vigorous, low maintenance perennials that spread

I have to admit that I am getting just a little too old to plant volumes of new perennials in my garden each year. I am looking for vigorous, spreading perennials that grow well in patial shade, or sun. I like only blue, white, purple or pink. Obviously, I would like low maintenance plants. I would be grateful for your suggestions. I also have some full shade areas.
Thank you in advance for your generous help
msmouser

Hi, msmouser,

How about the classic myrtle/periwinkle/vinca with spring bulbs? I have blue camassia planted with vinca and the camassia have multiplied quite a bit in the past 3 years too. (Deer haven't bothered them, either.) Of course there are daffodils that you could plant also that will return in subsequent years. Maybe a bit boring but a classic, especially with flowering trees...Also bluebells.

Mmmm, brunnera, too, but the slugs got mine. Polemonium is pretty.

I've got some new hardy geraniums that like the semi-shade, the trouble is I lost the labels so don't know the names. They are very pretty and seem to like to spread out a bit.

I'm sure others will chime in with loads of good ideas...(my success is rather limited with shade gardening!)

Thalictrum, lady fern (athyrium felix femina), epimediums, bergenia, alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle) ,myosotis (forget me nots) all return well, and spread, on the shadier (not deep shade) part of my yard. Many types of tiarella, heuchera and heucherella do very well too.

I agree about the polemonium. I grew it from seed in both blue and white and it spreads nicely. It looks like a fern when not in bloom, and you get many months from it. And I agree about virginia bluebells, although they go dormant and disappear (had to have them anyway!)

I am in zone 5a, and I have had each of these plants for at least five years.

Donna

Thanks Tabasco and DonnaMack
I never think of vinca that way, but of course, it would be perfect!! I can't seem to keep heuchera living for a long time. Any suggestions/?
msmouser

I know I'm gonna get hate mail for this, but............lamium (think I spelled that right). I sure can't think of anything more vigorous than that. I like the forget-me-nots idea also.

LOL well, I like lamium. On another thread I was just waxing poetic about my lamium that died off on me!

I would only put it in particular garden spaces, though.

Might want to hop on over to the Perennials discussion and look at the thread entitled 'What do you wish you'd never planted!!!' You will either avoid mistakes, or get great ideas, depending on your needs and level of desire to never plant anything else again!

Hey....I love lamiums! They just "shine" in the shady garden! Why not give them a try? ; )

I have to pitch for my favorite Pulmonarias :) They come green from under the snow and bloom with tulips for me, form nice clumps easily and look good the rest of the season with variegated folliage :) I am partial to these, but they do work well with white or pink blooming lamiums and plain green Brunerras.

I was thinking lamium, too LOL. I have Chequers, White Nancy, Hermann's Pride and am adding another one I saw last week that has a tri-color leaf - gorgeous!!! The lamium chequers is the most abundant and fast growing but has not been invasive in my shady garden :)

Pegzhere, I'm curious, what is "hermann's pride"? I couldn't find it on plant files...I'm also always looking for vigorous shade groundcovers....

Here's Hermann's Pride. It is in it's 3rd year in my garden and has been very well behaved. I actually wish I planted it closer together because i had thought it would grow together and look like 1 clump by now:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51501/

Also found the tri-color one I am planning to add:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2876/

Very pretty!

This link is from the DG plant files pages and has both plus a couple of other nice ones on there:

http://www.deerxlandscape.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?p_catid=51

Who would dare complain if these spread? Lovely!

my orchid frost lamium hasn't been invasive, it really looks nice right now, hasn't bloomed yet though. I have planted it under my oaks in hopes of it taking over. My husband isn't to keen on the wild stuff growing in his lawn, but I think it looks nice even if he thinks it's a weed lol:)

Last year I moved into a place with lots of shade and have Ajuga. It's spreading wonderfully for me. I can't do as much gardening as I used to and it is a real help. I have the Lamium too, but like the Ajuga best.

Donna: I'd love to know what kind of thalictrum you have been successful with -- the one that has lived for at least 5 years.

Hey Hap,

Thalictrum rochebrunianum (lavender mist).. It's the only one that endures, and lightly spreads. I've had it for 9 years. The other ones are more delicate or don't persist. My stems are close to six feet tall, and it doesn't require staking or (like the white kind, which I also have) spraying for mildew. I bought 8 plants that have doubled, because it modestly self sows. I'd heve more, but I have other plants in the beds and I dislodge them. I highly recommend it. It's a wonderful plant.

Allan Armitage, the Georgia plant guru, says its his favorite. He also says that it does better in the north than in the south. Does great here. It's one of my favorite plant.

Donna

Sounds like that thalictrum and I might have a future!

This message was edited Jun 7, 2008 10:43 PM

I just planted Ajuga here is the newly planted...chocolate chip

And the 'P torch' that was planted last year before it bloomed(pink)

Lamium maculatum 'Golden Anniversary' from my shade garden. Also known as Spotted Dead Nettle. A wonderful shade groundcover.

Ajuga reptans 'Valfredda' or 'Chocolate Chip'. Another great groundcover for the shade. From my southern shade garden which receives about 4 hours a day.

I can't wait till my Ajuga fills in, how old is yours, northernseasons?

flowerjen,
I bought a 1x1 6-pk 2 years ago and the Ajuga has quadrupled since then. Here's a prettier photo of it.

This message was edited Jun 9, 2008 6:54 PM

Awesome!

I really like Toad Lilies. I have one that is white with dark purple spots. I also have a pink one. They both grow in shade, some dappled sun, and they seem to be spreading well on their own. This is year 2. Last year only a couple blooms, but this year, non-stop since June. I love toad liles.

greenbud - I have been wanting to try Toad Lilies. Do they really bloom over an extended length of time? That would be a bonus! Also, I live in SE Kansas. Since you live in Texas, I assume they will take heat and some drought? Is that right? I saw one blooming in a nursery this summer and thought the flowers were really unique.

have tried toad lilies 3 years running. I haven't seen a single flower but the bunnies are very full.

I planted lamium "Anne Greenaway" and "Golden Anniversary" along with ajuga "Burgundy Glow" in the back "woodland" area of my yard. Three pine trees and a pieris make for some serious shade most of the day. I want the groundcover to spread and cover the entire area, and that will enrich the soil for hosta and ferns if I want to plant those later and I'm hoping will also keep the weeds down.

Like MsMouser, I am working towards a relatively self-sustaining perennial garden that I can enjoy more than I have to work in it. :)

BTW, NorthernSeasons, that's a gorgeous heuchera behind your ajuga!

rdgteacher - Yes, my toad lilies have bloomed continuously this year since about June.(second year in the garden). Year one they were getting established, but they did bloom some. This year they are growing and blooming like crazy. I love the unusual flowers that remind me of orchids. I thought they only bloomed in the late summer to fall, but I guess mine started early and kept on blooming. They definitely can tolerate the heat and humidity here in Houston, but I water the flower bed where they live in an attempt to keep the soil somewhat moist. I try not to let that flower bed totally dry out, but it's happened on a few occasions. Next to the toad lilies, I am growing Australian Sword fern, impatiens, callas, caladiums, a big crinum lily (hasn't bloomed yet), and coleus. I used to have problems with rabbits, but I haven't seen any in my yard in a couple years now. I used to have a bunny family living under my deck, munching on all the bulbs they could find.

I think I mail ordered my toad lilies. I've never seen them in the nurseries here.

Happy gardening to all.

Thanks, ShadePlant. The heuchera is 'Purple Petticoats' from, maybe, Proven Winners. If you like drama in your heurcheras 'Green Spice' is another good one.

Hi, I am new to Dave's Garden. I live in Athens, GA, in a very shady area. We have lots of old dry-stacked stone walls, including a terraced garden made with stone walls. I have tried and tried to get shade-tolerant blooming perennials to grow in it, but they just don't thrive and don't bloom! We are also in a terrible drought, with no watering at all allowed last year but once a week allowed this year. One plant that I absolutely love is Tiarella "Running Tapestry." It spreads nicely but is restrained, has pretty, light pink flowers, and tolerates drought amazingly well. I am thrilled every time a new patch appears! I really recommend it as a beautiful ground cover.

Hi, Ify, and welcome! ~ I agree -- I have Running Tapestry and it is very rewarding. It does run, though . . . .

I have never had the toad lilies blossom before now! Only in the spring. Mine are kinda pretty this year was goung to trade them off, but I think now I will keep them. I couldn't get a very good picture of them only a few flowers are opened. But they are white back ground with purple spots on them. Welcome to Daves Ify!!!! Have fun and explore. You will get addicted like we all are. Ronna

I've always had the toad lilies that bloom in the fall. They're a nice addition to late-season garden. My son gave me some that bloom in summer up in Vermont; they haven't bloomed yet this year in Massachusetts. My old ones are budding up nicely.
My chelones (turtleheads) are prospering in the dampish, shady area behind my big oak tree. I've divided them and put some in our condo's shade garden. They're just past their prime,
If you want spread, try galium odoratum, Lady's bedstraw. It's almost invasive! It is about 5" tall with whorls of leaves, blooms in spring with tiny, fragrant blossoms reminiscent of alyssum.
I also like my foamflower, which will do well in richer soil. The upper slope of my garden has an almost solid cover of leaves. In spring it throws up small spires of pinkish flowers.

How about some obedient plants. They do very nicely in part shade. They spread some every year. Beautiful colors. Ronna

I have toad lilies. It's their first year for me, but I purchased good-sized plants from a woman who sells her perennial divisions at the local farm market. They are blooming beautifully right now. Started opening about mid-September. Lots of buds and nice, exotic-looking flowers. Haven't had the bunnies or chipmunks go after them yet, but my greyhounds make for pretty good pest control. ;)

I also have to second ajuga. My previous garden had ajuga 'Black Scallop' and it grew and spread beautifully. It hasn't been what I would consider an aggressive spreader (although I hear reports to the contrary occasionally), but it seems to take poor soil, lack of moisture, heat, humidity...whatever nature dishes out. I didn't get many flowers this year, but the foliage is pretty on its own. I grew my ajuga beside some sweet woodruff, and it turned out to be an attractive combo. Sweet woodruff will also take dry shade and spread fairly well.

A plant that is one of my favourites and spreads quite quickly without being invasive, (disappears over winter and reappears in spring) is Solomon's Seal. Forget the botanical name.
I have it everywhere, full sun, light shade, deep shade, damp, very dry and loves it all.

Margaret