Fall color in the shade garden?

If you've got a lot of room you might let the walnut grow. Mine was 25 years old when I bought the property but it sure makes growing things very hard. Hostas and ferns don't seem to mind though. I have my oaks pruned every five years. Don't want those falling limb problems. Kind of wish I had a little more sun to grow daylilies, roses and iris. It's either feast or famine. :-)

All I have planted even close to it right now are the butterfly host plants, westeria and two europeian ash trees (only 2 yrs. old) a plum tree a little further away but I don't want walnuts falling in the yard either they make such a mess, I already have a large hickory tree and have so much to pick up from that tree not counting limbs all of the time before I mow.

There still isn't enough shade to plant under the walnut, most of it is where my dog is that's why I planted the two ash trees, shade for him when it is gone, just hoping I get a little for plants in that area. I do have other trees in other places for shade for plants eventually and planting more this year.

It's a shame we can't trade 'sun spots' lol I have great sun for daylilies! I have a few.

Do you have any monk's hood and if you do are there any pictures of it blooming? I just planted a few last year and mine are blooming now and they are so pretty and tall if you don't have this plant you must get some :)

I don't have any monk's hood. I believe that they are plants that only go up to zone 8
We don't have enough winter chill for them. Hope that your shade trees grow up quickly for you. I planted some new birch trees three years ago and they sure are taking their time. And they are supposed to be fast growers.

That's a shame you can't grow the monk's hood.

I checked a river birch out at the nursery $200 and they wanted half of that to plant it, it was a larger one, I didn't get it.

I understand that the smaller trees catch up to the taller ones. The three I planted are 'Crimson Frost' and are very pretty.

It just takes them so long to catch up! Sounds like you have some nice trees.

I've enjoyed looking at everyone's pics of shady fall gardens. I especially love the colours of the Japanese Maples, doss. I have a real soft spot for them. Probably because they are borderline hardy for us, especially the dissectums. Last year was my first year at overwintering them. Supposedly the hardiest one of all (Red Emperor I) was the one that didn't make it through the winter. I was told to cut it down to a foot or so and sure enough, it resprouted from the bottom with green coloured foliage, which is apparently the rootstock it was grafted on.

I bought two more this spring. I'll soon have to get out and wrap them with the fleece. All have lost their leaves, except Inabe Shidare which seems to be happy with it's eastern exposure.

I took a pile of fall pictures last year but not many this year. You have to be Johnny-on-the-spot because the peak is just a matter of a week or so, but it sure can be a lovely, if brief, burst of warm colours!

Sandy

Sorry about your maple sandy. It is hard to grow Jm's in zone 4 and I don't know if you had the late freeze that others had this spring. It took quite a toll on people's jm's not to mention their other plants. Here's hoping that you'll have good success this year. You are a zone denier like me. I keep trying to grow hostas and it's just not cold enough for them here. :-)

doss, I've been called many things - but Zone-denier is a first - lol! Tis true, though. At least for certain plants and believe me, I understand your hosta passion. But at least hostas here don't require any zone-denying.

I was also wondering how your variegated ligularia stays so pristine. The slugs love the Ligularias here.

Sandy

OK, that does it! After looking at all these gorgeous pictures I am taking over the WHOLE yard next year! :) Everyones pics are amazing! Now if I could just find me a JRM that I would not have to give an arm and a leg for, I'd be set! LOL

A JRM Misty? You just take over the whole yard and enjoy it.

I use a lot of Sluggo (or generic equivalent) to keep my ligularias from looking like Swiss cheese Sandy. Now I've been doing it for about 3 years and my problem is getting under control. I use it every two weeks during the season. I usually buy it on sale from Garden's Alive. It's cheaper that way - although still an expensive solution. I would use Correy's or Deadline if I didn't have pets.

I want a Japanese Red Maple, I just can't afford to pay that much for them. :( I now have the stuff to start a little green house, so I can just have a hay day with everything! LOL You all should try Lowe's if you are in need of buying something! I bought a cart full of Hostas ranging from 98 cents to $1.37! OOPS, I shouldn't try to get anyone started, huh! LOL

Misty just be sure to keep those hostas away from your others and to be careful not to transfer sap of one to another. Those prices are great but very often places like Lowes have hostas infected with a virus called HVX that is incurable.

Ok, PLEASE tell me more, cause now I am worried! I just sat them on the deck since it was dark and didn't have time to do anything with them yet.

If you go to 'member's favorite threads on this Hosta Forum stickie, you'll see three threads about HVX. If you have any questions start a new thread on the hosta forum. Folks there are always happy to help and they know a lot more about it than I do.

Great, thanks! Also, DH found this and I just had to share it with fellow gardeners! Misty
A teenage granddaughter
comes downstairs for her date
with this see-through blouse on and no bra.
Her grandmother just pitched a fit,
telling her not to dare go out like that!
The teenager tells her
'Loosen up Grams.
These are modern times.
You gotta let your rose buds show!'
and out she goes.
The next day the teenager comes down stairs,
and the grandmother is sitting there with no top on.
The teenager wants to die.
She explains to her grandmother
that she has friends coming over
and that it is just not appropriate....
The grandmother says,
'Loosen up,
Sweetie.
If you can show off your rose buds,
then I can display my hanging baskets.

Happy Gardening.

mistygardener,
I've seen inexpensive small Japanese Maples offered at outdoor flea markets in the spring. I might have to buy a new one myself, after keeping one in a container for years I planted it in the garden and one side died. I had to cut off all the branches on the right side. Hopefully it will put out new growth next year.
This Fothergilla is planted in partial shade and has beautiful fragrant early spring flowers and this lovely red fall foliage. The bare winter shape isn't bad either. You can just see my poor JM at the back left of the photo.

sempervirens,
Unfortunately I live in a small podunk town and we don't have flea markets around here. :( The cheapest I seen at Lowe's was almost 70 bucks for a teeny tiny tree, and I am not about to pay that for a tree. :( Do you know if they are easily propagated? I might see if I can find someone in the area that would help me out. I don't recall seeing any around here, but ya never know.
Your Fothergilla is beautiful! And I can see your poor little JM in the background. :(

sempervirens, what is this Fothergilla? That is beautiful! I want one! Can you send me a link to it I checked the plantfiles but I'm not very good with it it may be in there but couldn't fine it :) I have a lot fo partial shade to fill up.

I gotta run in town but I will b back :^)

The fothergilla is beautiful semp. Here is a maple acontifolium.

I have several seeds to the RED JM, I WS last year but they haven't come up yet, still hoping, I just had some shrub seeds come up from 'Wentworth' just now so I'm still waiting on the RJM.

Gotta run :)

Man! I just drool over this thread doss!!!!

I have got to go lol

those pics are just gorgeous!

Here's a link to the plantfiles Fothergilla
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=fothergilla&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

doss-I went to the hosta forum and posted, no luck yet. thanks, misty

Thanks doss for providing the link for the Fothergilla. Mine is the dwarf Fothergilla gardenii. Some can get quite large and even the gardenii can be variable in size. I have a Blue Mist Fothergilla also with nice blue leaves but it does suffer die back in severe winters. So even after 5 years it's quite small. I have it in more shade to keep the leaves blue but then I don't get as much fall color.
The maple acontifolium has beautiful color and leaves doss.

Got a response on the Hostas that was very helpful! :)
Green house is almost built!

How great that you are getting a green house Misty. Congratulations!

Thanks! I am so excited. :) But now my body hurts and I am cold! LOL

I'll bet. It's pretty late in the season to be just finishing now. Do you have a lot of plants waiting to go into it?

I have tons in the house, kinda looks like a forest! :)

Well, good luck. I hope that you get the greenhouse up and the house freed from the plants. :-)

Thanks, doss, I am sure the other's here in the household are thinking the very same thing! LOL :) We just have the roof and the door left, but I'm not sure I am up for finishing it today. :( I did go ahead and leave my Hardy Banana plants in it last night and it actually seemed to help as the leaves that had been trying to unfurl for days decided to open all the way!

I'm afraid that I'm a fair weather gardener - maybe just spoiled. I admire so much people's dedication to their plants in the winter.

Down to just the door! :)

A roof in one day. I can't wait to hear that it's finished.

Well, I wish I could say it was done, but my truck had to go and break on me today, so we can't go get the rest for the door. I don't think we can haul it home on the Harley! LOL
I will send the pics of what is done, though. There are seven pics total, and the one that you see my "trashy" trash can is the one I made my own soil mixture in.

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