Shade Gardening: Favorite Astilbe?, 1 by snapple45

snapple45 wrote:
Hey folks - I'm back. Had a "time out" for some family business issues, but all is back under control. The tall backdrop conifers behind the pagoda are a pair of 25+ yr old Tsuga canadensis 'Pendula'. They've never been pruned or shaped.

The plant list for the Juniper 'Skyrocket' photo is as follows:

Going clockwise. Back center is Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket' ( 20' H X 2' W in 10 years ). Partially pictured to the right is Taxodium distichum 'Cascade Falls - a deciduous Bald Cypress, grafted. The dark purple mound shrub is Berberis thunbergii 'Concord'. In front of it is a small weeping Hemlock, 'Coles Prostrate' . The two pink shrubs are Wiegela 'My Monet". Between them is a ground hugging creeping gold Juniper - Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode' . The low conifer to the left of 'Skyrocket' is Juniperus x media 'Daub's Frosted' . Behind them as a backdrop is a pair of mature Fraser Firs. The green ground hugger in the foreground is Arabis caucasica - Wall Rockcress. The blue flowered plants are Campanula carpatica 'Blue Clips'. The goal was consistent color without fussy annuals or any short bloom period plant followed by a long period of "down time" and especially any plant that died back. I have done away completely with annuals, except for pots, and any perennial that did not provide color or good texture contrast from spring until frost, with the exception of a tree peony. The first on my list to go were poppies, iris, daylilys, fox gloves and daffodills. Those are beautiful plants but I think they are best admired in someone elses garden or a very large garden that can absorb a few seasonal holes in the plantings.

Pictured below is a 4 yr (here) Cedrus deodara 'Eisregan' about 18'. It came through last winter's -17° temps with flying colors. It's located on the south side of the big hemlocks and firs which obviously keep it sheltered from sweeping winds. This is a C. deodara I would encougare others to plant with the admonition of wind protection. I'm not saying it's necessary, just that I don't know how much protection it truly needs. The needles are a beautiful true frosty blue.

Hey Cindy - Thanks! But really I don't think my small gardens would hold a candle to what you have. Can't wait to see the spring pictures.