New beds going in... need shady plant suggestions.

We've just finished putting in a ton of flagstone for pathways in our new backyard. We are having the new beds dug around trees and in front of shed. This will be dug out 3", turn over another 3" and 6" of organic compost added.

We're new to the shady gardening aspect, as we moved here from 99% full sun before. We want variety in height, texture, color, etc.

*We want some height in shrubs in front of the compost pile, to hide it from view, then lower plants in front, and a single shrub on right side of shed to hide dead space, but still get behind shed.

*Want Hosta/Fern look (woodland) around trees beside the path

*Want something just inside back gate to left of gate.

*Want a Jap. Maple behind big rock in yard, and something around that.

What are some suggestions for these areas? This area only gets dappled sun all day. NO real sun at all.

Another view...

here's the rock too

view from shed back toward gate

And the final area right outside that fence, off driveway, where kids park... WHAT to plant in this space. Gets maybe an hour of sun... midday. This is what you see when you pull into driveway, straight ahead.

Columbine, Brazos Penstemon, Toad lilies, pigeonberry.

Very good work Mel, for the lower plants you might try Columbine, Ruellia nudiflora, Violets, Golden groundsel, Lyreleaf sage, Pigeon berry, Penstemon tenuis, White avens to name a few.
I know you are a great gardener and I am sure you will make it gorgeous.
Josephine.

Leatherleaf Mahonia is a nice shade-loving shrub. Turks Cap. Frogfruit.

The stonework is gorgeous, by the way.

Carla

I've grown beautiful coleus this year with only an hour of sun.

What can I say, I like Gingers. Hedychium in the back to it some Kaempferia up front. Texas Sage would look good in front of the compost pile. Cast Iron plants are very hardy and would give you something green all year. If your looking for Japanese Maples, then I would go to Metro Maples in south east Fort Worth.

What part of Fort Worth do you live, I grew up in Azle?

I like japanese painted ferns. They brighten up a shaded area and can take a little sun as well are not invasive. Japanese holly ferns are lush and stay green in winter. Also like hellebores. I think I have orientalis which is also a low evergreen and blooms in late winter. Other medium evergreen spring bloomer is Texas Scarlet flowering quince. Also love coral berry. And American Beauty berry. I also have a dwarf version which may be better in terms of height.(trying to layer some babies) Double Japanese Kerria is a nice focal point too.
You have a beautiful pathway. Can't wait to see it as it fills in.

Wow... you guys are GREAT. I will take some time to look alot of these up and digest all of this. LOTS of good ideas. I do have some columbine, ginger, painted fern, but you guys have some other great ideas as well! I do want more of all that you've mentioned!

Thanks... hubby did all of the stone work himself! I think he was Barney Ruble in a past life...

I look forward to learning how to garden in this SHADE! LOVIN it so far!

Thanks~

I have had great luck with tropicals. Colocasia, alocasia, fern, bananas, gingers, ti plants, hydrangea, coleus, hoja santa, heuchera, turks cap, hibiscus and more.

Hi Mel..... Don't forget the Frostweed and Turks cap they do great in dapled shade for the tall plants. Check out on the trade thread for North TX Arlington and see what you can get there. Kenboy I know is pushing gingers and bananas. And I already have loads of Elephant Ears dug and ready to set out if you want some of them, just stop by. If you are needing water plants I have those too.

Thanks... just got back from morning walk, and saw some good ideas in neighborhood. I DO want to put in some Turks cap. I always had them in full sun, but i saw them in afternoon shade. HOW much shade can they take here? I'd LOVE some dwf. Ruellas too... can they take shade? We will be redoing the poolside bed by spring... and it gets sun until 2pm! Might have to keep those in mind.

I will have to investigate Gingers... I have one that is variegated, have it in 2 places, and LOVE it! Are there others??? hmmmmmm...

LOVE elephant ears! have one, want more... oh, have black one too, but it is lanky, just 3 leaves on it at a time, all summer.... wonder if it wants more sun...

I'd love to check the trade thread, but i don't have ANYTHING to trade! The only thing I have an abundance of is dwf mondo grass!!! But we love it!

Mel, you need to give me a call and let me know when you are going to be over this way. I would love to load you up with EEs and mine are different than yours in the pic. I also have the purple dwarf petunias and butterfly ginger I can give you.
As for the hostas City_Sylvia is the one to see about those and ferns. I am sure she will be at the Arl RU. I ordered some hostas from her website last year, then she sent me ferns this year.
I will dmail you my cell number.

I have pink dwarf ruellias and can give you some. I think that they look even better in the shade. My turk's cap also grows in heavy shade.

The variegated Ginger you have is Shell Ginger and it blooms on second years growth, so here we never see blooms. If you are going to the swap in Arlington I have several Gingers and EE I can fix you up with. The only problem is that it is getting late in the year and plants won't have much time to get a root system together before we start getting cold.

Panama Purple;

I have some pink ruellias in mostly shade and they do very well. They flower profusely. This one volunteered in this spot a year ago and it's just as happy as a clam. They also don't require lots of water.

Thanks guys! Can't wait to meet you guys at the swap, if nothing more, just to chat!!! Again, I dont have anything to swap...yet... but if there are ammendments or something... What could I bring to swap???

Having fun learning about all these new things!

My yard is almost all shade. Almost everything I've had luck with has already been mentioned but I'll still add my endorsement. Turk's Cap is probably my favorite, intense color all summer long in very shady parts of the garden. I have both red and pink varieties and the pink is ok but the deep color of the red is much more striking. We just got a hoja santa this year and really like it so far, great tropical look, good for the deep shade. It has gotten pretty big fairly quickly. I've got both pink and purple dwarf ruellia and love them both, they bloom constantly even in very deep shade. Cast iron plant makes a nice solid backdrop. This is the first year my Pigeon Berry has really taken off and it's a nice subdued accent. American Beautyberry adds great color when the berries come in.

TXMel, don't worry about bringing anything to the swap. It's really just an excellent excuse for us all to get together and talk plants. And eat *really* good food. :-)

Carla

American Beautyberry
BlueBean (dead mans fingers)
Currant
Ajuga

Boy our list is getting long! Now, we're just concerned about finding the big shrub to hide the compost pile. All searches keep directing us to Acuba, and one big enough to hide that compost pile is not gonna be cheap!

The guys came today, and dug for just 2 hours, but will be back and dig more tomorrow! The compost/lava sand came! It's such a pretty sight!

You do not need one big shrub, get two or three smaller ones.

thanks DNP, we had the tree guys out 6 months ago to assess the state of our trees. These are tx cedar elms where we will plant around. Yes, we know we cannot change the flare of the trees, and we are NOT changing the watering patterns in the lawn area, due to the heavy shade. Around the trees, we plan to add a few ferns and hosta's, nothing of much density.

ken... i am thinking Standard Nandina's might be the winner... making a "wall" with 3 or so... and graduate the height down in front of those. We do have some existing nandinas behind azaleas in front yard... i bet those things are 7-8 ft tall. Just love the graceful asian feeling they give... and yes, i know that they sucker.....

Thanks guys... you bring up great points.

Keep in mind Nandinas are also a non-native invasive in our area.

I have two Arubas that can stand a trimming if you want to try to get some going from cuttings.

This message was edited Sep 17, 2009 12:51 PM

A big NO to the Nandinas!! (They're not called damdinas for nothin'! LOL) They are extremely invasive and once they get going, almost impossible to totally get rid of except by backhoe.

I knew we'd get resistance on the Nandina selection. If you look for 6 ft x4ft evergreen shrubs for full shade... the selection is VERY slim. 2 to be exact.

YES< I would LOVE to try a go at rooting some Acuba. Our neighbor has a gorgeous 4.5 ft one just off our driveway... only we can see it, and we are thankful for it! Just wish we had another just like it for our yard. :(

There are a lot of "traveling" plants, and we understand... we've considered many options. Nothing is going in yet... the digging is still going on right now... PLEASE stop the rain!!! Really need to get the compost into the new beds and OFF the driveway before it washes away!

I have had Nandinas for years and have never had them to get out of hand in the least. I do get a seedling once and a while but nothing that can't be handled.

Maybe it is the sand that keeps them in check. I had them for about 15 years and finally had a yard crew dig them up. They went everywhere and covered up Everything. Beautiful in the late fall but no longer worth the fight.

You might try Carolina Cherry Laurel, I can give two of those, they make a very good screen.
Josephine,

TXMel, never say STOP the rain! :-)

Carla

Some nandinas are worse than others!

Cherry Laurel... interesting! Our neighbors have something that flowers that I have not been able to ID so far...

as far as rain... we've had over 9" and counting... we need a week or 2 break!

This message was edited Sep 17, 2009 6:35 PM

The thing about Nandinas is that they have red berries all Winter and then they turn black and fall off. If you cut the berry stems off you never have seedlings. I have never cut ours off and we only get one or two seedlings a year and our yard is nothing but compost. Last years compost pile was 30' X 20' X 6' tall. By now it only half that high. Between now and Winter I will spread most of it in the garden and will be working on next years pile. I think Cherry Laurel are worse than Nandinas. I still think Texas Sage would be a good plant in front of the compost pile. Need very little water,slow growing, stays small, blooms.

Ken, I totally agree about the cherry laurel. There are 6 TREES across the alley from us and I pull seedlings all the time, that and hackberry. Were it not for those two I would never have to "weed".

TxMel can I ask a question about your walkways I am in the process of preparing an area that I want to flagston I noticed that you have green between the stones is that a ground cover or is it the existing grass? The rocks look low enough to mow over if necessary. I know I am kinda late in the thread but thought I would try anyway

rucky... sure. The grass is from seed that we planted, for shady areas. It's a perennial rye i believe. We have st. augustine in the backyard, but it is spotty in areas. The rye does better in the shade. Yes, the rocks were laid over prepared, leveled soil, not recessed (for drainage), and filled with loose soil and seeds scattered. We have 2 other paths in same area that we did NOT put grass in, but chose sharp granite gravel. This interlocks in the utility areas of the pathway, (trash can storage area, and side path over to the compost pile.) This is so that we don't have to worry with grass growing there, and a little less maintenance. Yes, the lawn mower just runs over the rocks, and a weedeater gets anything higher. THANKS for noticing.

you did an excellent job I hope mine turns out as well. I'll be really happy if it does. I found a place by here that has pallets of flagstone for 10 cents a pound I don't know if it bad or good deal I havn't looked anywhere else.I like the grass but I'll use gravel because of were it will be hard to mow area. Thats the reason I'm filling it in......................Thanks again for the info...

Have any of you tried Viburnum in the shade? I've got a shady spot where I'd really like something with white flowers, and I've read it will do well but never have seen it or talked to someone else who's grown it.