Your Woodland Shade Favorites 4

Aegopodium in my shade garden is funny stuff. It grows under a tree or two with roots all over. It wants to stick to the ground like a magnet and is almost as bad as Houttuynia which is confined to one garden but is IMPOSSIBLE to remove.

I spent a good part of this afternoon pulling up weeds in the rain. The wet ground makes it easier to pull unwanted roots. I feel like I removed a gazillion Queen Anne's Lace plants (wild carrot) which adds new meaning to spreading your seed.

Houttuynia has been the most difficult for me to remove Cathy. I've battled it in two gardens for seven years now and last year dug all I could find and then we covered two fields with black plastic, which will remain through this summer and I'll check on our progress next May. It's one tough invasive plant. This is just one area where it even went into the lawn.

I was told by one garden club to take a small brush and paint weed killer on the open stem. I guess vegetation killer or RU. I'm just too chicken because there are lots of peonies in that garden.

The reason Houttuynia is so difficult is that it send lots of underground runners and can generate a plant from the smallest piece of root. Anything coming out of that garden gets washed off and planted isolated in a container. There is also lime balm, sage, and oregano in that garden, and I tore out the over-abundant lime balm ( or lemon balm, not sure) and exposed even more Houttuynia. I guess the mild winter had its share of drawbacks. At least one of the Dahlias made it through as did at least one Zantedeschia. This is the first night I'm leaving the Caladiums out overnight instead of putting them in the car. I am sooo tired of that!

Houttuynia sounds awful. I haven't had to deal with it. But I have fought Aegepodium for 20 years, which has the same awful roots but also reseeds voraciously.

In 2010 my helper, Neri, and I painted each leaf with RU while wearing surgical gloves. The pieces did look dead but underground they continued to grow. Each tiny piece does continue to grow, which makes it so difficult to eradicate.

I only dug up the dahlias I liked and lost them all in the basement over winter. So I was stunned to see all the dahlias I left had returned - what a bummer! So I bought two packages and someone sent me 9 so I'll have more than enough.

Happy - I did eliminate the three areas with aegopodium by spraying every other day with RU.

All 110 caladiums, except for the windowboxes on the garage windows (Jack's job, not mine), are planted. I absolutely could not believe the size of Bill's mammoth bulbs. Just look at these five mammoth bulbs! Here's a link to Bill's site:
http://www.caladiumbulbs4less.com/servlet/the-Mammoth-Bulbs/Categories

He also has ads on Classified Ads. Worth sharing an order with a friend or two or three.

Pirl, you've got stamina! I ordered 55 bulbs from Bill, but only 11 were mammoth (Fannie Munson). Some I started indoors. I got other Caladiums, but none were as nice as nice as these. Even the number 1 size were big. If you've put yours in the ground, I guess I can try some inground soon. You are probably a tad warmer than we are. My favorite are Miss Muffetts, but I'm waiting to see how Gingerland grows. I've got a Brandywine still in the house, and the leaves are huge!

Stamina comes before stupidity, you know that! Stupidity for ever planting the dreaded Houttuynia but stamina to dig it up along with hundreds of daylilies and other plants that I potted up until I can plant them again IF the Houtt. is really gone and if there's no Houtt. in the pots. It's a very risky proposition.

Bill's bulbs can't be beat and it's really a pleasure to plant them. Here's his mammoth Grey Ghost, lined up and taking up 17" and, second, all crowded into one 11.5" self watering pot. It should make quite a show. Don't tell Bill how I didn't give them any breathing room but curiosity got the better of me.

I still have trouble figuring which end is up on the caladium bulbs unless there's a sprout on them.

There are times I have that problem. Looking for the root end, which appears hairy, is a help.

Ahh, okay, thanks!

This is a big thank you to Weerobin. He suggested Deutzia Codsall pink, first simply as a beautiful shrub, and secondly as a privacy screen (on another forum). I got three from Forest Farms for $10 each. They were supposed to be 2-3 feet tall but none are less than four feet and one is over five feet tall. They are in bud. I never would have thought of this plant, as I knew nothing about it. And it is perfect.

Wee, you are the BEST!!!!

Donna

Congrats on a great buy!

Wow, they do look like nice plants. They grow well, so should fill in pretty quickly.
Good luck with them.

Thank you both. I'm thrilled.

Donna

Congratulations on your new babies, Donna, they're lovely!! Will you be sharing a pic or 2 once you get them installed? Please??? =)

Absolutely! Ray at Forest Farm was very anxious about them traveling in the heat. One has been planted, and two are in shade. One suffered (AFTER arrival - not their fault) because of the 92 degree heat and I cut it back. But I am about to install number two. The rose was just a treat. I've always wanted it. And now I'm looking for more shade tolerant roses. And shade tolerant shrubs. A whole new world has been opened to me!

Deutzia Codsall Pink is now added to my list of must haves. And Donna, I'd be really interested in any info about shade tolerant roses that you come across. I've started adding lilies and clematis in the shade and would love to start adding some roses too. I'm having great luck with oriental and orienpet lilies, but it is too soon to tell about the clematis.

I just installed Charles deMille, which I have always wanted, but it's once bloomer. I am wary of roses recommended as shade tolerant by writers in sunny climes. I have found, from my own experience, that Marchesa Bocchella aka Jacque Cartier is quite shade tolerant. I grew it under a linden that got huge, and shades the rose quite a bit, and it blooms it's brains out anyway. I put in two here.

I tend to go with lists from northen nurseries. I have been checking out the list of shade tolerant roses at Pickering in Canada.

http://www.pickeringnurseries.com/web_store_shade.cgi?&shd=shade

My limitation is that some of them are only hardy to zone 6, and I'm in 5a, but this should be no problem for you!

Here is Marchesa. The shade is cast over her pretty head for hours every day.

What a treat to have roses blooming in the shade. And nice to know about the Pickering reference for more accurate northern information. I had read that a lot of the more modern roses (David Austin?) like morning sun and afternoon shade. Alas, my orientation here is morning shade, afternoon sun.

It's my new mission, getting roses in the shade. I was emphasizing peonies, but they are unpredictable. I transplanted several, and they all bloomed but one, but you hold your breath waiting for it, and then it's over.

So more roses.

Oh, yes, it's not on their list, but Madame Hardy is shade tolerant too. Alas, another once bloomer! But it glows in the shade. I'm going to get it, too.

I bet that white rose will really pop in the shade!

Not to mention the glorious scent. And the magnificent flowers. And six weeks of bloom. I'll do it again!

Oooo ahhhhh - I like both the Marchesa and the Madame Hardy. Thanks for the pickering link too!

And it looks like it's quite disease resistant as well.

Speaking of Austin, The Dark Lady is listed by Pickering as being shade tolerant. I saw it at the Chicago Botanic Garden in summer. Beautiful - and not a drop of disease.

Amazing--I never heard of shade tolerant roses before!

I never paid much attention until some of my roses got shaded out over the years. Some of them bloom better with 4-6 hours of sun rather than 10. I have several big mature trees in my new yard, and I did notice where the openings were so that I could place them. The blooms actually last longer when they are not so bombarded with sunlight.

The same is true of peonies, especially the early singles.

Necessity is...

Speaking of Austin's, one of my local nurseries is running a sale on them. 'Fraid I can't indulge though but you may be able to find some local sales this time of year over in your neck of the woods.

Oh! Thank you for the reminder.

I got my first Austins during the month of August at my favorite garden center. They were desperate to get rid of them. So they took a $27.99 Glamis Castle and a $24.99 Heritage and blew them out for $9.99 each. Neither had any blackspot or mildew, unlike Evelyn, a rose I thought I wanted, that looked half dead with disease.

I think I'll have a look at a great garden center I pass while shopping. Their roses looked good but WOW were they expensive. I can get roses from Pickering for $15 ($14 last year) with $18 shipping for 3-4, so I don't buy a lot of roses from anyone else!

Donna, thank you for the link to the shady roses. I never even thought much about shady roses before. I have discovered this year, all of a sudden, my shrubs and small trees seem to be huge, and I have more shade areas. Poor planning on my part, but glad to have the places for more shade plants.

Just this past week I picked up several classic shade flowers i.e.

'Blue Wonder', 'Dark Beauty' and 'Gates of Heaven' (all Toad Lilies) + 'Bottle Rocket', 'Little Rocket' and 'Osiris Café Noir' (all Ligularia)

My woodland shade favorite for this weekend will be ME.
It was 108 degrees yesterday here!! Forecast to be the same today.
Even though I'm jealous of everyone else's beautiful sunny perennial borders,
this is when I appreciate having all my shade!

Polly,

I am attending a presentation given by Peter Schneider, the writer of "Right Rose, Right Place" and the author of the combined rose list (every rose available, everywhere). It's on July 7. I am going to ask him about shade tolerant roses. Since he is in Ohio, his climactic conditions are between yours and mine. I'll pass on what he says. Indeed, I'll post it here, and perhaps on the rose forum.

Wee, I hear you! Our full sun house is under contract, and I go there every week to prune roses and pull weeds (our buyers are very nice people, and they love my garden). I went yesterday. And wow, it's punishing in this heat. Being former farmland, there are no trees, and while I have them, just driving around is gross. And I had never noticed that the intensity of the light makes photography difficult.

Whereas, when I came back, I had no problem, in 100 degree heat, in puttering around the back yard, which faces north. It's still a work in progress, but it's coming along fast, considering that I have only been her since December. What's really interesting to me is how many plants I grew in full sun that like shade. Trumpet lilies and orienpets, for one (who wouldda thunk it?) Certain ferns, heuchera, fragaria vesca reugen, polemonium, thalictrum, epimedium, oak leaf hydrangeas, parsley, feverfew and hearty geraniums were transplanted from full sun to dappled shade.

I have full sun on the south side, and that is where I put my sunny stuff. But let me tell you, I am not exactly hanging out there!

I've got to tell you, this shade thing is a real adventure, and a lot of fun. I scout out the places where there are gaps between the 100 year old trees and put plants that need a bit more sun in those spots.

Stay as cool as you can today everyone!

This message was edited Jun 29, 2012 10:24 AM

This message was edited Jul 5, 2012 9:33 AM

Have to agree with loving the shade here. I can't imagine gardening in full sun with weather like this. I've been out hand-catching Japanese beetles several times a day and I can't wait to get back indoors into the A/C. I did have to move my Heuchera 'Citronelle' the other day. It's been exposed to more sun this year since the removal of two oaks last year and it just didn't seem very happy with leaves crisping up and not really putting on any growth. It is difficult to determine if it's the sun or the lack of rain that makes it unhappy so I decided to treat it like an Astilbe - fine in the shade but extra water requirements in the sun.

Today I brought home from work 3 more Coleus to pop into my back shady container garden area. I just HAD to have them, and since we were cleaning the greenhouse up anyhow, and were told to either trash or take home anything that didn't look BEAUTIFUL, I figured what the hay, these guys look like they could use a good new home. THAT'S ME!!! < =D They'll get put into their new homes over the weekend.

Meanwhile, been spending the last few days either outside in the beating sun (yesterday), and today in the greenhouse (where it topped 115 easy peezy). Gosh it's hot! Hope y'all are beating the heat and staying safe! =)

It's been a degree or two over 100 here the last couple of days, and is supposed to be 100 tomorrow and in the 90s the next seven days. Really unusual for this early in summer here in northern KY. I have not been feeling great, since I work outside all day. It seems like I just can't get enough water in me!
Good for you for rescuing those plants--I love to do that!

sissy - for 'Citronelle' you probably have a good point. Some of the other Heucheras (some are seedlings of 'Palace Purple') are also crisping up even though they can usually take more abuse. I do try to look at Heuchera parentage to avoid the fussier plants.

KyWoods, I hope you're faring well in this heat, drinking plenty of fluids etc. I understand the working outside stuff, it can be downright NO FUN!

I'm finding that, in my back "shady area", of all things the Agaepodium (sp?) is really wilting and unhappy! Personally, I don't really care all that much, it's in a pot and it will stay there, or in the trash (don't want it thugging all over the place), but I'm pretty surprised nonetheless. I thought that stuff was really durable. Hmm

Meanwhile, I've "rescued" a couple more Coleus for that back shady area, a Lime Red, and a 4-pack of "Wizard Mix". The Lime Red was getting a bit leggy, so I pruned her, saving the cuttings of course, and now have 3 of 'em! < =)

Slowly as the season progresses, I am learning what will work back there and what won't. Hostas for sure are working, at least the 2 Undulata Albomarginata that I've got, and the Coleus Defiance are thriving too... as are the Setcretia. Next season, more of those 3, in different varieties of course. And probably 1 Astilbe. ;)

I just rescued 2 Endless Summer hydrangeas at a garden center for $8 each. It was very successful in my full sun garden with lots of mulch and weekly watering.

I also, while tidying my old yard, found that a miscanthus giganteous had escaped and was growing into a bed. Viburnum Valley on Trees and Shrubs suggested it for privacy, even in some shade. So I dug it up. Since I was going to buy one this fall, move one hydrangea and buy two (and I was given two hydrangeas by Ralston Arboretum that are quite rare, not frost tolerant and will spend the winter in the garage) I now have a bumper crop of new plants.

And I just realized that I have clumps of lemon balm, some of the size of fairly mature hydrangeas, so guess what's coming out?

I though establishing a new yard would be expensive, but I have my old yard to choose from, inexpensive sources (Plant and Gnome and Pickering) and "finds". This, with my Codsall pinks and wild geraniums, is completely changing a yard that was full of hostas (I did keep some) lily of the valley, ditch lilies, lemon balm, non-fruiting strawberries and the like.

If I could just find a way to get rid of creeping charlie, I'd be in hog heaven.

I always had believed that shade gardening was dull. Now I understand just how little I knew. And this thread has really helped me. Thank you.

Donna