Seeking suggestion(s)

12 years ago

I went looking through the beds this morning assessing what I lost over this severe weather, and where holes were likely to be (season and space wise).
I have one bed that faces south, but shaded by buildings on the north and west side, and shaded by a large chinese dogwood overhead now. Early in spring, before the dogwood leaves out, it's nearly full sun, but it only gets 2-3 hours of morning sun in summer. I've found that rudbeckias and liatris don't thrive in the bed (in fact they struggle somewhat). I didn't realize the dogwood provided so much shade last spring when I planted.
Due to other plantings, the bed tends towards toward avg to slightly above average moisture. I plan on putting a mimulus ringens and a lobelia sylphitica in this year.
I need something to provide color and/or carry the bed along the center. I have no qualms about color, height if more than 5 inches and not more than 4 feet, but need presence for shade in both early summer and midsummer, fall is a bonus, but not required. Lots of bulbs, so the spring season is covered, also a clematis trying to engulf the bed somewhat.
Soil is a clay loam with a top dressing of decaying leaves, which probably means slightly acid ph.
Ideas? I'd sure appreciate it...I've browsed a few native catalogues and drawn a blank.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

User
12 years ago
What kind of plants are you looking for? Wildflowers, shrubs, vines? What time of year are you looking to have blooms, if you do want blooms, and not mostly foliage?

If I lived in Arkansas, I'd love to plant an Arkansas Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii), but it might not be to your taste, or not what you're looking for in general. Another small shrub is New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus).

American Alumnroot (Heuchera americana) might be good to try, but it might need more shade? Some people grow yarrow in part-shade... actually plants can't read their descriptions so don't always know what they're "supposed" to like... Silene regia attracts hummingbirds/butterflies... Blue mistflower is fall-blooming here.

Columbines, leadplant, viburnum, penstemon, phlox, monarda (might be too spread-y for you?), verbena, baptisia?

I love the lobelias- if they do well for you, that might be your cue to think "native woodland" plants for that area.
TexasRanger10
12 years ago
Barron, I'm growing new plants of Turk's Cap because they are a good long blooming native for shade. They don't care if its deep shade & will also grow in full sun.

Check out the Native American Seed, they have a good list of shade loving native plants which I got ideas from.

I bought a Turk's Cap plant last spring & made 4 new plants from it, they root very easily. I saved a lot of seed & planted these too because I am working on a long property line area that is sunny in spring, winter but shady in summer, anywhere from no sun to various #hours. Almost Eden carries plants online & Bustani's has them at their nursery in Stillwater OK. Its root hardy in zone 6.

Here is what has also worked well for me so far in a similar situation to the one you describe.

Lanceleaf coreopsis. Early season sun but by the time they finish blooming, its shady, forms a thick ground cover.

Artemisia ludoviciana. It is surprisingly good in only 3 to 4 hours of sun. I had so much plant material, I went ahead tried it against common sense. It makes a good contrast filler. I ended up filling a large area with this.

Salvia greggi (the common wild type). does very well with only 4 hours morning sun & I have about 3 plants that get even less that still do surprisingly well. The plants bloom and have a good form & since they are so easy to root I experiment with them cuz their free.

Salvia coccinea
Mealycup sage
Echinacea
Stachy's coccinea (Texas Betony/Scarlet Hedgenettle)
Purple winecups

Here is a photo of Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii)

Here is a link that might be useful: https://www.seedsource.com/

This post was edited by TexasRanger10 on Wed, Apr 2, 14 at 16:00
Related Discussions
Alchymist Rose Seeking Clematis Companion(s)
Q
Comments (3)
I like peach paired with white. Just put the potted 'Rouge Cardinal' with one open bloom by 'Secret' rose (white edged pink) and it's terrible! The dark colored clematis overwhelms the rose.
...See More
gardener seeks upscale restaurant w/classical guitar near W-S
Q
Comments (2)
Robin - I just did a google search for 'al fresco restaurants music NC' and got a few hits. Suggest you do the same and sort them out. It nothing viable turns up, rearrange the words and google again. Good luck and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
...See More
Seeking layout suggestions for a warm, uncluttered front living room
Q
Comments (62)
I’d put my dining room in that space and turn your old dining room into an office and add some glass doors to your new office (old dining room). That way you can set up a dedicated space for your homeschooling. You don’t need two living rooms back to back. Put your piano against the stair wall where the guitars currently are. Put your dining room hutch on the 13’4” wall and hang the guitars on the other wall space (opposite the front windows). Hang your guitars so they are like artwork....big one in the middle and smaller ones on either side. Paint the chair rail white and all the wall space below the same white as well. This will help to blend your heaters. Paint above the chair rail a warm grey colour. Benjamin Moore Collingwood is one example and a google search will come up with other popular colors. One last suggestion is to get some full length curtains to frame those windows. Black and white check curtains will give that room a farmhouse feel. Black and White Curtains
...See More
Seeking suggestions on Japanese Maple purchase
Q
Comments (10)
contact conifer kingdom. and have them recommend some z5 JMs ... they sent me a few.. and they have thrived in my cold z5 ... i dont recall the names now ... they have an extensive JM selection: https://www.coniferkingdom.com/ https://www.coniferkingdom.com/our-plants/maples/ trust me and embo.. the most exciting and exotic ones are not z5 compatible.. so dont get to excited about the possibilities .. and you should be well aware ... trees NEVER stop growing at some magical height ... its all about the annual growth rate.. and how long it takes to 5 feet.. and then double that to 10 feet ... the rub is.. if you find one that grows lets say one inch per year.. it will stay small .. but we will all be dead before it hits 5 feet ... eh ... its the old catch 22.. to fast to height.. and then it wont stop ... and though you may find some min conifers that grow an inch a year.. you are not going to find a maple that grows that slow ... at best... if you can find one.. zone appropriate that grows 6 inches a year.. you would have at least 10 years to your height limit .. and then you can keep it smaller by proper pruning.. lets call it in ground bonsai ... but obviously dont go for anything with a one foot or more growth rate .... unless you have a big stick to beat it back with ... btw.. many JMs have a very fibrous root mass.. and its hard to grow anything.. like hosta.. under them.. as they are water hogs ... im sure youve heard.. maples kill hosta thru water competition.. JMs are no different ... ken
...See More
dbarron
Original Author
12 years ago
Yes, I grow Turks Cap on the sunnier (don't laugh) north side of the porch. I had a greggii that I had for 4-5 years in Oklahoma that I placed in the bed I'm trying to fill, it didn't make it through the winter and wasn't particularly happy there (too shady and a bit too wet).
If my salvia coccinea reseeded well and I find some seedlings from the north side, I'll try a couple over on the south side. I do feel it's awfully shady though for them to do well.
This winter left me uncertain on my Turks Cap and lantana horrida that I had on the north side. It's a couple of weeks too early to be sure though.

This post was edited by dbarron on Wed, Apr 2, 14 at 20:52
edlincoln
12 years ago
Lily of the Valley thrives in my parents clay soil and supposedly does well in shade.

Wintergreen, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Wild ginger?

Seeking suggestion(s)

Comments (4)

User

TexasRanger10

Related Discussions

dbarron
Original Author

edlincoln

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Seeking suggestion(s)

Comments (4)

User

TexasRanger10

Related Discussions

dbarronOriginal Author

edlincoln

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

dbarron
Original Author