| Author |
Message |
    
Joni
My Weather
| | Posted on Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 05:28 pm: |   |
alrighty folks; this bed has been bare for too many years....so this thing will have a facelift in the next month or so....i broke my back tilling the soil today....ooooohhhhhh my aching back....; anyway, this picture is one done during the day without my trees having leaves on them...and look at how dark it is.....so i will be adding hostas, hostas, and hostas...along with astlibe?? i think is the other shade plant...along with begonias and/or impatiens....uh-oh ...my perenial diet just got squashed....more in a couple of weeekkkkkssss
Joni
- West Texas,
Zone "7"
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Notmartha
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Garden
| | Posted on Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 06:11 pm: | |
cant wait to see what you do-we got a foot of snow today and im so jealous that you got to till!!! im freezing!
Notmartha
- mi,
Zone "6a"
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Lilybeetle
| | Posted on Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 06:23 pm: | |
What fun. How deep is the bed? Hard to tell from the pic - is it wide enough for small hydrangea varieties or azaleas? Don't forget astrantia, dwarf bleeding hearts, heucheras, epimedium, lamium ...
Lilybeetle
- Ontario,
Zone "4B"
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Suzyqt1968
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 09:46 pm: | |
Spiderwort, pulmonaria, columbine, campunula, foxglove, astilbe also take shade and provide color.
Suzyqt1968
- Washington,
Zone "7-8"
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Monique
My Favorite Photo
My Garden Journal
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 09:50 pm: | |
I was going to say..Plse don't forget the Hydrangeas:)
Monique Quebec Zone 5 |
Valia
My Favorite Photo
My Garden Journal
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Friday, March 03, 2006 - 02:05 pm: | |
Vinca if you need some low-growing ground cover.
Also, violets.
And bergenia does well for me in medium shade ... the leaves turn the most awesome color.
All the above are spring-bloomers. And I live in the north country.
I've found a list you might enjoy on a website for Texas gardeners --
Made for the Shade: Well-Adapted Plants for Shady Areas
http://www.klru.org/ctg/shadeplants.asp
Anne, Washington State, Zone 5 |
Joni
My Weather
| | Posted on Friday, March 03, 2006 - 09:28 pm: | |
okay....what do you think..>??? this is what i wish i could have....(in my dreams)...this is jeannes gardenweb program that i bought one also and i LOVE it;
lily beetle asked how deep....it is as deep as i can go....
others suggested hydrangeas....the bed is narrow...i will get the dimensions tommorrow...
as for azaleas...i do not see azaleas in this area of west texas...we have alot of wind and very little moisture ....ie humidity; not sure if they could grow in this area cause it is narrow....also can they grow in shade??
i know i missed a bunch of you with the rest of my comments...i am still researching and am studying b4 i give a stupid uninformed answer....
and while i am at it....i still have this bed to do also:
between the 2 beds i have ordered 4 lorpetulam, hostas 60, astribe(sp)15, and that will fill in about 2 ft and my bed is going to look bare so i gotta keep search and ordering....; this second bed is shade...maybe 2 hours of sun a day....i have never done flowerbeds and this is only my 2nd year gardening....oh this is so exciting, but i don't want to mess up and kill a bunch of plants!!!
Joni
- West Texas,
Zone "7"
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Suzyqt1968
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
| | Posted on Friday, March 03, 2006 - 10:29 pm: | |
Neat program. I need to find it myself!
I would like to offer some reassurance to you regarding your anxiety about "killing" plants because of too much shade. More than likely...you won't kill any of them. They might sit there and look stupid for a while, but that is just your signal to move them into another location and try your luck there. Also, 2 hours of sun is some sun! Don't be afraid of experimenting especially with part shade plants (of which there are many). That west Texas sun is pretty strong!
Suzyqt1968
- Washington,
Zone "7-8"
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Joni
My Weather
| | Posted on Saturday, March 04, 2006 - 05:03 pm: | |
i got that program off ebay for 7.95....and then when i got it ....it had a sams club tag on it...i love it!!!
Joni
- West Texas,
Zone "7"
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Lilybeetle
| | Posted on Saturday, March 04, 2006 - 05:19 pm: | |
Joni, Am I reading your post correctly 60 hostas and 15 astilbe to fill in about two feet????
Lilybeetle
- Ontario,
Zone "4B"
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Joni
My Weather
| | Posted on Saturday, March 04, 2006 - 11:26 pm: | |
no...i am just kidding about that....there is a huge area and those hostas and astilbe will probably only cover about 2 feet of the area.....looking like nothing was planted until 5 years from now..
Joni
- West Texas,
Zone "7"
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Charlenenj
My Weather
| | Posted on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 09:56 pm: | |
Hi Joni. This is my first post, I hope I do this right. Hello everyone. I'm Charlene. I live in NJ (Zone 6) in a small Cape Cod. I had to laugh because just like you Joni, today I was planning what to do with a similar (almost) barren side border. Here's mine:
I was planning on edging most of it with Liriopi Muscari, dangling onto the ugly concrete steps. Behind the Liriope, I will put....well, that's the question. I have a ton of purple Iris bulbs in there I need to divide, but I would like to group them around various non-deciduous bushes or plants that have beautiful foliage -- dark green and also some gold/yellow -- that isn't "strappy" like the liriope. So far, I've chosen Mexican Orange Blossom Sundance, along with 2 daphnes (both Daphne Burkwoodi Carol Mackie) but I'm questioning whether they are too large. I've set the problem out here: http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3kwc8/borderplan2.htm Advice welcome of course!
My border is full sun, so it limits me. If your's has some shade, I just die for that Japanese Forest Grass in the gold hue: Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'. For sunnier sites, there is the similar Hakonechloa macra Alba Striata. Pricey stuff, but gorgeous.
Someone posted about "Jeannes Gardenweb program". I'd love to get that - can't find it on the web.
Thanks all.
Charlenenj
- New Jersey,
Zone "Zone 6"
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Charlenenj
My Weather
| | Posted on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 10:38 pm: | |
Oops. Forgot to add this photo of the same area. Thanks!
Charlenenj
- New Jersey,
Zone "Zone 6"
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Lilybeetle
| | Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2006 - 07:25 am: | |
Welcome Welcome Charlene. Lots to do and see here :). I would consider some clematis here. I have many of the large blooming ones in full sun to cover an ugly chain link fence and they do extremely well. A vertical planting will take the eye away from the expanse of the siding and will take up little room still leaving lots of space for planting to cool the roots. I would avoid hardwood shrubs in any area that is less than 4-5 feet. I find it is difficult to prune them and maintain an attractive structure in narrow spaces. Lots of potential there. Down the road you might even think about removing the concrete walkway, the remaining grass and put in a nice rockery with stepping stones so you still have easy access to the backyard.
Lilybeetle
- Ontario,
Zone "4B"
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Gardenbug
| | Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2006 - 08:14 am: | |
My thoughts exactly Lilybeetle! Too narrow a space for shrubs! Another point to pay attention to is that plants close to a foundation of concrete or stone blocks are starved for water and have mineral leaching into their root systems. Lots of soil ammending and watering is needed, especially for clematis, because erratic watering may encourage Wilt. I can imagine lovely vertical trellis work in this spot with spring bulbs at the base. (Unless you have chipmunks etc...who will chomp the bulbs and clematis! You might need to surround the base of plants here if you have critters like rabbits, etc.-to prevent heartbreak.)
________________________________________
In terms of shade gardening, don't forget ferns!!!! Epimediums, and hostas and lungwort and hellebores and ferns...make a lovely textured area with bulbs like snowdrops and Thalia narcissus added for spring. Other shade plants I love are Dodecatheon, Erythronium, Trillium, Cyclamen, Tiarella...and many more! Shade gardening is my favourite!
Gardenbug
- Ontario,
Zone "4/5"
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Gardenfiend
My Weather
| | Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2006 - 12:10 pm: | |
If you want clematis (believe me, you do), you might consider planting them in bottomless buckets. That way you can provide them with the soil they like and water them more directly until their roots are long enough to fend for themselves. One of my clematis has been growing in a similarly narrow area directly in front of the house (but in the shade) for 20 years, and it does fine now, even with no extra watering.
Gardenfiend
- Germany,
Zone "7a"
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Ratherbgardening
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 02:50 pm: | |
Joni wrote on Friday, March 03, 2006 - 09:28 pm:
What is the name of the program you used? Looks like a fun one to play with!
Ratherbgardening
- WA,
Zone "7 or 8"
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Joni
My Weather
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 11:15 pm: | |
Custom land designer is the program; you can get it for 7.95 on ebay...:)
Joni
- West Texas,
Zone "7"
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Ratherbgardening
| | Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 03:17 pm: | |
Thank you! I'll check it out.
Ratherbgardening
- WA,
Zone "7 or 8"
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Joni
My Weather
| | Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 11:59 pm: | |
ok here is the during.....plants have not grown up just planted....will add new pics later this fall when it is grown!!!!
Joni
- West Texas,
Zone "7"
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