jlhart76

May I aske which direction does this strip run? I ask because I have a 2-ft wide bed on the east side of the house under the eaves. Even though there are neighbors to the east, this spot gets much more sun than identical beds on the north side of the house. With the trees in your yard, the conditions may be more like the north side of my yard.

The east side of the house has tarragon, arum lilies, iris, daylilies, dianthus (like Sweet Williams), celery (a challenge to grow), Naked Ladies, Spider Lilies, and chives. Plants which truly need full sun do NOT do well here. Plants which like cooler conditions often do best in this spot compared to the rest of the yard. There are no trees to compete for water.

The north side of the house has iris, day lilies, columbine, forget-me-nots, galanthus nivalis, hostas, arum lilies, sedums, comfrey, and lovage. There used to be Naked Ladies and Spider lilies- which I think need a little more sun, but did very well here. Ivy covered both beds at one time. It had to be regularly cut back, but stayed green in OKC all year long. My next door neighbor has a rose bush that is doing very well on the north side of the house.

Other plants to consider: creeping phlox, lily of the valley, hydrangeas, thyme, and if you are not worried about it's incredible invasiveness, maybe mint. If there is light under the trees before they leaf out in the spring, consider early bulbs like daffadils and hyacinth.

I am considering alpine strawberries and hardy kiwi for the east side of the house. The kiwi needs lots of water especially the first years while getting established. The male plants have pink/red foliage and maybe it could be grown on the ground instead of trained on a wall.

Consider growing 2-3 plants for a year or two. Chose plants which run the spectrum from full shade to 3/4 shade to 1/2 shade requirements. See which ones do the best in this spot and then pick plants which having matching shade requirements. But don't forget that shade can the a relative term. Directly under a tree may get great sun early in the morning and late in the evening, but be full shade only in the middle of the day. Get to know how the light really falls in the area and it will be easier to choose plants.

Hope this dissertation helps. There really are a lot more plants that will grow in shade than we think.

It's on the west side and runs north/south. I've tried ferns, lemon balm, ivy, and vinca which have all died (I didn't think anyone could kill vinca). The lily if the valley (or maybe its a bleeding heart, I forget which) was planted last year and is about a foot tall. It's near the end of the sidewalk and closer to the tree, so it gets a good deal more sun than the rest of the area.

Tiarella is a great shade plant which will spread by the roots. It's also a perennial--leaves are interesting--and has flowers in the spring.

There are also some smaller hostas that would be lovely. Attached are some examples, but you can probably find them locally at places like Scott.

There are also small Astilbes that are very striking. Once again, I highly recommend Spigelia marilandica, or Indian Pink, which is a beautiful, red blooming native plant that gets about 18" tall, but grows in an upright fashion rather than sprawling on the ground.

Also, there are a few pretty Lamiums that brighten up a shady spot with their silvery foliage.

You're further North so Primroses might be okay for you. Gets too hot, too fast here for them. Also Columbines (Aquilegia). A. canadense is a great native Columbine.

Trilliums, Tricyrtus, Spiderworts, Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox), Hardy Geraniums, Hellebores, Epimediums (Fairy Wings) tolerate dry soil well, Brunneras, and some Campanulas will bloom and do well in shady sites.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Examples of Smaller Hostas

Hi,

I don't post here too often but I saw your post and have a suggestion (albeit a boring one) that should work if all you want to do is have something to fill in the area. Monkey Grass aka Lirope. Your biggest problem is the clay not the shade. You won't be able to grow the lovely things suggested unless you amend the soil. If you don't want to take the trouble that Lirope will grow ANYWHERE, sun or shade and in clay and it will certainly spread and fill in the area. At least you will have a neat, uniform planting in what otherwise sounds awful.

Often you can find someone trying to get rid of some.

I have a similar area, but it is on the east side of my house, not the west. On the shadiest end I have spiderwort growing. It does pretty well.

I am going to look into putting huechera there too.

Peonies will take some shade. If you have a spot with some sun, they will do well there.

Oh, lenten rose (hellebore) will work there too.

Lisa

Susan!

Thanks! Indian pinks are now on my 'must get' list.
Anyone know of anywhere in Tulsa that may have them?
Gorgeous!

Gary, of Duck Creek Gardens, planned to sell some this year. I think he appears at the Farmer's Market on weekends, but he also has a website. I'll link it for you. He is not advertising the Spigelia marilandica, but you could e-mail Gary and ask him.

There is also a new native plant source in Tulsa, but I don't remember the name of it. Maybe someone from that area will pop in here and let you know. I love the Spigelia - it is virtually care free - I don't water or fertilize or nothing and it just keeps on going.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Duck Creek Farms

I have lots of monkey grass taking up space in my front bed, and now I can try moving it instead of just ripping it out. I'm slowly working on the soil, but as you know it takes time. Thanks for the other suggestions, I'll have to look them up.