Growing under douglas firs

I have many large douglas firs in my yard and so I am always looking for things to grow where it is so dry; you really can't water enough to sustain some things. I have discovered a few things that grow well but I bet some of you have great suggestions.

Well Doug firs are better than cedars. Most of heronswoods gardens are planted under doug firs. Euphorbia robbie is a great ground cover but there is a nicer one called Orange grove that is very pretty and tough. Good luck Heidi

Vinca and St. John's wort work there, if you are seeking a simple ground cover. My limbed up Doug firs allow some Rhody's to live there without much attention ....evergreen huckleberry is another resident ..... montbretia .........

HTH

Many of my raised beds are full of everything you can grow in Montana under fir. All you have to do is add soil and compost to get the soil to hold moisture and nutrients. Anything thrives in soils under fir. Please note that I limb mine up about 6 to 10' to allow sun to reach the plant. Oh I forgot we have sun here where you don't in Oregon. LOL

Soder, Your mind and your garden are admirable.

Wow thank you for such a honor. I appreciate it. I have spent the entire day preping and chiping compost for the spring soil ammendment to the 6000 sq ft of new woodland beds this early summer. This is my current getting ready stuff that was partially cooked when I used my debris loader to shred it. Lots of soil going good this year.

Mmmmmmmm. Looks tasty.

Here's a picture or two of the memorial garden at the Episcopal Church in Redmond, WA, where we just had the Green Elephant plant exchange. These are all under a "grove" of nicely limbed-up firs. I'm sure they'll keep up with the watering for the first few years to get the plants established, but after that, they should be fine.

I have nandina and star magnolia growing under my fir tree in the front yard. Not my doing, but they've probably been there for 10+ years and don't get any help from me.

Hellebores

Ribes sanguineum (flowering currant), hamamelis, leucothoe, sarcococca are the shrubs

Carex is used heavily for impact. There were hellebores. And hydrangea petiolaris being trained up a tree.

So it looks like you can do just about anything if you get your soil just right and water until things are established.

There were actually a few acer japonica in there, too. They didn't use the traditional rhododendron or azalea, but you could use those, too.

Here's the climbing hydrangea getting started. They've tied it loosely up the tree, but we were remarking that the hydrangea had already started to "stick" itself.

I loved this garden and will go back to visit often. It has mature trees and shrubs, but they are still small and will change quite a bit in the next few years.

that is a beautiful garden. That grass gives me an idea for the work I'm doing at St. Andrews. Jeff want a border of some kind around his dahlia bed (soon to be cutting garden for the retreat). Patricia

I have been planting under Firs, Cedars, and Alders just started this last year, and everything I have planted must like it they are showing there little heads, so far so good. I have Hostas, Hellebore, Daylilies, Honey suckle, Jasmine, Astilbe, Liriope. Delphinium's, Geums, and many others. all mix in around the trees. I do during summer have to extra water, and have been adding sawdust and compost to the soil. the sawdust helps to retain moisture.
Heres a pic of Woodland. Last year

Heres a pic now, not every thing is up but the buds are there, and have planted allot more. There is no problem planting under any kind of tree, just know the plant you put there and what it likes.

Or what grows naturally under fir along a stream.

Steve, That is so cool, JLI
Where is that?

My DW and I escape up to this small river near the Canadian border about an hour from our house. It is a beautiful riparian area that is wonderfull to camp and fish. Last time we stayed here we brought home a pak rat in the car. That was hard to get out. Another picture of the area.

Sofer, had it made a nest in the car? Beautiful area!

No I heard it just after it got in and opened the hood and saw it trying to grab its tail and it dissappeared into the car frame. I heard it running around in the door and wall of the car. He must of jumped out cause he was no longer in there when I got home. I left the car running with the door down and attempted to kill him before he could eat all of my electrical wiring. But he never showed up (smelled).

Well you were very lucky the wires were intact.

I was sleeping in an old camper during deer season about 10 years ago and a big pak rat jumped on my face as I was trying to ignore him rustling in the closet with all of his junk. But that was too much I reflexly threw him into the celing and he left me alone. When I got up in the morning and ate breakfast with some montana natives I told them that they were quite funny. They said what did I mean and I told them of the pak rat. They loudly said you slept in there with a PAK RAT! I thought it was a common experience cause I had just arrived the year before. Guess not.

That reminds of the time me and my DH , where camping on the Hoe River in Forks, Left the windows down in the truck, with a bag of potato chips on the front seat, Went for a hike up the river and came back to the biggest mess in the cab of the truck, The crows got to the bag of chips and had a heyday, and later that day we had a squirrel get into our bed in the back of the truck. Lesson learned, don't leave windows or doors open while camping.

Always lessons learned when we get back to nature.

Love Nature, and all Gods little pests. LOL

Steve - do you know what's growing out of that fallen log?

Katie my guess is willow.

It does look willow-like - almost varigated, though, which you don't always see in nature.

That reminds me - I've had french pussywillow growing for about 4 years out here. And this year I have my first pussy willows. Yippee!!!

I love the little fuzzies!

I was facinated with the biodiversity of the fallen log growth. Yes the bush is willow, the variety of mosses was immense, lichen, water cress in the submerged areas, several algae stringing off the log, salamanders, frogs, snakes, a whole world of "world" in one little log. Pill bugs, worms, small trout underneath, insect larvae, fallen leaves with a batch of some spores underneath, ferns, unknown holes drilled into the rotting cedar from some species of who knows what, Centipedes, the list is endless. That is why I never get an early start on my canoeing adventures because there is too much to observe before the tent dries. The sky was full of Bald eagles, and ravens. Warblers were singing in the deep forest beyond. (my favorite song birds) Mists of evaporating waters, lifting off the water, in the areas of cold shadow. The snap of broken twigs in the distance from some unknown creature. It is always a wonder being trapped in the wilds of Montana. This is Bowman Lake nearby. We were here the day before.

Great picture, you gotta love natures mirrors!

Save that one for the photo contest, Its got my vote
nice Steve.

Some photos just take the breath away - this is one of those. Thank you, Soferdig.

We paddled out on that glass and our wake was kind of neat. We paddled up to a camp site at the other end of the lake that night. It is a trailhead for a steep climb called Brown's pass. A switchback for over 5 miles up to the top of the continental divide in Glacier park.

Speaking of growing under douglas firs has everyone seen the hosta coop? Mine love it under my doug firs. Here is the link http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/815988/#top

Yes lets get back to the subject. Sorry. I have used raised bed mostly under doug firs. That way the roots are not dammaged when I plant over them. Also they get to grow up into healthy stuff.

hi!
you might try jap. spurge. good hardy ground cover with white flowers. easy care. artemisia good in shade too along with some iris.