Give me some ideas what to plant.

10 years ago

First of all, I hope this post is not too confusing, it confused me writing it !

Ok, I have added a couple planters in my front yard. Here is my goal, I want one large blue and one large yellow or bright plant under each tree. the best shade will be on the left or east. I have an Empress wu, and Blue Wu to be the dark plants. I am not sure what to get for the bright plants. I am thinking big eye catching types. there will be some sun plants along the front until the trees shade them out, or the Hosta GOBBLE them up ! hahaha

Ok, the crabapple is about as big and shady as it will ever be, and thats not really a huge amount of shade. the Japanese Tree Lilac is a new plant, maybe three years in the ground. It will not make any real shade for a couple more years at best. I would like to get the plants in and growing so that they will be getting larger while the shade gets better.
I realize this means they may get ugly, or need a lot of watering the next couple years. I could also rig some temporary sun shades, or sit some cannas in planters to help shade them.
here is a break down of my estimate of the plants sun exposure.

Position1 gets sun 2-7 pm now
position 2 12-7 pm
position 3 10am-6pm
postion 4 10 am -6pm

eventually position 3 and 4 will be constantly shaded as the Japanese tree lilac spreads about 20 feet, and cast a lot of shade. however position 2,3,4 are all going to be getting some hot tough sun for two years if I don't do any temp sun blocks.

What are your ideas for the brights? I don't mean a plain yellow only as a BRIGHT plant. I would easily consider something like a Liberty as Bright..I wish I could pop a 7 year old Liberty into one of the spots!!!! :P

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Comments (16)

don_in_colorado
10 years ago
Hi Leafwatcher,

Abba Dabba Doo, Atlantis, Jimmy Crack Corn, High Noon and Choo Choo Train are good, bright big plants in my opinion.

Don B.
flower_frenzy
10 years ago
Since those areas get quite a bit of sun, I can recommend some of my more noticeable sun-tolerant types. They are:

Cathedral Windows
Paul's Glory
June
June Spirit
May
On Stage
Sum and Substance
Sunny Delight
Stained Glass
Squash Casserole
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Ruth_MI
10 years ago
I vote for Liberty! I used them across the front of my house (facing east), and couldn't be happier. Some are in a lot of sun and have done fine.
leafwatcher
Original Author
10 years ago
I do have an Atlantis that is in a very small area, it will have to be moved... and I have a very small liberty, but I have to admit after seeing some of your established Liberty's I could be happy with two of them..
So maybe I should Move Atlantis, and try to buy a slightly bigger Liberty somewhere ... the one I have is so small I don't know if I can stand another tiny liberty ;)
User
10 years ago
I think if you give it a chance, Liberty won't stay small very long. I got mine late in the season last year, and it is doing fine now.
Here is its picture to show what it is doing as a 2nd year hosta. It is in a container, of course. I think it will be even bigger set into the ground.

I also like the suggestions made by Flower. Except, S&S is going to be out of proportion with the others. It gets humongus.

You're going to have a fine bed there.
irawon
10 years ago
Leafwatcher,

UK Hostaman has an impressive Liberty. He used 3 plants to get that look. If I had to do it over again, that's what I'd do.

Also, I would try to pick up the blue in Blue Wu for your second bright plant. I've seen some Arc de Triomphe with blue shading. I've seen a huge Brave Amherst recently that was gorgeous ... or what about Earth Angel?

If you're thinking that you'd like the Atlantis look, why not buy montana Aureomarginata, very close, then you don't have to move Atlantis.
sidney1515
10 years ago
How about Midnight Sun

Or Earth Angel
beverlymnz4
10 years ago
Thats an amazing Earth Angel Sidney.

I'll throw Key West into the mix. Very big and bright.

Beverly
leafwatcher
Original Author
10 years ago
You know i just bought an Earth Angel from Trudy and have it in a pot.

the Liberty and Earth Angel would make nice plants for the two bright types..

My Empress Wu, and Blue Wu are both small plants at this time as well..

Anyone have a guess weather Earth Angel, or Liberty is better suited to the sunniest spot?
flower_frenzy
10 years ago
Leafwatcher-IMHO, "Liberty" takes sun better than "Earth Angel" (at least in my garden). That being said, neither of those 2 could stand up to the afternoon sun that your spots are going to get. However, I'm in a completely different zone and growing climate than you are, so take that into consideration.

Moccasin-you're right about S&S being too big. I didn't think of that. I was just listing my sun tolerant ones.
Gesila
10 years ago
I don't like the way Liberty's edges turn white in full sun, I just moved mine back a couple of feet to get it out of full sun.

Here's my Atlantis growing in full sun. I think it would be a good choice:

Check out the Hosta of the Day, Alex Summers. It will grow in full sun but will also do well once your tree grows out. Alex Summers would look great with Blue Wu and Atlantis would look great with your Empress Wu.

Here's an inexpensive and under rated hosta IMHO, Old Glory, growing in full sun. I think it would look good with your Blue Wu too, no misting done in this bed:

Gesila

This post was edited by Gesila on Sat, Jun 22, 13 at 21:44
Gesila
10 years ago
I just thought of Sage (mine is in the sun too), it will give Empress Wu a run for it's money!

Gesila
leafwatcher
Original Author
10 years ago
Gesila, did you mean Sagae?

You know I just read paradigm is both very large, and sun tolerant.. I don't have one of those...

This post was edited by leafwatcher on Sat, Jun 22, 13 at 23:30
Gesila
10 years ago
LOL, yes Sagae. I have to rescue my Paradigm, it's down there in front of the rock in my picture of Old Glory. I plan on putting it in my sun garden.

Trying to get a daughter ready to go to Italy to tomorrow.

Gesila
leafwatcher
Original Author
10 years ago
Ok, It was cool and rainy this morning, and I felt like planting..

I knew what I had, and what needed moving... so here is how it went

plant
1 Blue Wu

2 Earth Angel

3 Empress WU

4 Liberty

I am going to be looking for some temp shade setup for plants 3-4 today. Did I make the right decisions? I don't know.. I had a good window to plant, and things I liked that were available so

I JUMPED !
User
10 years ago
Sounds like a good executive decision to me.

Temp shade cover can be devised with a garden stake and then tie wraps holding a small umbrella over the plant. We do it with newly set out fruit trees or even the hosta. But these days I have 4 large market umbrellas set up for larger shade patches in my Back40. Even a couple of huge plants already in pots can be slid into position to provide shade temporarily. I do that too. .....as sailors say, "Any old port in a storm."

Give me some ideas what to plant.

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