Shade Garden Under Mature Spruces

I am (have been) working on the north side of my house which is bounded by several mature Norway Spruces. We moved here 4 years ago and I decided not to be overwhelmed by the amount of work needed to get the existing garden beds into shape and to take my time. However this side of the house is also home to our "sitting porch" and it would be nice to have something worth gazing at while we are out there. There is a narrow strip of flower bed right along the porch that is occupied by ferns and potentilla. very scraggly. and a few tiny hosta. the problem here I think is that the porch overhangs this area and so cuts off much of the rain. I notice the ferns (and other items) are growing outside the border into the grass and the area closest to the house is becoming barren (or weedy at best)
Next there is a patch of grass about ten feet wide. It isn't really lush and there are several spruce roots poking up along the ground. I would really like to make a patio there but I am afraid those surface roots would be a problem. (Think they would push up more through whatever material I used) Of course I would really like pavers but am willing to consider alternatives that would be workable and attractive.
Then we have the bed that is actually under the spruces. (It's all really under the spruces but here is where the trunks are) there are some scraggly pale sedum (the ones with the pale pink blooms) and I have considered moving them. There were peonies under there for some reason and they were truely pathetic. I don't even like peonies but I felt so sorry for them that I dug them up and found them a nice sunny spot. They are very happy now. There are one or two flox. the larger end has several daylilies and a few daffodils and one or two crocus. but mainly it's weeds.. or to be polite.. woodland growth..
THe other end has a couple small hosta but it seems the original gardeners plan was greenery. I guess I am hoping for a little more color.. last year I tried a little coleous which was pretty but I really would like some perenials (cuz I am lazy) Also the bed is about 30-40 foot long and well.. I get pooped trying to fill that up with annuals. I had an entire flat of coleous and thought.. yay .. much color.. well.. it hardly made a dent by the time I had spread it out along the bed..sigh.. Also it was pretty overgrown when we got there and the weeds are tenacious. Maybe I should dig it all out and up and start over?
I will try to find some pictures and post them.. ok this first one is from the front but you can see the beginnings of the area to the right



This message was edited Apr 7, 2005 9:30 AM

This is a path I worked on the first year we were here. you can see that the grass actually gets some sunshine.

OK..this looks like another pick of that side of the house.. Oops.. nope.. it's the area right in front.. the tree base showing is a hemlock which went down in a wind storn last fall so there will be some more sun this year

This message was edited Apr 7, 2005 9:10 AM

Here is a closeup of one of the lone flox plants. the leaf miner seem to really like it. you also get an idea of the undergrowth..sigh

OK.. here is a shot into the front area where the daylilies are

The coleous attempt

The lone flox from a distance

Here's a picture towards the porch. No doubt you are wondering how we sit on it an gaze at anything with the large canoe in the way.. I have since made the DH move it.. of course now he thinks it's a great place for firewood... sigh.. MOVE IT!! lol

THis is the endpoint of the spruce garden.. There are a few hosta and a couple roses? there.. ok..whaddayathink?

I'm no kind of shade expert, but rhododendrons, lamium, promroses, and lily of the valley are tough and strong in my shady space.

I have thought of Rhodies but people say they are hard to grow

Really? I have six now, four of them 3 years old and two of them 2 years old. I do very little to them and they bloom beautifully. I water them and I ammended heavily with compost when I planted but that is about it. I was thinking maybe I would fertilize them this year.

Nice to hear! Now, do you know who carries nice ones?

I bought mine locally, at Meijer and Bordines. For this year I ordered some babies in the northern lights series from Bluestone Perennials for good prices. They haven't arrived yet but I expect they will be quite small. I don't think they should be hard to find. Most nurseries around here carry them, but not always very many varieties.

If you get any sun around the spruce trees, it might be a good spot for some spring daffodils...they can perennialize and be a lovely early spring bonus bloom among the rhodies and azaleas... 'actea', for instance, or 'cheerfulness' or little ones like 'jetfire' or 'tete a tete'...

Camellias, Astilbe, Heuchera, Heucherella,Black Mondo Grass - all need shade to prosper.

I second any suggestions to try to get some blooming shrubs in there. Is there any room to add a few small, blooming understory trees??? I noticed that you're in Ohio, too (not far even!) so what about adding a redbud or dogwood along with bulbs like tabasco suggested for spring "umph"???

Also, one of the deals w/ rhodies and azaleas is that they must be protected from drying winter sun and winds. They are broadleaf evergreens and winter wind/sun can kill them by wicking the moisture out of the plants through the leaves. They could be absolutely gorgeous in the right spot, though. Definitely plenty of vibrant color :)

You mentioned that the previous owner seemed to have an affinity for "greenery". LOL -- doesn't sound like you're excited about it :) But, there are many, many different kinds of green. Possibly focusing on contrasting textures, forms, and shades of green could give you more of an "eye popping" garden than you think. Hosta alone come in gold, chartreuse, blue/green, true green, and amazingly variegated varieties. They can take up a lot of space, too, and are largely low-maintenance. A large blue/green hosta with something variegated and something yellowy in foliage color can wind up very interesting.... you know, green is supposedly the most soothing color to look at :)

Hope this helps,
Hugs :)

LOL.. Yes I did make the greenery comment.. But there really isn't much variety. I would love to put at least one of those huge blue rumply leaved hostas in there. And the biggest problem of course is that it is overgrown with weeds and volunteer plants. There are many of those red berry bushes trying to come up and those puppie are HARD to get rid of.. of course then the birds come poo in your flower bed and more germinate..lol.. then there is the milkweed, virginia creeper et al.. There is one plant i am thinking of keeping just because the miners go for it to the exclusion of everything else..lol.
As for the Rhodies we do live out in the country and I am not sure how much wind it would suffer.. but there is more than there would be in town.. All the tree cover is Spruce so the shade would not vary

Just went to store and bought several plants. I bought 4 Dwarf Rhododendrons (Impeditum) 2 Ramapo Rhodies, 4 Europa Astilbe and 4 Palace Purple Coral Bells. Of course in that huge bed it's like spitting into a ten gallon jug but it's a start. I wnt to plant files and someone said that the Dwarfs work better in a fairly sunny location..sigh.. The rhodies are all fairly small ones but that was all they had so I figured better than nuttin. And anyway.. If I have to I can move them right?

That sounds like a great start! Make sure they get lots of water to settle in, as they will be competing with the trees.

LOL.. Last night I was happily posting away here about my new plants and from the next room I here my DH say "I hear a plant drowning"

THis really isn't shade.. or perhaps it's the ultimate shade.. but after a beautiful day here in Ohio (I have the pink shoulders to prove it) this was the ending...

Jazz---I was looking up rhodies for my woodland garden and found this Ohio State site about Azaleas that might give you some ideas... http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1078.html

good luck!

Wow.. thank you so much.. that is a great site. I am thinking I will move the rhodies together,, unfortunately none of mine are on the "good for Ohio" List.. (I am sure that is why Home Depot carried that type..sigh.. )

Well.. Today I moved two of my Rhodies and planted three hostas that a friend gave me. She described them as " a really large green one" A large lighter leaved one" and " A blueish one but not very crumply leaved" I always wanted a blue hosta. SHe told me the one large clump scould be divided into two but I have lots of space and want as big as possible so in it went! My rhodies look happy as they all have lots of new growth

are there any vines that do well in shade.I have a trellis that used to be sunny with climbing roses,but now the pines have created too much shade for them.Need suggestions.

Jazz---Here's another site ("Rosebay.org" produced by the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Rhododendrum Society's) showing lots of pics of shade loving plants that go with azaleas and rhodies--- http://www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/shadegtsi.htm

some of plants are beautiful but subtle--I think I will try some under my trees for next spring--and hope the deer don't get 'em...

Also I visited the Chadwick Arboretum at Ohio State in Columbus this week and they had a very nice display of shady plants underneath spruces, oaks and dogwoods...lots of blue and violet flowers--lamium for one, I think, and some rhodies and of course a beautiful collection of Van Wade hostas just coming on--also gingers, brunneria, and I forget what else--and don't forget to put in a bulb order for some Muscari Blue Spike or some of the other interesting muscaris--and the bluebell bulbs...they had a few of those, too.

If you get into Columbus, stop over there and have a look some day. It's easy to find--just off 315 at the Lane Ave. exit.

Happy gardening. t.

Hi Jazz-
I can't believe I didn't see this post till now. You mention that you would like a patio area, but don't want to disturb roots of trees. Home Depot has some man made stepping stones for paths that look quite natural I saw them last year and they were near their pavers. You could put those together, leaving room for your roots and then plant ground cover between the stones like Euonymus Fortunei 'Kewensis'.
I have to agree with hugahosta a shade garden has everything to do with texture, form, and shades of green. Shade gardens are subtle and lush.
Some suggestion for plants:
First-Fern, Fern, Fern
Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) will grow in dry shade. We have an evergreen on a slope and it was bare underneath. I transplanted these from out in the woods and it looks great. They may not be the most exciting fern but they are very dependable, a work horse in dry shade. I have learned to really appreciate them more over the years.
Oh the textures of differnt ferns, Adiantum pedatum, Dryopteris x australis (Dixie wood fern) (boy would that look great against your porch!) tall fern, Dryopteris erythrosora-red color in spring, Blechnum spicant (needs very acidic soil), Cyrtomium fortunei. These are some of my favorites.

Another work horse in the shade is Epimediums. They have beautiful dainty, very excotic looking flowers in the spring. Mine are blooming now. They will make over time a wonderful ground cover. You could plant fern to come up through them. Another ground cover that really brightens up an area and is more economical is bishop's weed. Although you have to be careful, because if it happy it can take over. It seems like you have the room to have a nice patch.

How about:
hydrangea
Columbine
actaea abla (doll's eyes)
cimicifuga's
carex (sedge) grass like plant
Bleeding heart
Wintergreen (ground cover that likes acid)
Heuchera lime rickey (newer) Terra Nova says it likes PSH to SH
tiarellas and of course
Heucherella's
Arum Italicum
Gingers- for ground cover --Asarum canadense (light green and fuzzy) A. europaeum (dark green & glossy), A splendens (speckled)
Liriope (The all green form will tolerate more shade and forms a dense ground cover looking like grass that is 6" tall) blooms with purple flowers, or plant it as an edger.
Hakonechloa grass (Part shade) all forms are stunning
Hellebores (2005 perennial of the year)
varigated solomon seal
Geranium phaeum is more tolerate of shady area (sun ot part shade) I do not grow any at this point a friend was just telling me about them. So this year I will look into them.
Do your Day lily bloom? how about trying some asiatic lily too.

Have fun shopping! You have a lovely spot! I can't wait to see your pictures as your project progresses
S