Opinion - convert from sun to shade garden?

16 years ago

We are still experiencing a drought. If we don't get rain today, it could be several MORE weeks. Temps are expected to be 90 and 92 on Monday and Tuesday! I'm starting to rethink my cottage garden. :-( I'm so dismayed. I need to think differently about all of this.

The cottage garden inside the fence was hardest hit due to the sun orientation (full south) with some eastern and western sun at different times of the day. Then, the Japanese Beetles are also a problem due to all the meadow that can't properly be treated with milky spore due to cost (and our entire neighborhood has meadows on every lot).

I'm trying to decide what to do, if anything. The weeping cherry in front of the chimney always looks glorious in bloom and green for a month, but then the Japanese Beetles eat it and it looks ragged all summer long until the leaves drop. What if we replace it with another small tree such as a Sweet Bay Magnolia (drip irrigation there)? I have one already at a side patio and it is fairly open (not dense) branching, evergreen and smells divine when it blooms. It would provide some shade as it matures.

The KO roses along the inside of the fence were also hit by JBs. Then came the drought. They have looked pathetic with these challenges as you can see in this photo -- only the lavender looks good on the right side of the path (yes, that's grass growing out of the first bush -- we will have to dig it up to get it out):

The bed opposite the path from the KOs was totally destroyed by the drought except for the dianthus. It was planted in yellow and whites -- coneflowers, shasta, daylilies, stock, gerbera. The sun hits that bed so harsh that I'm struggling with whether to plant trees along the outside of the fence to shade the garden.

Here's the "dead" bed on the left:

{{gwi:756699}}

Opinions -- should I replace the weeping cherry? If not the sweet bay, with what?

Should I plant a row of trees along the outside of the fence to provide future shade inside the fence? If so, what trees? There is drip irrigation there, too.

Thanks!

Cameron

The big view (in the spring) from outside and inside:

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Comments (4)

seamommy
16 years ago
I think you are just a little spoiled by the absolutely FABULOUS way your garden looks when you're not having a drought! I agree with you though that it's hard to watch your beautiful things get hit with dry weather, bugs and sneaky plugs of ugly grass growing up through their branches. But come on, isn't that little bit of extra work you have to do to maintain your garden what makes it really rewarding? You do have a LOT of full sun areas. In Texas I have alot of full sun plants growing quite happily in part shade. The heat is so intense here in high summer that they would die otherwise. SO I would have to say yes, put in a couple trees, your plants will thank you. And BTW, I think the weeping cherry is lovely. Cheryl
DYH
Original Author
16 years ago
Wanted to add what's working well outside the fence where I was planting for deer and drought tolerance. However, everything outside the fence is really newly planted between Oct 06 and this summer, so it's really small still.

Salvia navajo red
s. black and blue
s. ulignosa (on drip)
cannas (on drip)
Japanese/Siberian/Pseudocorus Irises (on drip)
verbena
oregano
basil
Pineapple sage
Buddleia
hypericum
lavender
monarda
nepeta
ornamental grasses
some of the agastache -- tutti frutti and blue fortune have done better than the red fortune, but it was all new this spring
Lavender
lamb's ears
creeping heliotrope
stachys hummelo

The coreopsis, coneflowers, rudbeckia bloomed well, but then I didn't deadhead during the drought because I didn't want to add the stress of another bloom to them. They look bad, but are alive.

I've had mixed results with the thyme. It does like a little water has some has thrived and some has died back in the heat.

In my part sun/shade areas (drip irrigation), the Encore Azaleas, elephant ears, heuchera, geraniums, platycodon, scabiosa, gardenias and daylilies are doing well. I had good early results with the garden phlox, then it started either mildewing or drying up as I couldn't seem to make it happy in the drought by watering or not.

Shrub-wise, the osmanthus fragrans and goshiki are great. Some are on, some aren't on, any irrigation. The hollies, smoketree, crepe myrtles, sweet bay, clump bamboo, are doing well. Spirea (all kinds) are great. Caryopteris has been great in the drought.

Can you tell I'm in quandry?

Thanks.
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lindakimy
16 years ago
I also think your garden doesn't look THAT bad. It is, after all, autumn - after a particularly brutal summer. My garden is a bit ragged around the edges too. But she is still beautiful! In spite of the little flaws.

However. The American south is NOT England. This is really NOT the place for an English perennial border. We are trying to do the impossible. Ultimately the climate will win.

One thing you might think about is that the trees you plan to put in are going to need water - at least until they are established. And then they are going to be competing for the water available for the plants nearby. Just a thought.

I am also considering changes in my garden on account of this infernal, never ending drought. I'm going to be replacing water loving plants (thank goodness I don't have too many of them anyway) with drought tolerant ones. (Nevertheless...they will still need water to get established.) The only real water hogs I'll keep for now are my beloved hydrangeas. If they continue to drag (so far they haven't bloomed here in the new place) I'll have to scrap them, too. One way or the other I WILL have a garden that is satisfying but not ultra demanding or contrary to my climate. I don't need the stress.
girlgroupgirl
16 years ago
Won, begin considering alternate water sources now, and leave your plantings where they are. Apparently this is supposed to be a 100 year drought, and done in the spring. But dry all winter.
Consider beginning to save water now, when it does rain. I have installed 6 rain barrels. You can hide them somewhere along your home, and link them in a chain if you don't want them showing. However, most of mine are out in the open areas so people can see how I'm watering.
At church we are using "used" water from the washing machine cycles and biodegradable detergent, also water from the air conditioners - to water our trees. We fill up milk jugs and put tiny slits in them. They release water slowly. WOrks great! Tree gators are great too.

good luck, your droughty landscape looks 100% better than mine!
girlgroupgirl

Opinion - convert from sun to shade garden?

Comments (4)

seamommy

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Opinion - convert from sun to shade garden?

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seamommy

DYHOriginal Author

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lindakimy

girlgroupgirl

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DYH
Original Author