Re: [gardeners] My new shade bed
lneuru (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 25 Jun 2001 20:20:38 -0400
lily of the valley? ARghhhhhh Terry, that's one of THE most invasive
plants I've ever seen.....it kills feverfew and bermuda grass. Be very
careful (= be afraid, be very afraid...)
everything else sounds lovely, though - and the lily is too, until it
becomes too much of a gng.
Lucinda
----------
> From: Terry King <taeking@endlesshealth.com>
> To: Gardeners <gardeners@globalgarden.com>
> Subject: [gardeners] My new shade bed
> Date: Monday, June 25, 2001 6:47 PM
>
> Well it official now, I've earned an Assistant Accounting Certificate and
> have a break from school until I decide to finish my AA. Now I can chat
> more.
>
> Earlier this spring I planted a new flower bed inside the north end of
our
> circular driveway. The area is about 20' long and about 12' wide in the
> middle and contains eight trees, Larch and Douglas Fir. For the past
> several years this spot has been the dogs favorite place to dig dust
hovels,
> so you can imagine how dry and dusty it was. Last summer when I
installed
> our new patio I dumped the soil we dug out in the dog's holes around the
> trees and some friend made a nice rock edging. The edging survived the
> winter and the snowplow so I figured it was safe to plant.
>
> Because its so dry and mostly shady I had a hard time deciding what to
> plant. Finally I decided to look at what grows wild in similar areas in
the
> forest around me.
>
> In the wild dry shady areas here are found Aquilegia canadensis, False
> Solomon's Seal, heart-leaf Arnica, Johnny Jump-ups, Clematis occidentalis
> and Snowberry.
>
> After realizing how much would grow in this spot with a little TLC and
while
> browsing at the local nursery I decided on a motif of Columbines and
hardy
> Geraniums with a few Hostas mixed in to give a woodland feel.
>
> After I added 4" of old hay stems the sheep didn't eat, dry cow manure,
and
> some grass clippings I planted:
> 1 each of the hostas - Big Daddy, Francee, Silver Crown, and Frances
> Williams.
>
> 1 each of the hardy geraniums - Ballerina, Patricia, Bevan's Variety,
> Johnson's Blue, G. pratense 'Victor Reiter'(a purple leaved variety), and
G.
> phaeum 'Samobor'(the closest I've seen to a red flowered hardy geranium
and
> it has zones in the leaves).
>
> 1 each of Aquilegia - Cardinal, Dragonfly, Colorado Violet & White,
Crimson
> Star, McKana Hybrid, and one that is supposed to be Woodside Strain
> variegated with pale blue flowers but is actually a golden colored with
> white flowers.
>
> 2 Mini Star Aquilegia with short spurs, planted along the border
>
> 3 Cameo Rose & White Aquilegia, planted along the border
>
> Then to fill in I planted:
> Lily of the Valley in between the trees but I may have to replace
> with real
> False Solomon's Seal if it proves too dry.
> 2 Dwarf Goats Beard
> 2 Birchs Hybrid Campanula
> 1 Cenataurea Bella
> 2 Little Leo's Leopards Bane
> 2 Royal Purple Corydalis (a purple leaved variety with pale blue
> flowers),
> planted along the border
> 2 Crazy Daisy's (double flowers Shasta Daisy) planted on the
sunnier
> ends.
> 2 Orange Phlox, (its probably too shady and the orange may clash
but
> I had
> to have them and figured this was a place where they would not get
> mildew,
> so far so good.)
>
> Then along the inside edge that will have grass growing up to it I
planted a
> row of Snow on the Mountain - Aegopodium, where if they get invasive the
> trees will slow them down on one side and they can be mowed on the other.
>
> I topped the whole bed with small bark chips and it is bordered on the
> outside by the native river rock edging mentioned above.
>
> All the plants are widely spaced so competition for water won't be too
bad.
> I've been enjoying the blossoms of the geraniums, Crimson Star (the
center
> piece of the bed), Mini stars and Cameo Columbines, Royal Purple
Corydalis
> and the Birchs Campanula. The other Columbine have not yet bloomed and
the
> hostas are just sending up flower stalks.
>
> I may have to move some of the more sun loving plants if they don't bloom
> well but for now all look like they are thriving. I wish I had purchased
> another Francee hosta or two. It is magnificent and looks wonderful
against
> the reddish bark.
>
> I'll try to get a photo sometime this summer and post it to a website.
>
> Terry
> E. WA. zone 4