medium-sized plants for part shade

17 years ago

Hi all,

I am slowing filling up a bed in our front yard that was just weeds and bearded irises when we moved in. I need some help for the middle of the bed. I just read Mindy's instructions for requesting garden design help, so will try to provide all the relevant info!

Short form of question: what would fit well in between Annabelle hydrangea/holly at the back of the bed, and lamium/geranium rozanne in the front of the bed? My only idea so far is heuchera.

Long form of question:

In the back of the bed is an Annabelle hydrangea and a standard pointy-leafed holly. Both are fairly small now (Annabelle is about 3', holly about 2'), but I plan to leave them there and let them get big.

In the front of the bed is some lamium red nancy, which I just divided so it will fill in. I'm planning on adding some geranium "Rozanne" behind/between the lamium. Along one edge are the irises, which I don't love in the bed but they are nice in spring, so I am living with them for now.

So I need some medium-sized plants to fill in the space, about 3 feet wide and 8 feet long, between the shrubs and the low front border plants.

I'd like some kind of color interest, whether flowers or foliage, that is not just plain medium green. I don't like red flowers, but otherwise I'm open to anything. Most of the other flowers in my gardens are purple, blue, pink, and white.

The bed gets a couple of hours of sun around noon, and is otherwise in dappled shade. Our native soil is 100% clay, but the bed is well amended (and full of huge earthworms). We have an irrigation system so it's consistently watered.

The bed is in the front yard up against the house, bordered by a drop-off to the driveway (the house is on a hill and the driveway is street-level) on one side. So we're mainly looking at the bed from the sidewalk, and the bed itself is on a hill about five feet higher than the sidewalk (with a good stretch of lawn in between the sidewalk and the bed).

Thank you!

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Comments (11)

laceyvail 6A, WV
17 years ago
If deer are not a problem, I'd go with hostas--perhaps some of the chartreuse or yellow ones, and I'd choose ones with really big leaves. BTW, is there really enough sun for 'Rozeanne'?
topie
17 years ago
I've had good luck in similar conditions with:
Variegated Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum "Variegatum") A pretty plant even when not in bloom.

Variegated Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans "Stairway to Heaven"). Also nice both in bloom and when not in bloom.

White-blooming bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis "Alba"). We planted one this year and it was very pretty. Best to plant this one behind some ferns, as the foliage may decline as the summer goes on. There's a gold-foliage Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis "Gold Heart") that may also work for you in this spot.

I second the hostas, maybe in combination with some ferns.
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sergeantcuff
17 years ago
Have you considered japanese anemones? They are blooming now in my garden. My favorites are Honorine Jobert(white) and Margaretee (dark pink). The foliage is low during spring and summer but when blooming are 3-4' tall.
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
17 years ago
Unless something has changed drastically, if you had enough sun for bearded iris, you have enough sun for practically anything. So the real question becomes more what do you want?
Lalala (zone 6b)
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for all the suggestions so far! I do covet japanese anenomes, and hadn't thought of solomon's seal/jacob's ladder. I have a bunch of hostas in my back gardens, so maybe I'll see what needs dividing and would look good in front.

As to the questions about light: I do think it's a little shadier than the bearded iris ideally like, though they have bloomed both years that we've lived here. I moved them into the sunniest part of the bed, but the parts of the bed where I'll be planting are a bit shadier. It's shaded by trees, so maybe the iris do OK because they get lots of sun early in the season before full leaf. Not sure about whether geranium rozanne will do well there. I have one rozanne in another bed that's definitely not full sun, and it's doing just fine. I'll make sure not to put it in the shadier area.

I'd love any more suggestions--thanks again!
mayhem69
17 years ago
I just bought 4 Endless Summer Hydrangea last week and LOVE them! They only get 4 hrs. morning sun and are thriving in their new home. They will bloom from June to Frost. They do best with morning sun and afternoon shade. They get about 5ft. x 5ft. but can be easily pruned to any size smaller.
Lalala (zone 6b)
Original Author
17 years ago
We actually have some endless summers on the other side of our yard and they are doing great! I don't think I want to prune it down to the size necessary for the other bed, but thanks for the suggestion; they do well in my light/soil conditions.
arbo_retum
17 years ago
as i'm thinking about your question I'm imagining the space, and realizing that 3' x 8' is about the size of a sofa.I'm thinking you need bold visuals- rather than small fussy foliage-to play off the all-green back wall and to be seen across a distance from the walkway.

I am thinking a small variegated weigela, which blooms a long time,along with a small deep purple presence- a patch of purple perilla or a mini dk. ppl.weigela or your ppl.heuchera idea.A 3-season patch of Yellow (that would also play nicely w/ the rozanne) could be provided by carex Bowles Golden or Hakonechloa or golden Tradescantia____ which would provide you some spiky form in the midst of mounded shapes.Also helpful for shape and color and height variety- would be the tall yellow flower spires of kirengeshoma and the ppl. foliage w/ white floral spires of cimicifiga black negligee. you might like 1 or 2 peonies next to your iris.
best,
mindy
Lalala (zone 6b)
Original Author
17 years ago
Wow, Mindy, great suggestions. I agree about the bold visuals given the site of the bed. All of the varieties of color and texture you're suggesting sound wonderful.

I have some plant scouting to do now!
arbo_retum
17 years ago
don't forget to put your zone and location onto your I.D.
so we can all help you better!

here's a link to my thread about that!

best,
mindy

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/peren/msg091559169387.html?9

Here is a link that might be useful: link to GW post about adding zone and location to your I.D.
Lalala (zone 6b)
Original Author
17 years ago
I did put it in my original post, but just followed your link, and hey, look, it does it automatically now!