if the deer eat them or not.

I posted twice, how do I fix that and my gramatical errors? I'm very new to posting.

I got it for you Scarlet!!!


Happy Gardening!!
Weezie

Monkshood can be obtained as seeds or plants almost anywhere. It's often listed as Aconite or Aconitum. Keep this one away from kids and food plants. It is deadly.

If you want to see lots more varieties of Heuchera,have a look at this site,made my mouth water.
www.terranovanurseries.com

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. We just ordered a large number of Christmas rose and Monkshood from a supply house in Chicago. I'll get the name and send it later. Starts with a G.

We don't spend too much time on the internet so it there may be a bit of time between posts, but your input is much appreciated. We are sort of novices at this stage but love building the garden.

spring is teasing us here in New York with temperatures around 60 degrees today.

Hey Bluebonnet,
Yes, the weather is great here today,
but a small front is moving in soon,
and it's raining just a tad~bit here today!


A word of note, Monkshood is poisonous,
and likes to be left alone,
so make sure you have it in a spot you'll
want it to be for a while!!!!!!!!
I remember reading it resents being moved
(maybe deep take roots)
And that's where the poison is in the tuber..
The young tubers are the least potent, it's when they get older or during blooming time they are more potent!!!
So, wear gloves when handling... and don't let kids handle them at all!!!!

It's always better to be safe that sorry!
It's a beautiful plant!!!
Don't be scared away from it, but just be aware!!!

Weezie

OK all you Yankees!

Does anyone have info on naturalizing plants that grow well in the shade in zone 8b?

We have mostly woodlands. Just a very narrow strip of St. Augustine grass at the street. My husband can mow it in two trips across!

Helps us blend in better with our neighbors' golf course lawns and sterile landscaping!

It's too hot in our summers for most of the plants you've discussed.

Weeeeeeeeeeelllllllll okay there Southerners,
Here goes!!!
Naturalizing Bulbs/ Click on Fall and Click on Spring

This gave alot of good info!
Way toooooooooooo many to list...

Read the info on your zone, type of soil and sun requierments!!!!

I have alot of them, that I love personally,
5 or 6 different Alliums,
Chionodoxa (Luciliae), *I love these
Crocus's,
Hemerocallis (Daylilies),
Galanthus (Nivalis)~~~Snow drops,
Muscari's or Puschkinia (Libanotica),
Scilla (Campanulata)*I love these..

There's alot to look at there....

The anemomes too, grecian windflowers, and they are sooooooooo beautiful pastel colors, can't remember the zone for those/????


Try a creeping phlox too, so pretty in the spring, For the smaller bulbs/flowers, keep the creeping phlox only around the general area, not over it or where it would reseed it's self.....
(*I had that problem with the anemone's, they would reseed on the top of the dirt area, and the creeping phlox would smother the area those needed to grow....
But creeping phlox I've had around my tulips, very pretty!!


And I love for naturalizing is forget~me~not's in the spring around the bulbs, the white, blue, pink and purple's go with the spring colors......


Hope this helps a bit!!
Weezie

Let us know what you came up with...

Thanks to all for your advice. We have been offline at home for many weeks and I could not send messages for some reason from the office (guess someone thought I should be working).

We planted a large number of Christmas rose, Bleeding Heart (two varieties) and Monkshood with a bit of pachysandra here and there. We'll see what takes and plant more next year. We were careful with the christmas rose and monkshood (poisonous) but can't wait to see them develop.

Thanks to all for your input.

BlueBonnet,
I forgot about two other's I really love for
moist shade, they are Mrs. Moon, (Lungwort)
Pulinaria's....

and Arum italicum............................... Leaves of the arum\'s, stay from winter to middle summer

Arum "flower\'s", Beautiful bright orange...

Weezie

Thanks Weezie,

I'll check into getting a few of these also. Still early enough to experiment and lots of space. Thanks for all your help.

Jeff

Has anyone mentioned lily of the Valley? Mine are in full bloom right now and have the most heavently scent! They are short lived, and like to spread, but are easily pulled up and either moved or shared. I think the scent is worth it!

By the way, Jeff... where in Southern NY are you?
I'm in Rockland County on the NJ border.