Nothing grows in dark corners
By Fergus Falls Daily Journal, Minn. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
There was still shade, once the spruce was removed but the area was no longer deep, dense, and dank. A trip to the nursery resulted in a car full of plants Petunia had only dreamed of having. Her neighbor
Now, what to plant. It seems many shade plants are mounds, think of hostas. To make a planting interesting you need color, contrast and texture. More vertical, and/or flowering plants are needed. Think ferns. A hybrid called Ghost is a standout. The deep burgundy mid ribs contrast with the silver sparked leaves of this Japanese painted fern. Another vertical little used plant is our native Solomon's seal. The variegated cultivar has a bright green oval leaf with a thin yellow white edge. For color, try one of the hellebors. They take a little TLC to get going as do many long lived plants but the spring show is worth it. They can be pale pink, dark pink, white with pink edges, or yellow with orange or red tips. Eventually the clump will be about 2 feet wide and 18 inches tall with blooms up to 3 inches wide. Astilbes, a frothy spire of blooms, come in white and shades of red and pink and from 2 to 5 feet tall.
Another plant with texture is Canadian wild ginger. A cultivar to look for is Asarum Saruma. It gets 2 feet tall and has a showy, soft yellow flower that starts in late May and continues off and on through June. The native Bloodroot has a similar leaf shape. It also blooms in May with round white flowers held above the leaves. Both plants stay green all summer, unlike some spring bloomers. Spring bulbs can give that corner a bright start. Daffs and the minor bulbs will be done blooming by the time the trees leaf out. For fall color, look to Toad lilies, an ugly name for an interesting flower. Plant her where she won't get killed by an early frost and she will bloom in September. The flowers are carried up and down an arched stem and spotted as a freckled redhead. A more durable cultivar than most is Tricytis hirta.
There are many other flowers and foliage plants available for that dark spot in your yard. Limbing up trees to introduce dappled shade will give you a larger selection to plant, especially if you want blooming plants. You don't have to relegate those dark corners to toads and their furniture.
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(c)2014 the Fergus Falls Daily Journal (Fergus Falls, Minn.)
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