NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN FOR JANUARY 2, 2016
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SHADY PLANTS
BY GLADYS JEURINK
The spring catalogs are
now arriving, giving us plenty of time to decide what new plants we
want. Many of us have various degrees of shade and need to find the
right plants. There are some
beauties out there! I ordered seeds of a new flame red CELOSIA
(Cockscomb) and they have arrived. It is fluffy and soft looking
compared to the big sturdy heads, we are used to. It is a sun plant
about 2 1/ 2 feet tall.
Under my Crab
Apple Tree, which is trimmed up to head high, there are PULMANARIAS,
which are sometimes called LUNGWART. They are not very tall (8-14
inches) and among the first to bloom in the spring. They are fun because
of their spotted, sometimes fuzzy leaves and blooms, and are loved by
bees. The blooms can be of a number of colors: blues, reds, whites, and
pinks. The foliage is the most interesting and lasts all summer. They do
seed themselves but do not spread far away.
Different species will have different markings.
They make an excellent groundcover under shrubs or trees.
If you want
something larger, about 3-4 feet, that likes an acid soil, the shrub
RHODENDRON. They are grown for their huge blooms. They are not the
easiest to grow in Nebraska so takes a little “baby sitting”. Roots
spread out close to the surface so can dry out in a dry winter requiring
water on days that thaw out. Zone 3 is their northern most zone so a
little protection helps them along in winter. They keep their leaves in
winter so the north side of a shrub or building gives protection from
wind. They are usually not
long lived here except for the PJM variety.
Many do not like hot temperatures so check their zone range. PJM
has smaller blooms that cover the shrub in early spring. The two I have
are lavender to purple and have been on the north side of the house for
many years. Foundations are
alkaline so you need to use Sulfur each year to reduce the pH.
Easier to grow
are BLEEDING HEARTS (Dicentra sp.). They like moist, fertile soil with
humous (compost), well drained, and neutral to alkaline soil. (Mine in
most places measure about 7.2 pH.) The stems snap easily so be careful
if you try to divide them after they go dormant when hot days strike.
The red, pink, or white hearts dangle from a large curved stem.
We always think
of grass as a full sun plant but there is a moisture shady loving one
with long dramatic striped leaves that likes it under my
big COTTONWOOD TREE (Hakomechloa sp.). The leaves are bright
yellow with green stripes forming a wide clump only 12 inches high
making a good edging for my chunky bark paths.
Many of our
early, small, spring bulbs will bloom in spring before the trees can
spread their leaves completely. Several of these become dormant during
hot weather. SNOW DROPS (Galanthus sp) will be one of the earliest. It
needs to be near a path or area in which it can “show off” as it’s a
small white flower (2-3 inches tall). Be careful planting bulbs among
tree roots. One can plant
each one in its own little hole without harming roots.
Adding soil on top of tree roots has been known to kill trees.
For a ground
cover without blooms GINGER (Asaram sp.) does very well. Usually not
more than 8-12 inches high with deep green, glossy and marbled leaves,
they can fill in a difficult space. To find the dark brown flowers one
has to hunt under the leaves. Ants carry the seeds to different areas. Copyright 2015 |