Hi all!
We've recently had quite a bit of the land around our home cleared out and I've been dreaming of a cottage garden feel for years. I want to work on a shady area that is well drained and sits next to a very large oak tree. There is an old cattle fence with barbed wire still standing. The garden would be in a large pie shape and I have bird feeders and a squirrel feeder in the area. There is a Glossy Privet that has gotten quite large in the far corner and I'm hoping to keep trimming off the bottom to make it more tree-like rather than bushy. I know that it is an invasive but the birds love sitting in it. I would like suggestions on a colorful shrub - flowers and/or berries if possible - that would not get over 4 feet tall and can take a fair amount of shade. The area gets about 3 hours of morning sun and then stays shady for the rest of the day until very late afternoon when it gets about 1 more hour of sun. I will be cleaning out some horrible Japanese Privets (I've been fighting those darned things for years!) so that will possibly give it a bit more light there. Here is a list of other plants that I have still in pots that I'm considering placing in that area:
Mexican Heather
Lantana - pink/lavender (I tried this variety in full sun last year and I killed it!)
Plumbago - blue
Plantain Lily Hosta
Wide Brim Hosta
Pentas - maroon and pink
Echinacea
Coreopsis
Coleus
Porcelane
Also, are there any roses that can take that much shade? Also what types of flowering vines would you recommend? There is an old corn crib next to the Glossy Privet that is begging for some color. I'm open to all suggestions. Thanks!
DeAnne
P.S. It is currently 95 degrees out with a heat index of 105!!! Not looking much better for the weekend so I will be gardening at 5 a.m. LOL!
Newbie needs suggestions please on shady area
Hydrangea macrophylla Endless Summer™, gets between 4 to 5 feet tall, 3 to 4 feet wide and is suppose to tolerate parital sun. It is a new variety of hydrangea that will bloom on old and new wood so deadheading will bring on more blooms.
And I'm with you! I love country cottage look! On another forum someone was talking about roses that tolerate shade. You might try posting on the plant forum with the heading "Need info on shade tolerate roses". That should draw the knowledgeable people out! this is an web address I just got doing a search for info for you: http://woodlandrosegarden.com/rose/shade_discussion.htm I hope it has some useful info.
Pat
phychw2,
Thanks for the link! I picked up quite a bit of information and have found there are a few varieties that can take shade. I've always loved roses but have not had great success with any except for the unnamed climber that came with the house. That one has a very fast growth rate and I find I am having to constantly clip it back. In fact, I recently "remodeled" my front flower beds about 2 months ago and cut my climber rose all the way to the ground. It is now almost half the way up a new 4' obliesk trellis. The other two roses I have are the old large bush variety and need to be moved to the other side of the house where they will get more morning sun. They tend to lean towards the sun, away from the house, and produce only a few blooms every year. Two varieties of climbers that I am considering now for the cattle feeder is either New Dawn or Darlow's Enigma. The Darlow's Enigma is white and highly fragrant and will go well with my wild purple wisteria so that is my first choice.
As for hydrangea - I will give Endless Summer a try, but I am a notorious hydrangea and bouganvilla killer. For some reason, no matter what I do, those two plants will not cooperate with me. The best shade tolerant shrubs we can grow very easily here are camellias and gardenias. I harvest the suckered babies from my brother-in-law and father-in-law's established bushes and just stick them in the ground or a pot until I decide where to put them.
I will post on the rose forum - thanks for your reply.
The 'shady' rose that I always hear about is Zephrine Drouhin - it's been around for a long time, is a climber with a raspberry scent and nearly thornless. Bright pink blooms.
If you like glossy green evergreen leaves you might want to consider some of the smaller varieties of holly - and the red berries too, of course. Nandina is also an option - it can get taller than 4' but it'll take 50 years, lol. Also has colorful leaves with cold weather.
Nearly thornless is definitely something I can deal with LOL! I looked up the Zephrine Drouhin and it is absolutely gorgeous so I will have to have one of those whether I put it on the cattle feeder or not. Thanks for pointing that one out.
I have been looking for a Japanese Barberry at my local garden centers / nurseries without success. That is a definite for that area of my garden since it is also the area where all the birds gather and I'd like to offer them a bush that has berries and also provides winter interest. As for the nandina - I love that stuff and will probably end up using them towards the front as a sort of edging. I'm trying to create a "natural look" walkway to the pond and the nandina is inexpensive and colorful here. You've sparked a new idea Pagancat!
Sorry to be a wet blanket, but I think the Barberry is also an invasive (you'd have to check for your state,) never mind some of the nastier thorns I've ever dealt with. I think there's a forum here for bird lovers (which you appear to be, lol!), perhaps they can suggest some plants that will attract the birds and not be a problem for you or your woodlands.... do you have water or plans for a fountain? I know that's a big thing for them, along with the berries. You might do some sunflowers for them in sunnier areas - so easy to grow and so cheerful.
I've been feeding my horses whole oats, and oh, do the birds like that! I wonder if the plant is attractive...
Pagancat, thanks for the heads up on the barberry. I will check into that. Yes, I love watching my birds in the morning when I'm sitting there drinking my coffee. I have feeders all around my property and we mostly have hummingbirds, chickadees, cardinals, thrushes, mourning doves, bluejays, wrens, and red-bellied woodpeckers in this area. Our woodlands have been invaded enough with privets that are almost impossible to control. I can spray them with brush killer and they will actually sprout new leaves off of apparently dead bushes! We have to pull them up by hand before they get too large and burn them rather than putting them in a pile where they could possibly re-root themselves. I wish my desirable plants were that hardy LOL! If barberry is invasive, I won't have it - holly would be a better choice although it is not my favorite shrub but if it will please the birds . . .
I do have plans to place a birdbath in that area. The ornamental pond that we do have is too close to the house for the birds. I have sunflowers not too far off from where the birds gather but I planted them a little too late and they are still not producing any flowers. Of course, there is still plenty of time here in southeast La. since it never really gets cool until December and cold until January or sometimes February.
Oats - hmmmm....hope you have a big section of ground you can sacrifice LOL!
18 acres, lol. Should be able to find somewhere...
Another vine you might be interested in is gourds; then you could make more bird houses, lol!
Foxglove is a good shade plant. Mine has done quite well this year, but II do have one question. Should I be cutting back the dead growth on it after the flowers have gone tto seed?
If it's dead, it's not likely to affect the plant much. It's (typically) just the leaves that you don't want to lose, in order for the plant to store up more energy for it's next growth period.
Speaking very generally, of course - I've never grown a foxglove in my life, lol!
Most foxgloves are biennial, so if you want them to come back you have to let them go to seed. If the seed is ripe, you can cut off those parts and break open the pods around the plant and spread the seed. If you leave the seed pods on the plant, the plant will self sow, meaning drop the seeds on its own
I'll have to watch next year, then, or I'll have my hands full with little foxglove plants then, lol! Thanks.
Oh, I hope so! I love foxgloves. Unfortunately, I don't have dirt in the ground and have not had luck growing Digitalis in a pot, BUT I just found out about a perennial variety, Digitalis Mertonensis, so I may try again with that one. I look forward to having a yard someday.
I haven't had much luck with foxgloves because of the heat down here -- I'd suspect it's the same in Louisiana. I have 3 Zephirine Drouhin roses and just love them. Some blackspot, but not horrible. Golden Showers has also done well for me.
Consider bat-faced cuphea -- I put in a tiny one against a wall that gets some morning sun, and it's HUGE. I couldn't believe how well that little plant has done. From an 8" potted thing, it has become a 2' x 4' bush.
Hello from slightly north of you... Baton Rouge! I have several area of partial shade/dappled sun that are currently graced with roses. I can verify that the following varieties can stand up to our Louisiana heat and humidity as well as perform well in partial shade: New Dawn (climbing), Marie Pavie, Mlle Cecile Brunner (climbing), The Fairy, Sea Foam, Iceberg (climbing white), Burgundy Iceberg (newer variety), Autumn Splendor (miniature in large pot and EXCELLENT!!!), and Baby Katie (also miniature in large pot). Others have been added this year, and I can send you an update after they go through their first Autumn and I can better judge their performance. Good luck! :)