Really trying to expand my garden to include things I haven't grown before and are real show stoppers. I have a shady area that I think would work for Fuchsia if they can successfully be grown in Houston. Don't want to have to babysit it all the time though. I am thinking of the type that can be put in a large pot and sitting it in my flowerbed. If they can, I would love suggestions on varieties that work well.
If they won't work, anyone know anything else that will grow in shade, is not invasive, is evergreen, somewhat tall (maybe 4-6 feet if in the ground or 2-3 in the pot because it will be the focal point of that bed), and hopefully blooms. It doesn't have to go in the pot, I can put it in the ground, but that bed stays pretty moist. I know, I don't want much...LOL!
I tried using searching the Plantfiles with that criteria, but I know just because it says Zone 9, doesn't mean that it will grow here.
Thanks,
Sheila
Fuchsia and Houston
sheila, even w/ babysitting, fuchias did not work for me. too hot. moist bed, huh? azaleas should work great, just make sure you fill planting hole w/ amendments if you have clay soil.
This message was edited Mar 2, 2007 2:53 PM
About how much shade?
I've done some reading on shade/heat tolerant evergreens/perennials. This is a copy of some posts I've made previously
1. Camellia ?too tall
2. Hydrangea and Azalea
3. Some of the taller fern plants-no blooms
4. Mock orange
5. Holly olive or Sweet olive (osmanthus) ?too tall
6. Japanese Andromeda
7. Fatsia Japonica (Aralia japonica)
Aralia japonica, but it grows to about 6ft X 6ft with some berries and blooms in the winter
Recommended reading: Gardening in the shade: American Horticultural Society
This is a link to a dry/shade tolerant perennial flower discussion. Reference this if thinking about using your planter option. Some of the suggestions are groundcovers (like violets) but most of plants in the thread would be around 2-3feet tall
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/592051/
This message was edited Mar 2, 2007 10:28 PM
Oh, and if not mentioned in the copied thread link, cardinal flower and columbine both grow well in part shade.
Thanks so much for the ideas. I will have to investigate all of those and see what I can come up with. This area has been a problem. I thought I had solved it when I put a fountain there, but unfortunately with a solar pump, I didn't get enough direct sun to make it run often enough.
I was thinking that azaleas were difficult to grow, but maybe I was wrong about that. There are some that I love, but never really considered them. Same with Camellia.
Sheila