Shade garden - YES

I have a shade garden too and was glad when I fell on Dave's Garden site and this forum. I have Nandina, Hosta, Pachysandra, Vinca and Liriope, and then I plant Impatience all around in the summer. (I'm sure NONE of my spelling is correct) -

What are some more ideas - I have pure clay soil.

L.

I forgot to add - I have fairly wet clay soil - until mid August of course when it dries up and I have to water.

This message was edited Sunday, Apr 7th 12:38 PM

You mean I'm not the only one coping with both shade and clay?

I put some oenothera in this spring. They don't seem to be too unhappy as they're busy producing babies all over the place by underground runners. Should have a much nicer display next year although I'll probably move them... LOL

Ostrich ferns also sending up offspring. I plan on mulching heavily with the autumn leaves and working compost in whenever I can. Right now I'm burying garden clippings in any bare patches and covering with a potted plant until the green stuff has had time to decompose. Hopefully I'll improve the soil bit by bit this way at very minimal cost.

I have several beds, all with differing degrees of shade and am finding that each one has its own personality with what will flourish there. Will have to make up a notebook for next year. ;o)

WOW What a great idea - burying leaves/clippings/not quite done compost all the time. I'm going to try that!

I looked up oenothera and also Cimicifuga - and I am going to do both. Seems like they will give some variety to the area. Looks like the Cimicifuga can go in the back by the fence - since it is tall.

I'm not a big fern fan - I don't know why.

I've just put in a deck about 8 inches high and was going to split my 3 large hostas - green with white stripes - to go around the deck - what do you think?

I am so glad I found this site!!!

lrmdell, I put in my first hostas this year, so I can't give you any advice from experience. Should look good though. You could fill in the spaces with annuals till they are bigger.

Oh, myosotis palustris - a perennial forget-me-not, likes damp soil and is very happy in my shadiest, dampest bed. It spreads very nicely and stays very low, so is great as a flowering ground cover.

Have fun.