Your Favorite Shade Garden Beds
Perhaps we could share pics of our favorite shade garden beds, without the pressure of IDing every plant in the shot. Just a general shot of an area of your garden that pleases you.
I'll start:
Welcome Bear Bed
hh
Comments (34)
User
11 years agoDo not have any hosta bed except for three plants at one end of the Teahouse. I like that bed though. It gets morning sun, plus a wee bit of afternoon sun until the shank of the day.
Now the three hosta are to the LEFT at that end of the Teahouse.
mctavish6
11 years agoNice to see you posting again HH. Keep the pictures coming.
Moccasinlanding, do you have to take that elephant ear inside in winter? I've been taking one inside and out for 2 years. Last winter it took over the dining room. Next year it may need it's own room entirely.
Here are a couple pictures of my wooded gardens. The first one has Frosted Jade at the front. It taken standing up against the house outside the kitchen window. The living room is to the left.
Zippity Do Dah in the forefront.
Looking deeper into the woods. This is where I'm hoping to work today if it ever stops raining. Do you see the 2 log chairs? They were made by my neighbors kind husband. She's new to the forum and calls herself 'almosthooked' - talk about self-delusion and denial! You should see her gardens in only one year. Myrle
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Comments (40)Personally I love all aspects of gardening. From adding compost to the soil - planting - weeding - watering - harvesting and photographing it's all a relaxing pleasure. I even enjoy mowing the lawn. If there's one downside to all this it's because I live sixty miles outside of Las Vegas NV and while getting the soil ready for fall planting is necessary, it's a little tough right now. The reason is that the temperature here today is a cool 116 degrees....See MoreKeeping the garden watered...what are your favorite solutions?
Comments (33)I didn't think it would be a good idea, like you said, to run it under or over the sidewalk, bad enough to run a hose across it for the soaker hose my neighbor loaned me last year and this. But it's so long, it has 3 turns and having to lift it in and out to hoe (I will mulch when I get to it), is almost more than I can bear. It's heavy and drags across plants to move so last year I never weeded except a few by hand, but with tomatoes in cages, it wasn't too bad. The soaker worked great for tomatoes in neat rows but is not going to work well for tiny plants and roses scattered more randomly. My roses are one long row but the companion plants are scattered. Do you know what I really wish? I wish I had an old-fashioned pump and a cistern to collect all this water. That is not feasible but it would sure bring back memories, and I would love doing it. My grandmother couldn't have watered much of anything except her African violets inside, and things grew ok for her. She didn't mulch either, just probably did a little hoeing and had boards to walk on to get down the rows of what she had planted. She had a long perennial bed with shrubs and spring bulbs but no roses that I can remember. If I get fed up enough this summer and depending on my health, I can have a guy come and install a faucet on the other side of the back sidewalk (front is a 'nuther animal but could have another one in the basement going through another outside wall on the other side of the sidewalk). Then I could irrigate all of it. I will remember Drip Works, usually think long and hard before making such a change especially in light of expensive repairs I need done, can afford some of it but not all at once and hard to prioritize. Irrigation would not be that expensive if I do it myself but takes thinking, planning and time. I really really want my arbor put back up, right this time, heard a jackhammer going at the neighbor's, was hoping they could come here when done and blast out four concrete footings so we can start over. No such luck. Of course I would have paid a reasonable amount. It was a fence company and I saw they had augurs of different sizes in the truck. That would be so nice, that arbor was a dream come true, and it's all come to nothing for now, my son and the neighbor down the street think vandals knocked it over but it wasn't installed right, I knew it, and was frantically trying to find out how I could anchor it better, didn't make it in time, actually paid another guy to try to screw it in the footings using a masonry drill. That failed, too. My son is good at things but so busy. It is thundering and raining again . . .so far just a shower. The beds that aren't mulched yet dried out already after that record downpour, probably damp deeper down. I will mulch but want all my seedlings in and big enough so I can see where to put it all without ruining some plus I want to hoe first. I can neaten up the edges later....See MoreWhat Are Your Favorites / Mainstays of Your Gardens?
Comments (42)Pam - I see you saw my comments on the rudbecka Rustic not-really-dwarf mix on the other thread. For folks who missed that, the 1/8 oz pack at Swallowtail (in their annual seeds section) contains about 3000-4000 seeds so that actually beats the prices on most of what they offer in their bulk section. The Swallowtail bulk section is always worth checking, but sometimes they also have wickedly huge seed packets at low prices in their regular section. Some of my faves there include: California poppies at 4500 seeds for $2.49 - $2.95 depending on type. Strawflowers, 5000 seeds for $2.49 Cosmos, 1300 seeds for $1.95 Foxgloves Excelsior hybrids at 20,000 seeds (yes, no typo) for $2.95 but currently out of stock. (But you could get 2500 seeds from ValueSeed.com for $0.99 if you need a bunch right now.) They've got some other bargains in there too but those are my favorites. Their xeranthemum and paper daisies have bargain packs but I wasn't impressed with the flowers or plants - especially when compared to their tall strawflower mix. That tall strawflower mix is a real winner. I didn't know they were as hardy as they were - my plants were green and flowering into the beginning of December here. In your area you might still have them blooming at Christmas. Another of my favorites is Helenium Autumanale - especially after seeing it as Bluestone's Perennial's cover flower in last year's catalog. I bought a pack from the bulk section at Swallowtail - 1000 seeds for just under $10. I got those in late May last year. The germinated fast (and with a very high germination rate), transplanted well, many bloomed the first year and I got a nice seed farm level of seed out of those. Helenium flowers are gorgeous with a lot of variety. They blow in the breeze in a super pretty way. I don't think it's possible to take a bad photo of them. I ended up hositing a photo group on Flickr just for helenium flowers because they are so beautiful. They are even super easy and fun to seed save from - seeds pop right off without fuss. AND they are long lived and perennial to zone 3. Oh, and they propagate easily by division so that once you have a favorite color you can divide it and make a garden full of clones if you like. I also think that they are likely to be a hot item for gardenweb seed and plant trading. Unless everyone who reads this ends up growing their own. :) Lynda Here is a link that might be useful: Slideshow from Flickr Helenium group...See MoreYour favorite abies balsamea cultivar for shade?
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11 years agojan_on zone 5b
11 years ago
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
11 years agohostaLes
11 years ago
This is my initial hosta garden after my move from Arkansas and measure 16 feet deep x 35 feet wide. The Guacamole in the foreground is 50" across.
This is a 3 year old garden being created under an American Black Walnut tree. This year once I get the weeds cleared out of it I hope to improve on the photos. My lawn reflects the mole damage I have had the past 2 years.
Les
hosta_freak
11 years ago
leafwatcher
11 years agohosta_freak
11 years agoirawon
11 years agoLove looking at other people's gardens and how they have put them together. I get so many ideas for mine, which are always a work in progress.
I decided to plant mostly minis in this bed but they haven't developed enough to be the center of attraction. The hosta in the center is 'Grand Tiara' which probably should have been divided this spring. Oh well, there's always next year.
irawon
11 years agoThis is the first year I've actually liked 'Guacamole' since some variegation has developed. I was also going to divide the three 'Wolverine' in the picture. Didn't get done. I'm hoping to finally be able to divide Tradescantia 'Sweet Kate', which doesn't seem to be as invasive as the others (white, blue, especially fuschia).
irawon
11 years agoDon't really know why I find this section of the garden more pleasing - probably the blues which are restful to the eyes.
User
11 years agoirawon
11 years agoSometime the best combination plantings that you like happen by accident. The only hostas that were planned are the green ones in the back which I've had forever. I like 'June' in front of 'Halcyon' the parent. The miniature iris just happened to be there before.
irawon
11 years agoThis corner of my bed in front of m. 'Aureomarginata' was supposed to be the risque corner, 'Striptease' with 'Hanky Panky' and 'Illicit Affair'. IA didn't live up to my expectations.
irawon
11 years agoThis pathway happened by accident when I extended a bed to meet up with a lonely Weigela 'Red Prince 'stuck out in the lawn all by itsel. The extension was a lasagna bed and the field rock was used to anchor the newspapre layers under top soil. I've found that sedum is more shade tolerant than I was led to believe.
irawon
11 years agoThe grass between the bench and the mature hostas wasn't growing well, so I added a pathway with left-over interlocking blocks. i would have preferred more natural stone but what the heck, I can always replace them in future. Scotch grass around pavers has really grown well for me and I like the effect.
hostaLes
11 years ago
As it now looks, and new plantings are starting. Two Serendipity are to be moved up to the new front, a Stained Glass is planted(looks kind of tiny and lonely doesn't it), a Fried Green Tomatoes is waiting inmy Morning Glory Garden to be moved in, etc. The sunny North end(nearest) will be anchored with adrift of three plantaginea. The closest end will be the fragrant one with a Fragrant Bouquet to be relocated from the far side.
Moccasin, my Theresa's Angel Garden has the Grecean Urn. The whiskey barrel is outside my kitchen window with a piece of the hose that tripped me up used as a long straw (NEVER take me serious!).
Maybe by the next time we are posting our favorite gardens my NEW "Maple Garden" and GROWN-UP "Theresa's Angel Garden" will be ready.
Les
garybr
11 years agoI love seeing all the different gardens! Very inspiring. Here's one of my gardens.
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
11 years agojan_on zone 5b
11 years ago
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
11 years agopaula_b_gardener 5b_ON
11 years agojan_on zone 5b
11 years agoHostarina
11 years agoOh, I hope you two make plans to meet & swap hosta!
...Delicious thread. Here are two views of my pot ghetto !
mbug_gw
11 years ago
coll_123