I started a bed for mostly hostas, ferns, and hellebores last year and it's starting to take shape. Here's the thread about it's humble beginnings last year:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/546936/
Thanks to the generosity of so many wonderful DGrs, it's filling up and filling in beautifully.
I've lost track of some of the names, but I have them somewhere, lol.
This is quickly becoming my favorite hosta:
The autumn ferns are doing great!
The one in the above pic is the smaller of the 2 I have, but has 1 of those beautiful, amber colored new fronds. Here is the larger one.
I love this big leaved gold hosta. Could it be 'Honey Bells'?
All but my veggie and berry garden are in at least partial shade. Here are some shade plants from other areas in the gardens. This is Japanese Painted fern 'Ghost'
This is Campanula punetata 'Cherry Bells' at the shadier end of the cottage garden path:
Heucherella 'Kimono'
Some different views of the hosta/fern bed:
Another angle:
More.
I'm very excited to see this happy Bear's claw hellebore bloom next spring!
gem-- you are having lots of success with your new shade bed. Looks great!
Did you have spring bulbs in this bed too?
Thanks for showing us the pics. t.
Thanks t! Yes, lots of daffs, hyacinths, and muscari, and that's where I had tulips in submerged pots (I love the frothy soil there, and so do the moles & voles). There are several helebores of varying sizes in there too. I'm trying to curb my tendency to over-fill it; it's tough for me to look at space between maturing plants, lol.
A Japanese Painted Fern in a sunbeam:
Bear's Claw helebore seedlings coming along nicely:
If that's the space where you had the tulips and other bulbs pictured in the bulb forum this spring you are really getting double duty out of that real estate! Both spring and summer gardens are beautiful!
My new shade garden with ferns, helleborus, hosta, etc. (planted last summer and fall) was ravaged by the deer last week. We are trying triage on it, but I am about ready to give up.
t, which plants were ravaged? I'm doing a bed for a client with a terrible deer problem like yours, and it's in dappled shade. I knew hostas would'nt be an option, but was hoping ferns and helebores would work. Was also considering digitalis, maybe heuchera, and perhaps dwarf rhododendron and pink spirea.
Have you found certain plants that seem particularly resistant?
Well, something yanked the new ferns right out of the ground. And ate them to the roots. Deer hoof marks around the garden. Munched on hosta leaves.
Digitalis are fine. Rhododendron generally get munched in early spring. Not this week.
I have two helebores and they escaped damage.
I have to go out and check tomorrow and see what is out there.
ROX Male says some deer like some things and others other things. She's the deer expert--writing an article for a university paper, I believe, and keeping a diary about her experiences.
I will continue to observe and see what I can figure out!
Thanks t. The area of town where this garden is going is known for having a huge deer problem. A guy with a little landscape co. here in town said the deer in that part of town are a breed of their own. I had one friend tell me they even ate his juniper!
So far I've also added baptisia, Siberian iris, lilac, monarda, and some pungent sages. I see this is going to be a challenge, but good experience.
You've done a lovely job. What a fun project.
Thanks doss! Hope to have progress pics soon :)
Beautiful area you have created...I use DEEROUT on my plants and it has worked very well for me (and we have many deer). My hostas are untouched since spraying as are their other usual snacks. They don't seem to like hellebores. I am trying foetidus again this year after losing it years ago...do you have yours in more limey soil? I also got a variegated one which I am praying will make it.
Oooh, that variegated one is beautiful!
The soil here is more on the acidic side. I've not had a soil test done, but there are wild rhododendron and azalea here, and my hydrangeas if unammended go blue.
