Gardening in semi to full shade

17 years ago

I have a lot of trees which i am not allowed to eliminate, I love them, but I need some color in the yard. This yr I tried impatiens around the trees with compost. They are struggling. Anyone sucessful? I need help. Thanks

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Comments (6)

Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
17 years ago
Impatients take a lot of water I think.

How about hosta, hydrangeas, astillbe for some perennial color...along with some spring flowering bulbs. My daffs are planted in shade, and bloom b4 the leaves come on, and do just fine.

have you checked out the Garden In Shade Forum? It doesn't look very active right now, but you might read through the posts and get some more ideas.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening In Shade Forum
micke
17 years ago
What kinds of trees are they? If they are black walnut you need to be careful what you plant around them. believe it or not I have planted iris around some of my trees and they do just fine without being in full sun.
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I think you would be fine with hydrangeas there. If salvias are too floppy, try some veronicas or agastaches. You might even be able to grow baptista (false indigo). I have a similar exposure in my zone 5 Iowa yard. Trees along one side, and then it slopes too, so it is a bit of an odd long bed. It used to be grass and mostly invasive Asian honesuckle shrubs. I have only been gardening at this house for 1 1/2 years, so I am still experimenting; plus I am new to this zone and previously lived in zone 9. I first considered this area part shade and planted accordingly. Now I see there are pockets of more and less sun. In this area the plants doing best are: Hostas--This surprised me, but I see them in full sun around town now that I have started looking. Not sure if it is the same for zone 6. Foam flower--this looks GREAT right now with tidy foliage and is still blooming. I had some red tulips behind the foam flower and they looked lovely. Columbines--flowering nicely with airy foliage. Agastache--the one I have has short white flowers, but blues are common I think. Overwintered and re-sowed abundantly. My soil drains well so may be why they like it there. Garden phlox--were small plants last year from Bluestone spring sale. SO far they are growing nicely but will see if they flop. Today the whole area seemed to be in so much sun! Daylillies--will see how they do this year Foxglove--sowed last summer, getting ready to bloom, seems to be good for them in this spot. Monarda, bloomed last summer and no flopping. Soloman's seal--in a shadier pocket, but still gets some afternoon sun. Doing really well right now. helleborus--one little helleborus which has been doing great so far this spring, to my surprise. When I realized how sunny the spot was, I thought I'd move this little plant, but it is doign well. Toad lily--these are growing nicely and had attractive late flowers last year. Lobelia--there are some nice blue lobelias available. low growing veronicas--doing very well and blooming profusely. Happy planting. :)
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Not mentioned specifically above, but hidden in the comment from MichaelG about Cindi's friend George: I do know George and he gardens in southeastern most Texas. Mid day works for him. What y'all may not know about that part of the Gulf Coast is that in the morning, summer (all eight months of it), the humidity when you wake up is often 100%. It stays 100% until 9 or 10 in the morning. Were he to spray then, the spray on the leaves wouldn't dry and when the sun hit it, it would be more likely to burn where there were droplets. But by waiting till noon, the humidity drops, the temperature rises, and the spray dries fast on the leaves. And that's what you want. Leaving the leaves wet in some some temperature ranges is a way to encourage Black Spot.
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Comments (8)
I have hostas growing well in an area that gets no sun whatsoever (and with our UK lower light levels, too). Lots of foliage plants will grow well in an area that gets no direct sunlight (e.g. an open area where surrounding buildings block the sun) , but dense overhead shade, such as trees or shrubs blocking out the light, will be more tricky. I too garden on alkaline clay and many areas of my plot see little or no sun. They are lush and well planted, though, with silver-leaved and variegated plants bouncing the available light around and giving interest. Mindy gives some good suggestions. Here is a list of plants that also do well for me (apologies if these are no good in your zone): - Euonymus fortunei - not the yellow-variegated ones as they will go green in too much shade, but cultivars such as 'Harlequin' or 'Silver Queen' (I know they are shrubs, not perennials, but they will give year-round interest). - Brunnera 'Jack Frost' - Pulmonaria - Cyclamen hederifolium - Lunaria annua variegata - Asplenium scolopendrium (likes lime and will grow in old walls) - Polypodium species can do well in dry ground) - Japanese anemones - Aconitum (has done surprisingly well in a densely shaded area that gets pretty dry in the summer)
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Comments (8)
Yardmartyr, I understand your username! My front porch is way to dark for impatiens or even begonias! I have to use foliage for color. You can try caladium, many nice colors, as is coleus. I also have hostas, rescued from the deer in the yard. In early spring, pansies work until the leaves come out. Some people recommend Heuchera, but that has died for me in pots. An ornamental grass could look good for height. How about a small piece of statuary? I routinely rescue deer buffet plants from my woods and put them in pots on the deck. These include False Solomon's Seal, Spring Beauty, Trillium. Try to search the native plants database for your area. If you have a big pot they should do well. Florrie
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daisy_me
17 years ago
Also.......toad lilies, ferns, carex, heuchera/tiarella/heucherella, brunnera, and bergenia.....
jaceysgranny
17 years ago
Primrose, azaleas and rhododendrons, you could also try some of the blue grasses. I have some Elijah's blue fescue beneath some pines. I also have a rose bush that has been planted beneath a bunch of pines and a cedar (just to the front of them) for 10 years that outdoes itself each year. My irises didn't ever bloom under my pines so I've had to move them all but some small rhizomes still pop up each year. When I lived in Mississippi I had loads of white irises beneath a chinaberry tree so it may just depend on the tree and I also have some purple ones under an oak now that is extremely dry that bloom. You might also want to try some succulents, sedums, hens and chicks of different colors too. Good luck with whatever you plant.

Nancy
karimi
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks everybody for your help, I have oak trees and they have very active roots.
susie_gardener_2007
17 years ago
Hello!
I live in the woods too and I'm not allowed to cut any trees, but I finally talked hubby into limbing up some of them. I've had good luck growing irises, crinum lilies and amaryllises. The amaryllises bloomed like crazy and they were red. I just hope they make it through the winter since I didn't dig them up.

Also I had plumbago, crape myrtle, althea and hydrangea in big pots under the trees. The plumbago bloomed really well. I use big pots because I have clay and rocks to deal with. Going to have to build some raised beds. But I'm afraid to add too much soil around the bottom of the trees. I've heard it will kill the trees.

Good luck,
Susie

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Gardening in semi to full shade

Comments (6)

Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana

micke

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Gardening in semi to full shade

Comments (6)

Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana

micke

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