Since I moved, I have perfect spaces for my first real shade gardens. The bad part is that my house sits back more than 100 feet from the road. Even though I have some pretty stuff in there, it's all smaller plants that really don't say wow from the street. I ran across a pic of Royal Standard which said it gets about 5 feet across. I'd like to find out which others are quite large?
Which hosta are huge?
Hi Badseed - Although mine isn't large yet (I just planted it last year - a newbie myself) - the advice I received was that Sagae is one of the best and is an all around favorite for hosta lovers. You know, comments like Sagae is the one that everyone notices immediately. Another that I got was Sum and Substance, which got great reviews at Bridgewood Gardens (my favorite hosta company). If you want to look, they have a very good rating system - easy to see what you will get. The company is in the Garden Watchdog. - Dax
Hi Dax! I'm so thrilled to have real shade, I don't know what to do with myself. LOL I've started a small collection of Heuchera and hosta and a friend sent me more hosta and astilbe. I bought some Arisaema, bleeding hearts, ligularia and ferns to add to those and the petasites and I still have not started on the front of the garage. :) I've just moved and with the tiny bit of shade I had, I didn't bother with anything real exotic. Now I'm ready for some fun!
Thank you for the suggestions. Of course I didn't see those in the co-op, just checked! I pulled up Bridgewood and will see what they have.
LOL! After reading the intro, looking around, reading their moving story, etc, I went to the catalogue, clicked on S and Sagae was the first S and first *very large*. :)
Sum and Substance is supposed to get pretty big.
Last summer I saw a HUGE spectacular hosta at a nursery. When I asked what it was, they told me Montana aureomarginata. I just got one today in the mail, and I'm hoping mine gets as big and beautiful. It is supposed to get about 5 feet wide by 3 feet tall.
:)
Dee
I have Blue Mammoth which I just divided early this spring - 2 plants became 11 plants and the leaves are already huge on the divisions. It took me over an hour each to dig them. And I had to cut them apart with a pruning saw. They have an impressive spread pretty quickly.
Here is a pix of them at about 2 years old: http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/81287/ They were getting sun-fried as a very old tree had to come down and they lost their shade. So I had no choice on moving them. The one in front is easier to see here.
Oh thank you for the recommendation! That is beautiful!
I was out today doing some rearranging. I can't wait for my plants to get big and fill in. It looks nice with all the colors out there but they are still small. I guess I'll take good care of them and hope for speedy growth. :)
Oh - BTW - I also have some of the Sum & Substance hostas and here - in Atlanta - the afternoon sun WILL burn them, even though most descriptions say they can take sun. Plus mine have never gotten really big like the Blue Mammoths. A hail storm will decimate the S&S. The BM don't shred so easily. http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/40962/
The Patriots do very well in full sun though. and in time they get big.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/6440/
But if you want a quick punch, the Blue Mammoth get big in a short time.
I got my Blue Mammoths by accident. White Flower Farm sent me two of them instead of the catmint I had ordered. That's OK though. The catmint was $5.00 each and the hosts were $19.95 each!
LOL What a very fortunate mistake! I looked at some at Bridgewood but have not placed and order yet. I'll add Blue Mammoth to my list for sure!
Big Mama get huge and Krossa Reagal gets very tall
Here is a cool site: http://www.pineforestgardens.com/
It was recommended on another Dave's forum and I don't have any personal info about their service, but they have a wonderful hosta catalog on line with pictures and descriptions. Very nice!
Big Mama?? That surely is a hosta for me! LOL
Thank you guys so much for all the recommendations! I want to start a big shade garden across the garage next. I think it is 32 feet long. The sun comes up at one end, runs behind it the whole day then goes down at the other end. So there is about a four foot path that stays shady all day every day. I can't wait until there is something to look at besides white! I can't afford to reside the house yet and want to do the outbuildings to match. Everything here is white!!
I did read that Frances Williams is considered to be large and I have about 6 of those but it will be awhile before they size up. I have maybe ten different named ones but all are small. I'm not sure which I have without making a list. I know there is a sieboldiana, 2-3 Abba Dabba Doo, Guacamole, and a handful of others.
I looked at Pineforest! They really have pretty plants. I think I need to get a Ginko Craig since my hubby is named Craig. ;)
I just ran out to see what is in my shade garden. LOL If it was daylilies, I could tell ya without looking!
Here is everything in my shade garden. You'll have to tell me what plants I still need. I figure I can split them later to have enough to share with the other garden and I just ordered a bunch of Hechera, Heucherella, etc.
Have now:
Hostas
Francee, September Sun, Gold Drop, Frances Williams, Abba Dabba Doo, Regal Splendor, Elegans (sieboldiana), montana Aureomarginata, Guacamole and Christmas Tree. I also have a few unamed ones I brought from my other house. They are older ones, plain dark green and one has huge leaves and the other has long skinny leaves.
Other plants
Lily of the Valley which is still potted while I decide if I am brave enough to plant it here, black mondo grass, 2 shrubs that came with the house, pulmonaria Mrs Moon, 4 different Arisaema, 9 Heuchera, Heucherella, and Tiarella with many more on the way, solomon's seal, giant solomon's seal, bleeding heart spectabilis, bleeding heart Luxuriant, bunch of Astilbe (pink I think), petasites, a few types of ferns and Ligularia.
Since the hosta are small-2-3 eyes, would I be better off to plant them all together? Right now I have them all planted about a foot apart in little triangles but I am wondering how long it will take to look like something. LOL I'm trying to move away from scattered areas of stuff and going for big clumps of each thing.
In your opinion, other than more hosta and bigger hosta, am I missing any to die for shade plants? I'd like more pulmonaria but not sure what else.
A really striking heuchera is Ruby Bells -- blooms in a *hot* red, very unusual in the shade garden, and blooms a little later than other heucheras.
There are some lovely ajugas -- a groundcover -- for the shade garden. I like Burgundy Glow, which has interesting variegations of color. (One lady I know says look out, this'll go nuts, but I've got it where I need the ground to be covered under some young arborvitae, and it'd be welcome to proceed!) I'd tend to plant this close enough to a walking/viewing area that it can be seen; with that much variegation, from a distance it'll be hard to appreciate. 'Black Scallop,' on the other hand, has beautifully glossy deep purple to black foliage; looks great with plants that tend toward more golden foliage, like some hostas.
I haven't got a lot of ferns in my garden, but am thinking of using more this year. The ostrich plume ones I have tend to crawl around and sprout up here and there, but I'd prefer it if they would be more confined! I might add some lady ferns this year.
Maidenhair fern does stay clumped, for me. Another important plant for the shade garden is Japanese painted fern and its relatives. I prefer the greater variety of colors in the Japanese painted fern, but there is a variety called "ghost" that is a lot more white/frosted-looking. Both these ferns do need a little stronger light than some others.
A recently introduced ligularia is Britt-Marie Crawford -- very large, glossy, purple leaves when it emerges in the spring, and lovely delicate fragrance. This one has the daisy-form flowers rather than spike-shaped. I think it would look terrific near Hosta Sum & Substance! Both appreciate about the same amount of sun -- dappled for at least some part of the day is good.
Forget-me-nots are wonderful plants, and their flush of blue in May (here) is so welcome; but they go to seed *everywhere*. We had lots of people come and ask for them at the nursery last year when they were blooming in the part-shade garden. And I have them in my garden. But you have to stay alert, that's for sure...
Whew, you got me started! I'd better get out to look around the garden...
I just spent the morning mulching the hosta bed behind mmy house wishing I knew some really big hosta to plant. I come inside for a break and what do I find the answers to my questions. Thanks so much for the info. I heard there is a great source of hosta in Green Bay called House of Hosta. Since it is within driving distance I hope to make it there soon and see. I'll pass on any bigs ones.
Joanic, I waswondering about Japanese Painted Fern and Forget me nots for dry shade. What do you think? I'm thinking maybe the fern but not the forget me nots? I need someone to concur or tell me I'm daft.
Badseed,
We still have some nice Large varieties in the hosta co-op if you're interested;
Abba Dabba Do
Beauty Substance
Blue Mammoth
Brave Amherst
Cascades
Foxfire Flash
Komodo Dragon
Neat and Tidy
Wooden Nickles
Of course these are different sizes of large when mature, but all are bigins
Kelly
Oh look, it's my friend Kelly the hosta pusher. LOL I actually did go back and look for some of the above mentioned in the co-op. I saw Blue Mammoth. I already have Abba Dabba Doo. I think I looked at the Foxfire site and didn't see other ones listed as the largest?
synergy, you are daft! ROTF Okay, I just had to do it. I had Japanese Painted Fern a couple of years ago at my other house and it didn't do well in dry shade for me. It did get bright light but no direct sun and was close to the foundation which could also have affected it. Hosta did well there and Petasites did well close to the downspout. I had no luck with ferns. Some eeked by and some croaked.
Wow Joan! Lots of fun info from you. I really love the Heuchera but I am a sucker for pretty foliage. I think I'll steer clear of Ajuga this time around. I still have to pluck some out of the grass at my other house. LOL It was very happy! I'm going for huge mounding clumps of plants as my house sits back pretty far from the road. I am opening a little nursery in a very rural area and I really need a lot of wow to draw attention. I have a few different types of ferns and also bought a lot of Ostrich and Regal fern. It stays pretty wet over by the garage and they can take off over there and do what they like. ;) I did pick up a pack of forget me not seeds and will sure to add them to the shade border.
Thanks a lot for all of the help!
Not pushing,,,,,just Helping.,,,,That's what friends are for,,,,,LOL
If I find many more helpful friends, my kids are going to have to learn to like grass. LOL
LOL
Badseed, what are Petasites? Thanks for the advice on ferns. Maybe I'll mix them in with my hostas on the back side of the house away from the huge maples.
Synergy, these are petasites. Some call them butterbur. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2758/index.html
I was bad today. Two DG members ended up at my house and three nurseries were involved. LOL I came home with Heuchera Lime Rickey and Mystci Angel, Ligulare Britt Marie Crawfod, NG Impatien Celebrett Light Coral, Euphorbia Diamond Frost, Fusion Glow Exotic Impatien (pretty yellow with orange centers) as well as all the plant the three of us were trading. Great day! I remembered Joan mentioning the Liguaria. They also had Othello and another and I excercised control!! They had several other Heuchera too but since I have so many on the way....
Badseed - You need Hakonechloa macra Aureola, golden hakone grass. Then you need to post some pics of your new digs. ;-)
Badseed - I second the Hakone grass - you'll love it.
Blue Angel is one of my favorite big blues
Wedgewood and Big Daddy are even bigger
Twilight is a yellow edged medium size
June goes well with everything
You can't go wrong with Frances Williams
If you can find it Solar Flare is beautiful - it has ruffled edges on a large chartreuse green leaf
If you want some other things to mix in:
Aruncus dioecus - Goatsbeard
Japanese Painted Fern, ostrich fern, Christmas fern, cinnamon fern
Clethra
liriope - green and variegated
any of the blue hollies
leucoethoe fontanesia 'Rainbow'
astilbe, hardy geraniums, columbine
martagon lilies can take shade
I've grown Asiatic lilies in well drained high shade that never got direct sun.
Chelone and Aconitum as well as the toadlilies - they make a great fall combination in dampish shade
Pulsatilla and myosotis (forget me not) - underplant the hosta with them - they die back by the time the hosta leafs out over them. The forget me nots will re-seed readily - the pulsatilla or sometimes called pasque flower is a perennial that dies back in early summer.
I've had very good luck with the regular old black eyed susans and Monarda Jacob Cline
(red) in shade. The Monarda jumped behind a huge rhododendron and have spread all over the place - much to my surprise.
There are seveal spreading variegated eunonymus that do just fine in total shade -they grow slowly but are evergreen.
Hesperis matronalis - or Dames Rocket - looks like garden phlox but grows in the shade.
Hi Alyrics,
You should post a picture of your Leucothoe fontanesia 'Rainbow' it was stunning! I am unable to find a picture of it on the internet.
I have Marie Britt-Crawford and she's stunning. She will sulk if allowed to dry out at all though. But she comes right back. One of those plants that tells you what she needs. The farfugium (once included in Ligularia) are good performers too. Cristata (or crispata - they can't figure out anything with these plants) always draws a lot of attention from visitors. It's also gray. The spotted leopard variety and the crested spotted leopard variety are also great.
Did anyone mention Brunnera Jack Frost?
A wonderful place for mail-order ferns is Fancy Fronds. They have a terriffic search engine and the owner is happy to discuss the right options for you.
http://www.fancyfronds.com/index.html
And you can get Astilbe at Bloomingbulb generally for about $2.50 each. Not so good public relations there but I've been happy and my deep shade garden now has astilbe as ground cover. Also they carry a lot of cultivars, some as short as 12".
I'll look forward to photos.
Heuchera Creme Brulee and Peach Melba were gifted to me yesterday along with this cool variegated Silene and three variegated geraniums (pelargoniums) among many other neat plants.
Oh, there was a pink flowered Juncus in that pic above too. I forgot that one!
Here is a group shot of Heuchera Lime Rickey and Mystic Angel along with Ligularia dentata Britt Marie Crawford, the new yellow Imptiens, Celebrett Light Coral New Guinea Impatens, Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' a few Dracaena spikes, Plectranthus variegatus and a Calamagrostis 'Overdam'
Close up of some of the annuals.
Again.
Heuchera 'Mystical Angel'
Heuchera 'Lime Rickey'
Wow. What a bounty, you sure have nice friends! I love that heuchera Mystical Angel, I've never seen that before. Sweet!
Badseed,
I'm new here, but how is this for big? :)
Nice nails Golda! ;-)
Funny thing is, I was shopping with Mystic from DG. She can rarely pass up a plant with Mystic in the name. As we were looking, I stood in front of that one and told her she didn't want to see it. LOL Then I told her it was Mystic Angel so we both bought one. LOL
Golda, unless you used a barbie hand for you pic, that is big!! ;) Which is it? I love the bright color of it and the size.
It's Sum & Substance, right? I totally skipped past the new yellow impatiens. Say! They'll really brighten up the shade. Nice soft color.
PrairieGirl has it right, just that S&S is in a shadier spot and not as yellow as others.
Oh, and the nails, well that was mid summer and very little planting going on..you should see them today. LOL
Here is the Hosta sibling and neighbor Sieboldana 'Elegans' (same day, same nails)
That is beautiful too! I do have that one but got it last year so it's not all that big YET. :)