I need some #garden #yeggarden ideas for a mostly shady/partly sunny flower bed. I'm working on amending the soil, but where it is, it doesn't retain moisture very well, so does get dry.
Currently has things like creeping Jenny, hostas, a bleeding heart, and some lilies that don't do well and are going to get moved. I usually plant some marigolds & violas, but they don't thrive.
I want to try some climbing flowers with some support posts. Ideas for zone 4, mostly shade climbing flowers?
I'm thinking along the lines of morning glory, black-eyed Susan, sweet peas, maybe scarlet runner beans? Or should I try more perennial like Honeysuckle? Not sure how each of these tolerates mostly shade/part sun. Would not plant all of these, it's not a huge bed.
What do you think?
@ECityMom Morning glory does not do well in shady areas. I've tried. Even if the soil is warm enough for germination, they don't get big. It was a wonder when I finally planted them in full sun last year! I can't see scarlet runner beans doing well in shade, either. Sweet peas you can try, if it does get at least a few hours of direct sun a day. They do at least prefer to stay cool.
And yeah, honeysuckle as I mentioned in my other post. Perennial means you get much bigger impact much faster.
@ECityMom For non-vines, if you can find Solomon's Seal (perennial, grows shoots 2-3 feet tall) it does well with dry shade.
The other flower in the photos yellow archangel (a type of dead nettle, taller and not as dense as Lamium maculatum), which will spread but is easy to pull. Lamium maculatum is another option, so pretty for something so hardy, but they will smother other small plants, even the creeping Jenny. Also some muscari bulbs & some periwinkle, although it doesn't thrive.
@ECityMom I've got a honeysuckle vine (Lonicera) in half-sun that is doing so vigorous that it would probably be OK in thicker shade. It's a Dropmore Scarlet, considerably more hardy than the Mandarin honeysuckle I have beside it (which still survives, but loses some of the above ground vines).
Only flowers for a few weeks in late June / early July, though, and the flowers are only "scarlet" relative to the mandarin one.
Highly popular, Lonicera × brownii 'Dropmore Scarlet' (Honeysuckle) is a vigorous semi-evergreen climber with masses of stunning, flaming scarlet, tubular flowers that open to reveal orange throats. Produced in succession from early summer to fall, they eventually give way (in hot summers) to small, bright red berries. Magnets for hummingbirds, the cheerful blossoms contrast nicely with the semi-evergreen foliage of rounded blue-green leaves. Although not fragrant, this honeysuckle makes up in color and still is a terrific garden plant. It will happily cover walls, fences or pergolas for a striking floral display.
We have a dry shade garden, it can be a challenge.
What has thrived in ours:
Perennial geranium
Solomon’s seal
Ferns
Daylily
Bleeding Heart
Also doing ok:
Euphorbia / Cushion Spurge
Hosta
Ligularia ‘the rocket’
Spirea
Anemone
The geraniums spread on the surface if they’re happy, and are a good way to fill a space, but they’re also very easy to control as they don’t root deeply. If you’re in NEyeg sometime and feel comfortable sharing contact info I could share some, we have lots!
Also, the city has begun their free compost giveaway, you can go to any Ecocentre and fill a 100L container (that’s a big garbage bin). You can generally go back as often as you want too (the limit is just to prevent abuse)
WanderingHuman 🇨🇦
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