Sunday, July 27, 2008
SHADE GARDENS
We all have some shade in our gardens. Some of us even have more shaded area than we would like. Making the best of the situation, these areas can have a special distinctive charm. It is possible to create an illusion of coolness and quietness, with emphasis on luxuriant green foliage and a splash of color here and there.
Now is the time to plan changes for next year's shade garden . The catalogues are packed with a wide selection of shade perennials for fall delivery. And fall is an excellent planting season here in Sussex County. To create lovely shade gardens take into consideration these three problems that are usually present in shaded areas.
Poor fertility: Plants grown under or near big trees or shrubs are competing with their neighbors for moisture and sustenance. Most tree and shrub shaded areas generally lack fertility because the existing roots take the nutrients from the soil. Be prepared to generously fertilize anything growing under your trees or shrubs.
Some trees are worse robbers than others—maples will impoverish the soil unmercifully. In this case it is best to yearly dig the soil eight to twelve inches deep and grub out all of the roots in the area you wish to plant. The roots will grow back as strong as ever so this soil preparation must be done yearly. The best solution is to yearly replant these dug-out patches with colorful shade loving annuals that will brighten up your shaded areas.
Good color can be had by planting well know bedding plants: begonias, coleus, impatiens, nicotiana, pansy, sweet alyssum, and torenia. These grow rapidly and give fast results.
Dry soil: Trees and shrub roots will take the moisture from the soil. The feeding roots extend farther than their branches reach. Perhaps your shaded garden area is close to the side of your house, either under eaves or protected from rain by a wall of your house. In either case, this problem is easily solved by amending the soil with a moisture-retentive compost. A soil with a high content of organic matter holds water like a sponge. Highly organic soil, generous watering and mulching will help keep your shade plants strong and healthy.
Poor light: The general rule of thumb is that more sunshine the plant has, the better the bloom. Luckily, there are some plants that will succeed in the shade, especially if the shade is not too dense. Having large trees thinned every few years will allow filtered, occasional sun to reach your under-plantings.
Cold hardy bulbs will provide a lot of color early in the year before all of the deciduous trees are leafed out. They will have the sun during their crucial period when their foliage is growing and storing food for next year’s bloom. By the time the trees have produced heavy shade these plants will be going dormant. Spring shade perennials that perform before the trees are laden with leaves are: bleeding hearts, columbine, lung wort, berginia, barrenwort, primrose, brunnera, heuchera, Solomon’s seal, helleborus, hosta (if you don’t have a deer problem) and trillium.
Choosing shade plants which are native to Delaware is another solution to these three problems. While it is possible to collect plants from these woods, many are protected by law. Make certain that you are not taking these plants and you are not trespassing. Some of our local nurseries promote native plants. I’d rather you purchased them rather then get them from the woods. Virginia creepeer, Christmas fern and other native ferns, sweetbox and yellow root are just a few woodland plants that will enliven and thrive in our shady areas. .
There are some smaller native deciduous shrubs that will flourish in our partially shaded gardens. Helleri holly, Virginia sweetspire, bayberry, fragrant sumac and American cranberry and maple leaf viburnum, all do well provided drainage is good.
Small evergreen native shade tolerant shrubs are inkberry, mountain laurel, piedmont rhododendron and creeping juniper.
These natives are usually deer resistant and untroubled by pests and disease.
Where nothing else will grow, groundcovers often will. They will keep down the weeds, cover the ugly bare spots, and lessen the maintenance needed. Ajuga, goutweed, pachysandra, wintercreeper and yellow-root are a few native ground covers.
Happy shade gardening …………………………………..Mary Sue
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