What are some of your favorites for shady woodland areas? I have sandy loam and dry shade beneath maple trees, which can be a challenge. I posted three of my favorites for that area to my blog today: http://petiolejunction.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/shade-loving-woodland-perennials/
There are tons more that I love, and I'll be writing more on the topic in the future. Please share some of your faves and tell us where they grow best. :)
I can't speak to your growing conditions--it's hot, humid and heavy clay soil around here. But I LOVE the name of your blog! Toot Toot!! Janet
I have a corner lot with spruce trees that are 20 years old. The limbs are trimmed up to 5+ feet so I get some sun.
Soil there is clay under a 5 inch base of finely decomposed mulch.
The former owners mulched constantly ,they didnt garden much.
I have Hostas,Astilbes,Lilies, Ferns.
https://picasaweb.google.com/jgentle4/GiantHostaGarden2010
bariolio, thanks! I'm glad the name makes sense to anyone. ;)
And ge, how pretty! I have my hostas and astilbes in the front yard where my dogs won't stomp on them. (I have my woodland area fenced off with a short fence that the greyhounds didn't used to go over...until the shiba inu puppy showed them how.) I've had to keep the sturdier stuff in the backyard and I've moved most of the hostas (except the undulatas and other oldies that came with the house) up front.
Ohh brother dogs.
My hellebores are my favorite, they flowers before anything else and they are evergreen. Some of my hellebores get less than 2 hours of sun a day, and still they thrive.
They dont mind a little sun, They are so forgiving.
I love hellebores, too. I wish mine would show signs of life this year so I can go out and get some photos. I really need to collect some of the double flowering varieties.
I'm rapidly becoming addicted to Hellebores. I had no idea they were such an awesome plant till I started growing some.
I planted one last year and this winter I noticed a seedling beside it. I'm surprised there isn't a separate forum for them.
I love mine. New plant for me too.
I have a feeling I'm going to become a hellebore collector, myself. I have a couple of no-name single varieties (one rose pink colored and one white with burgundy speckles) but I drool when I see the double ones and all the lovely colors.
I got my first bloom yesterday. The plant's not even leafed out, but already it's busy blooming. :)
Very nice!
I like the fact that the blooms hang on for a long time too. AND the deer that ate my heucheras in my woodland garden didn't even touch the hellebores.
Doug
Hellebores arent supposed to appeal to deer. They ate my Heucheras too. Never happened before.
I also have never seen deer damage on my hellebores.
Here's a patch of mine from this past weekend.
My yard is 90% wooded, so woodland gardening is pretty much my thing.
Hellebores are certainly one of the reliable plants which thrive in these conditions,
despite fairly dense shade, root competition from all the surrounding trees,
and being smothered all winter with wet/frozen fallen leaves,
WOW I do love those red ones.
weerobin, are they that dark red, or is that a trick of light? I have some that are a dark rosy pink and they look similar, but I love that dark color.Gorgeous!
I was just looking through the Klehm's catalog at some of the hellebores. I don't think I'm quite ready to spend $25 on a single plant, but...it's tempting.
Check out Pine Knot $20.00 for big fancy double plants.
12 bucks for singles in 3 inch pots
Thanks for the tip!
This is my Pineknot order.
Wow, what huge plants. Very nice!
Anyone know of a fast-spreading ground cover that would do well in full shade? The only ones I know of are slow-spreading. It's for a steep slope that's mostly clay.
Creeping Jenny. Its faster than the Lamiums I have. If your planting it in a place you never intend to plant anything else.
KyWoods--vinca minor is another fast spreader for a slope. Both vinca and creeping jenny are considered invasive by more than a few people, though. I keep them only in areas that are confined or that I actually want completely covered. A shady slope where little else grows? I say go for it.
We do have creeping jenny, too, but not much is up yet this year. And I forgot about the vinca growing down by the creek! It's in bloom now, do you think it's safe to transplant some, or should I wait?
Thanks!
I doubt you can do any harm to those plants. Go for it.
Thanks, I will!
Vinca would work great to stabilize a slope, but preferably not within the same zip code as your garden!
Cindy, I never fertilize anything. Not out of conviction, just laziness or oversight.
As for red hellebores, I planted them a long time ago, and no longer remember what type.
But they have thrived and multiplied nicely, typically retaining the same deep red color.
Here's a more modestly hued hellebore for those with less flashy taste.
I know the name of this one; it's called Party Dress.
That 'Party Dress' is a nice one. Is it a double? As for the fertilizer, I'll try doing a little top-dressing around it with some compost or worm castings and loosen up the soil a bit. Although the soil was originally amended years ago, it tends to revert back to it's original crummy state.
I LOVE that red hellebore!
Are those safe from deer?
They didn't touch mine when they devoured the heuchera.
Deer dont like Hellebores yes.
Great, thanks!
Here are some plants in my woodland.
These are all from yesterday.
First is one of my faves, anemonella thalictroides.
This is a double pink called Shoafs Double.
It has been a reliable performer for years.
Don't be fooled though by my picture - flowers are really quite small.
But oh, so cute!
Arisaema
Leucojum is still blooming. This is Gravetye Giant.
A variegated disporum sessile.
Here's a tiny (just 2-3" tall) polygonatum (polygonatum humile).
I've been trying to make a groundcover from it, but as you can see, not very effectively yet...
But I think he's cute anyway.
