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shade

Landscaping with Shade: Garden Beauty without Much Sun

April 26, 2017

When it came to gardens, my father showed no favorites. He tended his shade gardens with as much attention as he did his sun-filled gardens. Comparisons are odious, he liked to say! Why not see if there is a spot where you can tuck in a shade garden this summer? 

Before you plant
Determine how much shade your garden gets, and if it is moist or dry. Is the shade dappled or deep? Is the area shady all day, or only in the morning or the afternoon? Remember not all shade comes from trees! Roof lines and nearby structures also create shade. 

What to plant
Shade gardeners have plenty of choices, and they aren’t only green foliage. Plan a garden that incorporates native shade-loving plants with showy blooms to create a stunning garden from early spring through the first frost. 

Perennials—the exotics
Hostas (Hosta spp.) come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Because there are so many to choose from, they are perfect for shade gardens. Their flowers provide stalks of color beginning in mid-summer that are beautiful in floral arrangements. Beware that these plants are a favorite deer snack.

Heuchera and hostas fill woodland garden
Hostas in a variety of colors and sizes
Deep shade on garden slope.
Hostas and ferns line path on steep slope

Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii)—sometimes called false goatbeard or false spirea—have fern-like foliage and elegant plume-like flowers that create fountains of color ranging from white to pinks and reds. Astilbes do best in loamy, moist soil.

Of hellebores (Helleborus spp.), David Colle wrote in Fine Gardening magazine: “You simply have to love a plant that braves what nature throws at it and can still show off from February through May.” Often referred to as the Lenten Rose, these evergreen perennials can tolerate dry shade and require little attention. They are a favorite of aphids, though, so be sure they are well-spaced with plenty of air circulation.

In September and October, the long-blooming freckled blossoms of the toad lily (Tricyrtis spp.) appear, providing a spot of color until frost. “Some, such as Tricyrtis formosana, have their blooms clustered at the top of the stalk, like daylilies. Others, such as Tricyrtis ‘Lightning Strike’, have their flowers marching down an arched stem,” according to the Chicago Botanical Garden. These plants like moist soil rich in organic matter. Toad lilies are another plant that deer love.

Astilbe_Jeff Hart_CC BY 2.0_Flickr
Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii)
Hellebore_amdougherty_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Hellebore (Helleborus spp.)
ToadLily_Tricyrtis formosa 'Gilt Edge'_Sarah's Yard_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Toad lily (Tricyrtis spp.)

Perennials—the natives
Be sure to purchase these native plants from trusted nurseries that do not collect them from the wild!

Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum), named for the Old Testament’s wise King Solomon, is lovely from spring through the fall. In April, look for creamy, bell-like flowers hanging from arching stems (1 to 6 feet tall). In the fall, the plants sport blueish-black fruits that are favorites of birds. Solomon’s seal grows moderately in clumps.

Miniature blue (sometimes lavender or white) crested iris (Iris cristata) put on a show in the spring. They are deer resistant and can thrive in partial to full shade.

Masses of trillium (Trillium spp.) bloom in the forest understory along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the spring. Known as the trinity flower, because of its three leaves, the flowers range in color from white and yellow to pink and burgundy. 

Solomon's Seal_Jett Brooks_CC BY-ND 2.0_Flickr
Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum) with hosta
Crested Iris 'Eco Bluebird'_Drew Avery_CC BY 2.0_Flickr
Crested iris (Iris cristata)
Trillium Trio - UWGB Arboretum_Tim_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Trillium

Ferns
They come in all sizes, shapes, and textures—from lush, tall Christmas and cinnamon ferns, to low-growing, gray-shaded Japanese ferns, and delicate maidenhair ferns. Many are native to our mountains, hardy and—in most cases—deer-resistant.

New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) has fronds that grow up to two feet and makes a lovely addition to any woodland garden. It spreads easily in acidic, organic-rich soil.

Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)—named for its fronds that resemble feathers—is a hardy, deciduous fern that produces “fiddleheads.” It prefers heavy, moist soil and plenty of shade, although it can tolerate some light.

Fossil evidence puts the royal fern family (Osmunda regalis) in the Triassic period. They like wet, rich soil and plenty of shade. Their feathery fronds often resemble flowers, hence its other name—flowering fern.

Maidenhair spleenwort’s (Asplenium trichomanes) name doesn’t do it justice. This petite evergreen fern (just 4 to 7 inches) favors moist, but well-drained rock crevices, making it perfect for rock gardens.

Japanese painted ferns (Athyrium nipponicum) really do look as if an artist’s brush decorated them in subtle tones of maroon, green, and silver gray. They are an excellent choice in shade gardens when you want to add a touch of low-growing color. 

Ostrich Fern_Hornbeam Arts_Cc BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Maidenhair Spleenwort, Asplenium trichomanes_J.Maughn_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
Maindenhair spleenwort fern (Asplenium trichomanes)
JapanesePaintedFernShadeGarden_mwms1916_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Japanese painted fern (Athyrium nipponicum)

Bulbs
Naturalized daffodils (Narcissus) make for beautiful spring sightings in a forest understory. You can create the same effect in your shade garden using a variety of bulbs from very small to big and bold. Unlike tulips, hyacinths, and crocus, deer and rodents typically don’t eat daffodil bulbs because they are poisonous. 

What hidden beauty does your shade possess? The possibilities are endless.

Article written by Janet Moore, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

For more information on each of these plants, go to
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu and search by plant name.

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Categories Shade Gardens Tags astilbe, bulbs, crested iris, ferns, hellebores, hostas, shade, shade garden, Solomon's seal, toad lily, trillium

When will my young dogwood bloom?

April 28, 2013

April,10 011With so many dogwoods in bloom at the moment,  it is difficult to be patient for new landscape trees, like dogwoods, to grow mature enough for blooms.   In our landscape, there can be various causes for delayed blooming.    Just as genetics, nutrition and the environment all determine the growth of humans, so do they affect plants.

Trees started from seed take longer to bloom than those started as cuttings from older trees. The cuttings are clones so their cells are more mature and typically might bloom in two or three years. Seedlings will naturally take longer – typically 7 to 10 years.  Maybe one of the parents was a late bloomer anyway,  so that’s just nature’s way.

To a tree, nutrition means sunshine, soil nutrients and moisture.   Understory species in a forest sometimes have to wait for years before the canopy above them opens up to let in enough sunlight to spur their development.  Shade can certainly be a factor.   Often our open land has been repeatedly farmed or grazed in the past so perhaps the soil has been badly depleted.  Low levels of phosphate, potassium, or calcium will delay flowering. Fertilization would be the ticket in this scenario.  On the other hand, we can feed a tree too well..  Too much nitrogen can lead to lots of top growth and leaves but little inclination to produce flowers.

So, as you plan your landscape choose plants to match the environment that you offer.  Have a soil test made and fertilize and lime accordingly.

Article written by Glenn Palmer, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

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Categories Trees Tags bloom, dogwoods, genetics, nutrition, seedlings, shade

How much sunlight for a vegetable garden?

March 11, 2013

July,2010 007Six hours as a bare minimum is the common answer, but most crops really need eight hours. I have always wondered though what time of year that meant. If you have a spot that gets those hours on June 21, the longest day of the year, it may well be that you’d get something less by the end of August…just because the elevation of the sun and the length of day has changed.

If, on March 1, you had six hours to the northwest of a big maple tree, what happens when that big tree leafs out? You might have enough time for an early garden of peas and greens starting in February, but the main crop, the beans and corn that grow from May into September, may suffer.  Don’t kid yourself.  If there’s not enough sunlight, your veggies won’t be happy and neither will you.

So here’s a suggestion. Make a plan of your homestead. Show anything that may cast a shadow on the area you’re considering….including trees, buildings and ridge tops from neighboring properties. Then, early in the season, say mid April, devote a day to charting the sun’s progress. Draw a line separating sun from shade each hour, and mark it so you can identify the time later. At the end of the day you should be able to outline the area that gets the most sunshine.

Check again in late June, and, for fall crops, again in mid-September to make sure you have got the whole picture. You may be surprised how much the sun exposure changes during the year.July,2010 005

Keep in mind though that time may change the picture. Times do grow.

 

 

 

 

Originally published in the Asheville Citizen-Times, 1/20/2005. Article written by Glenn Palmer, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

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Categories Vegetables & Fruits Tags shade, sunlight, vegetables

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