Perennials for Shady and Part Shade Gardens

Hi, everybody,

I thought White Flower Farms did a nice photo presentation of perennials for shady gardens
that might brighten up my garden under the maples...and thought I would share

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/perennials-for-part-shade.html

and dry shade

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/perennials-for-dry-shade.html

I hadn't thought of asclepias as a 'part shade' flower, but maybe it is...

I'm trying to start my perennials from seed this year but I always like to look at the catalog pics for ideas. If I do buy from catalogs, though, I always check Garden Watchdog for customer reports...

Hi Tabasco, I have both the Butterfly Weed and Platycodon alba. I really like both of them and they are shaded most of the afternoon. I first saw the BW in Missouri and planted it shortly after. I love it's shade of orange. Maples are tough to plant under. I have Blackberry lily under mine. (Belemcanda.)

billy--I hadn't thought of belamcanda for part shade, either. I have that in the garden already and maybe I can divide it and add more interest under my dogwood and maples...

I am not sure if my milk weeds are sprouting or not now...I planted two kinds, so we shall see. Wanted them for my butterfly garden but will add them to my part shade border too.

I've also grown the annual asclepia. It's neat too because you can choose colors.

I grow astilbe in masses in a space sandwiched between redwood trees and the gazebo - read 'in the dark'. The flowers of the newer cultivars are looking better, the flower plumes age with great beauty and the foliage is outstanding. In fact I have some of the WWF Ironside mix.

They do quite well at brightening up a really dark place as well as in bright shade.

Have you seen yellow wax bells (Kirengoshoma palmata-sp?)?http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/65031/ I have 1 I got from Forest Farm last year that looks promising. It had 1 bloom last year and is in pretty deep shade. Gardening in the shade has been a big learning experience for me the last 4 years. Astilbe, columbine, and flowering woodland plants have become my friends, lol.

I've thought about trying those Gemini. I think they're down to zone 5. My neighbor gave me her old Forest Farm catalog. Lots to choose from! I also want to try Japanese Anemone again. Seems like I lose everything that has Japanese in the title. Japanese Roof Iris was a big disappointment when it didn't make it thru the winter. I also lost the Kalimeris - Double Japanese Aster. I did reorder from another company.

This message was edited Apr 25, 2006 6:28 PM

I have great luck with astilbes in the shade here, and I'm a zone cooler than you. Pulmonarias, brunneras, sweet woodruff, taod lily, hellebores, perennial lobelias, ferns.... the world of shade is full of all kinds of cool stuff! I have a lot more shade than I have sun, and I've gotten to the point that if it weren't for delphiniums, I'd prefer it to sun. I will need to try the blackberry lily!

Ignore the blank dirt in the front of this shot - I had lilac suckers to bad I had to redig the whole section.

What a nice place Sstateham. So cool green and private. I have blackberry lily planted next to the trunk of a silver maple. They do pretty good with the tree sucking up all the moisture. Astilbes do better if I remember to divide once in a while. I seem to be getting more shade than sun over the years. I can grow native cardinal flower and just reordered because they do die out over time. I also grow Mimulus ringens. Pale blue Monkey Flower. I actually have good luck growing delphiniums under 2 walnuts planted pretty close together.

Thanks Billy - we love it here. We're very secluded.

My lobelia reseeds itself pretty well, but last year I put it into the experiment pots for winter sowing. So far nothing, but it's still early. I've really gotten hooked on pulmonarias - I think I'm up to eight or nine different kids. Same with the toad lilies. I got my first one two years ago, and when I saw the blooms that looked like orchids I was a goner. I put in more the last year, and two already this spring. I've had decent luck with delphiniums, campanula, and veronica in part shade. A little less sun seems to help keep the delphiniums from getting too leggy. I also really like tradescantia - it get's dappled light through the bulk of the day, and that seems to be enough. The pic is tradescantia Bluestone and Osprey. What is Pale Blue Monkey Flower?

I love tradescantia too, but I think to get the best show from it I'm supposed to cut it back after bloom, right, sstateham?

No lobelia in my wintersowing project, but I have lots of baby seedlings of campanula (various) so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I am getting excited about planting out our little part shade border. I especially want to put some dicentras in among the hostas--as you showed us on the other thread, sstateham, so thankyou!

They aren't all shade combinations, but I think 'Walters Gardens' pictured some interesting duos on this link.... They show a nice astilbe combination too. And a dicentra.

http://www.waltersgardens.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=gallery.viewCategory&catID=18

I've been interested in Toad lilies too. Seems like no hassle orchids. I've been told the flowers are hard to see.
Monkey Flower is a perennial. It likes damp shade, but its such a pretty pale blue. The blooms are like a snapdragons. I get it from ''Ion Exchange'' in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. It isn't showy, but it's not well known.

Tobasco - mine bloom pretty heavily most of the season, then I cut them back to about 6" and get a second bloom, Not as heavy, but worth it.

Plant the toad lilies at the front - the flowers are small, about 1 to 1-1/2", but they plants are covered in them. This is front two years ago - the plant has easily doubled in size since then. Ignore the garlic mustard in the background - it's the bane of my existance.

I really like the toad lilies. I'm going to have to try them.

I just bought my first ones last week. Polygonatum and Tiarella are other good woodland plants.

I've considered the Tiarella and I have the Solomans Seal that gets a good 31/2' or 4'.

I am very happy with one of my shady beds this year.I grow under live oaks which is a challenge because of root spread.I planted 3 trilliums in the fall and 2 came up.I have 3 varieties of cyclamen,3varieties of Helleborus lots of ferns,Ruscus (very popular in Europe for flower arrangements)and some primroses.

In another shady bed the Platycodon do very well.I sowed seeds of a double I bought from Parks and got about 50% germination.I usually fill in this bed with Coleus as nothing else really does well there.

I almost forgot the variegated solomons seal which has been in bloom for about a month.

This message was edited Apr 28, 2006 6:15 AM

Do the bumblebees love your soloman seal? They go nuts for my pale green blooms.

I wish we had bumble bees around here.The only bees that seem to be in abundance are the carpenter bees.I guess it is because of all the development.At our farm in the mountains the Solomon Seal grows wild but not the variegated variety.There are pleanty of pollinators up there.

These are some of the things I grow at my place:
Acanthus spinosa
Actaea alba --White Baneberry (doll's eyes)
Ajugas
Arisaema's
Arum-Drucuniculus Vulgaris
Bletilla striata-Chinese Ground Orchid
Calamintha grandiflora 'Variegata'
Cimicifugas
Convallaria majalis 'Variegata'
Corydalis
Cyclamen Hederifolium
LOL, I could keep going....This topic is just what I need explore more, I am looking for more summer blooming shady perennials. Thanks T for starting this thread.
Shady

bumble bees like wisteria I can tell you that

I saw the White Flower Farm list when it first came out and I was very puzzled because I would click on the link and find the growing instructions for some of the plants and they were full sun or mostly sun plants - not shade plants at all. I wish I could grow some of those. Be careful of gardening advice from people who are trying to sell plants. So I went back to my extension agent list of plants for shade here it is quite extensive

ShadyFolks - you have some old favorites there also a few I haven't heard of - I will look into them.

Today I bought sweet woodruff, a purlpe heuchera and ajuga.

I forgot to mention, I read about a plant in two different articles over the winter so when I saw it I had to have it. It's called Mukdenia 'Crimson Fans' it is supposed to like moist/pt shade, is anyone familiar with this plant? The picture is stunning of this plant, if the color is just half as good as the picture I will be happy. I am hoping this will be another great shady plant. DG doesn't have much under the description for this plant so here is a link to White Flower Farm who's selling it. http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/34351-product.html

Roxroe- I was in Winchester, VA a few years back and stopped at Weber's Nursery, they actually had a descent selection of shady perennials at that time...tons of Hosta and lots of ferns. Pretty sad that I remember towns that I stop in by the nurseries they have, LOL!
Shady

Shady-- LOL Yes, now I find myself only planning trips that involve an interesting garden or botanical center destination and a few along the way, too. My DD in California is begging me to come out to visit, but first of all I can't bear to leave my bulb garden now and I'm not sure I can get tickets to Filioli when she want me! (Just kidding.) Thanks for the good list of shade plants. I know you have loads in your garden and you're not telling all there, though!

Truthfully, I am so sad about my new last year shade garden. I planted about 25 new ferns, 20 new and rare hostas, lots of tiarellas, arum, aquilegia and little bulbs and very little survived the winter. I am especially crushed about the ferns. I think the area is just to affected by wet, cold, clay soil, too much shade, too many animals, all the bad things...even though we amended like crazy. So, I will have to try again with a new layout and use some of the ideas from this thread.

And, roxroe, I agree, it is amusing to look through the White Flower Farm Catalog and all the pretty pictures and storytelling, and then click on the next link and find a contradiction. It's a beautiful little booklet, but sometimes it is easy to forget that they are the consummate plant salesmen. LOL A great resource, anyway. And I feel like 'Amos' is a relative of mine. (Even though he's probably not a even a real person anymore!)

For some reason I never think of Astilbe as shade plant, but I would guess the short white one would be very attractive with white edged hosta...Shady, your Mukdenia 'Crimson Fans' sounds interesting. Why don't you buy it and let us know what it's like!?

Any more pictures?

This is a little 'stumperie' shade garden at the Cincinnati Flower Show this week.

I love my shade gardens the best of all. I keep expanding them and now I can hardly keep up with all the work, but ah, the joy. I believe I have many of the plants listed in above posts that grow in zone 5a.

Did anyone mention Pulmonaria (Lungwort) ‘Excalibur’ Silver leaves/edged green? Or
Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Atropurpurea?' I love the blue corydalis, but it never survives in my garden; to frail, I think. I love the Ligularia 'Othello' for its deep green leaves with burgundy undersides and stems; the orange flowers can be off-putting to some, but I like them.

Here is one photo of the Kirengeshoma palmata (not in bloom).

Hi Tabasco,
Don't give up on your ferns. Some are late risers, compared to perennials. I have had some for whatever reason didn't show any new growth till mid summer. I had two last year that I thought they were dead, but came along. I am watching them closely this spring. Now I don't pitch a fern until one year has passed, unless I can really tell it is dead. You might be surprised.

Sorry to hear that you lost so many things in your new bed. I know you worked hard and long on that space. Sounds like you did everything right with the area. Can you limb up any trees to allow more light? Did you notice if the area was really soggy over the winter months? Bulbs are not going to like soil that doesn't drain well. So if this is retaining a lot of moisture you may not want to plant them there.

I already picked up the Mukdenia at Hosta College in February and have been been keeping it alive. I need to take it outside now that the nights are staying warmer, and harden it off. Right now the leaves are all green, I am assuming that is because it was forced and that next year will be normal for the plant.

Shady

Golda, what a glorious garden! What's the fern you have growing there?

Tabasco, it would be fun to have you in this neck of the woods - and Filoli is not an excuse! You don't need a reservation for the self guided garden tour. :-)

LOL-- doss, I know...I planned to go out to CA this week but couldn't leave my alliums (and a few other things got in the way), so I think we will go the first week in June to SF and then drive down the coast to SB, LA, and SD. Will probably be in Menlo Park to see friends so may drive by your place to see your front garden! Look out!!

Shady--since I whined about the ferns, I went out and took a careful look and I do believe I can see some life in some of them. I really want my dixie wood ferns to come back.

Hi, Golda--welcome to DG and thatnks for posting the wonderful pic of your shade garden. Now, let's see some more--I don't see your hardiness zone up by your name on the left, but I'm guessing you have a few things in bloom by now.

Tobasco,
Thanks for the welcome. I am in z5CT. I have lots of photos to post and will shortly. I'm in a valley and bloom about 10 days later than my friends about 6 minutes away. Right now I have tulips, grape hyiacynth, daffodils and narcissus, vinca, a few pulmonaria, and primroses. As for trees and shrubs, the magnolias are waning, as is the Japanese plum, and the forsythia is about done. In bloom are the Cercis Candadensis (Redbud), Pear Trees, Peach, the quince (see below), and the Richmond cherry is starting.
The Viburnum Carlisii need a few days too.

Doss, the fern is Maidenhead and so delightfully happy in that spot. The photo is from last year; right now the ferns are just in infancy.

Golda - I don't have Excalibur, but I have alot of other pulmonarias - I love them all - to the point that I can't pass one up that I don't already have! The blue this spring on Silverado convinced me that I will need more of that variety!

tobasco - I love the "stumperie" Back in the woods there is an old elm that came down in a storm a few years ago - i'm wondering what I Would have to do for Skip to get him to move it over the to the shade beds and turn it root-end up for me! I smell a bob-cat in my future....

Tabasco,
How are your ferns doing?
Did anything else finally come up in your shady bed?
Shady

I need to contemplate what seeds to start for next year so I ran a search for dry shade and found this old thread. Just wondering what others are planning for next year in their shade gardens.

I have high shade, and the beds tend to be on the dry side. Also, I have a large dog whom I need to contend with. He'll top out around 150lbs once he finishes growing, and I have yet to successfully train him to Stay Off My Plants...

wrightie... this year i got some Heuchera seeds... i'm curious as to how they will do. I think they are "Fire Fly"
I have some Coleus too ... i think i have one more seed that is supposed to do well in shade... but i'll have to look that up, as i dont recall what it is.

I have a summer place in an RV park where i have mostly shade... and i have a pooch who LOVED to dig when he gets frisky.... there are two areas where i do not plant and even moved the plants out of the area so he has some place to play. I do most of my planting in the front and two sides, where he gets most of the back yard.

at home i dont have an issue with that, as i don't plant much in the fenced yard ... as that is his area... though i do have a few small hostas [i needed to stick them somewhere] and some hensNchicks... but that's it.

I am also in serach of some shrubs that grow well in shade... i'm going back to read this thread to see if there are any ideas.

Thanks for digging this back up again.

Terese

Funny, I just found this on a search for "dry shade" also. I have two HUGE pines in my front yard and an extensive area of dry shade. It's probably 15 ft wide and 30 ft long. My 4 legged monsters are confined (mostly) to the backyard so I don't have to contend with that so much.

I need something to brighten it up, soooo sooo dark. :(

MsKatt... i am planning on adding some "chartreuse" this year... in hostas and probably some Heucheras.... along with some coleus i found seeds for.

Teresa, I love chartreuse in the garden and I am adding all I can find. BEV
This is King Tut.

Bev... i'm getting a few from HostasDirect next Spring... cant think off the top of my head what they are... but i do know;
SunPower, because i've wanted that for a long time.... I know Sultana [because it was the most costly... so i recall the name] GOlden Septor ?? and another one. I also picked up a few of the same for my friends DH... he commented on how pretty Gold Standard was once it went totally chartreuse in the fall. they do not have a lot of Hostas, but he really seens to like them. He's such a cool guy... reminds me of "Fred Mertz"

but needless to day... i can't WAIT... especially after being up there yesterday and all the snow on the ground!! at least i knew all my hostas were in their winter slumber, nicely protected by the snow.

as i was flipping thru the catalogs and browsing images on the internet... i started thinking of the landcaper i got plants from last year... 50% off just after Labor Day. I know they had Lime Ricky and some other great plants.
It's so hard to wait until Sept, but i may just do so.... getting plants for $5 or less is almost worth the wait.

Terese

If I get hostas from the web,Iget them from New Hampshire Hostas or Hallsons. I got Sun Power last yr and Sum & Substance that I just love. Here it is. BEV

this will be my first purchase from Hostasdirect, but i've read good things about them.
I've gotten other hostas from BlueStone Perennials. so far, they are all doing great.

i think there are a lot of really good on line retailers, obviously Hallons -- with all the work they do for the virus and educating folks... I ordered some a really cool plant from them.... 2 of the 3 died [i was devastated] and they did not guarantee them. so that was that.

I also order from FoxFire when Marie does the Co-Op ... they are not the cheapest... but they have really great plants... that is where i got my Northern Sunray from... and when it's in it's "prime" it's absolutely STUNNING.

I bet if you had of emailed Chris he would have made that good!!! He always sends a bonus too. I have looked at Hostas Direct and they do look good. Direct Source is good too. BEV

yes -- i didi get a nice bonus Sedum, since i had purchased other sedum in that order... and yes, i did contact Chris about my dying plants.

this was the 3 images of the plants... like i said.... one has survived.