Suggestions please

18 years ago

I have this one spot that is driving me up the wall!! No matter what I plant there, it either doesn't grow well or I don't like how it looks, I've been struggling with this spot for a couple years. It's between a large patch of brunnera and some rugosa roses, and directly in front of clumps of Chelone. I need something with interesting/colorful foliage to break up all the green, and the soil is on the poor side in this particular spot. Yesterday I bought a pot of ajania, but when I put the pot there it just didn't do it for me. Coralbells fried, catmint is "eh", blood grass looked great but struggled - BAH!! Lamb's ears would probably look great, but there's a large patch of that on the other side of the rugosas, and I don't want to be matchy-matchy.

The darn spot is right in front of my line of vision when I walk out the patio door, too, so I can't just plop anything there and forget about it, because I see it every day as soon as I walk out there.

Any ideas what would look interesting with brunnera, Chelone, and rugosas and be able to take rather poor, fast-draining soil? Like I mentioned, I need to break up the sea of green, that seems to be the biggest problem.

BTW: I have no idea why the brunnera and Chelone thrive there, they just do, probably because they're not as close to the edge where the critters burrow under/behind the wooden benches of the sunken patio so the roots are able to run down deeper - ? . I do have to keep an eye on the watering, though, but the brunnera and Chelone have been fine there for years. But this darn bare spot - UGH!

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Comments (8)

blueangel
18 years ago
Is this in full sun or shade etc
here is a list of what may work,
Artemesia schmidtiana ÂSilver MoundÂ
Asarum shuttleworthii ÂCallawayÂ
Astrantia major ÂSunningdale GoldÂ
Ballota nigra ÂVariegataÂ
Campanula persicifolia ÂKellyÂs GoldÂ
Canna ÂPink SunburstÂ
Canna pretoria ÂBengal TigerÂ
Caryopteris divaricata ÂSnow FairyÂ
Cimicifuga ÂPink SpikeÂ
Coreopsis ÂTequila SunriseÂ (Variegated Tickseed)
Disporum c. ÂNight HeronÂ
Disporum sessile ÂVariegataÂ
Epimedium rubrum
Euphorbia ÂBlackbirdÂ
Fallopia japonica ÂDevons CreamÂ
Fallopia japonica ÂVariegataÂ
Adiantum venustem
Athyrium niponicum ÂBurgundy LaceÂ
Geranium macorrhizum ÂVariegataÂ
Geranium Phaeum ÂMargaret WilsonÂ
Geranium phaeum ÂVariegatumÂ

Blueangel
laceyvail 6A, WV
18 years ago
I'm very fond of Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip'. The tight, small rich purple leaves increase slowly, are easy to control, and it can take considerably sun or considerable shade. The spring flowers are also a bonus, with one of the richest, long lasting blues of any ajuga I've seen.
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Donna
18 years ago
How about Japanese Painted Fern?
jennypat Zone 3b NW MN
18 years ago
How about some pots? Plant up some pots of various flowers, in great colors (the pots) then change them out over the season.

Or maybe a type of sedum? I have some hen and chicks in a spot like that, they love it there and thrive beautifully.

Jenny P
kimcoco
18 years ago
I had Japanese Painted fern up front last year (almost full shade) and we watered diligently, probably TOO much. But our JP fern LOVED it. This year, we cut back on the watering up there and they've hardly grown, so I had to move them to an area in my back yard that is watered more frequently and the soil moist. So, if you aren't planning on watering diligently, don't bother with the ferns, IMHO, but they are very, very pretty plants. I don't think they'd do well in full sun.

I also have Ajuga Choc Chip - supposed to be very forgiving plants that can basically be abused once they're established. Pretty too, nice and compact and fill in nicely. I have mine on a south facing wall, I have to supplement with water when the soil dries out too much, but they do fine and seem to be quite happy.

Perhaps Bergenia Bressingham Ruby is another option, if there's enough sun. ?? Though it won't break up the green until fall arrives when it turns red (I'm thinking out loud as I'm typing).

Silver mound does great for me in full sun, but I find it boring and I'm thinking of tossing it. LOL

Good luck!
porkchop_z5b_MI
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for the suggestions!
tiffy_z5_6_can
18 years ago
There is a small version of Achillea which I bought last year and I've grown fond of. Planted in an area with very poor soil among the crevice of boulders it has done a great job of impressing me with it's performance. The foliage is silver and thick. Did I say thick?? It grows to 1.5 feet with the flowers which are a nice pastel yellow/ivory but not a gawdy color. The base is a nice clump and does not run. This is a photo of it in the gardens at the end of July and it still looks pretty much the same right now. The blooms have staying power.

{{gwi:259847}}

I don't normally recommend this plant, but this one is a keeper. It's compact, has nice foliage which stays all season, and the blooms have good staying power as well. Oh, and it grows where other things fail...
janicej11
18 years ago
Tiffy - Do you know the name of this Achillea??