Shady Garden

20 years ago

Well, I just planted the old back veggie garden into a new shady flower garden. You know all the dirt I dug up for the water feature? We just do not have any place to put the dirt so I said to my hubby, no problem I'll just plant flowers on the pile!

We smoothed it off a bit, made a path and spread fresh dirt on top ot the pile and I sprinkeld a can of shady flower seeds all around.

The other day we laid a block patio in front of the red shed, then I talked hubby into another drift wood fence, this one is not funky like the one up front, just sorta ordinary. I'm thinking this fall or next spring I will thin out a hosta that is huge near the edge of the house and put some of it along where the patio is.

I sure hope some of the flowers come up and bloom. Oh yes, I made an arbor well, sorta you know two really tall pieces of drift wood attached across the top as an entry into the garden.

Anyways, my question is what should I plant at the base of the arbor that will grow real tall and bushy and in the shade most of the day and late afternoon sun.

Leasa

I will post pix after we go back to the beach for a couple weir polls to finish the fence. Gee, I love free beach junk.....

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Comments (10)

angelcub
20 years ago
Hey Leasa, I'm not sure what would work in your zone but I do like the sound of all you're doing. How about some lilacs? You definitely have the cold for the traditional species. What are your afternoon temps like in the summer?

Of course, there's always a rose or two that will work. : ) Do you grow any of the Explorer series roses? I've heard lots of good reports on them from rosarians in your zone.

I'm sure someone in Z5 will come along soon with better suggestions. I'll be looking forward to your pics!!!

Weir polls? (quit rolling your eyes!)

Diana
downeastwaves
Original Author
20 years ago
Diana, thanks!

Well, We have loads of lilacs as a fence between us and the neighbor to the east.

The space is not too big, I think the roses that run wild around here, Regosa sp?, would take over the whole garden! In Eastport it is HOT, I mean HOT when the temp reaches 75 and that happens at least twice a summer! We are still running the furnace! I'd guess the average temp is around 65 for most of the summer. We get a cool breeze off the water all the time. The water temp is cold, with a low of 33 and a high of 54 for the year. we do get some fog also.

I hope someone will give me a suggestion of a vine or something to grow up the weir polls.

No eyes rolling! just a chuckle!! A weir is a sorta fish cage. the fish swim in at high tide and can not get out at low tide. We have really high tides around here too, average of over 20 feet.
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downeastwaves
Original Author
20 years ago
Hope someone has a suggestion for a shady vine for our chilly garden...

Leasa
debbieca
20 years ago
Leasa, I don't know anything about zone 5 but Mary Lu is zone 5 I think and she had a picture I loved of a Guernsey Cream clematis. All the info I could find on it was it prefered a bit of shade, so maybe that would work for you.
PattiOH
20 years ago
Leasa,
I had a part shade spot in my zone 5 garden and did some research on various clematis that might be suitable. I chose 'Niobe' and 'Hagley Hybrid' (aka 'Pink Chiffon'). They both did very well. 'HH' is rather compact and grows to about 8feet. I think 'Niobe' is supposed to reach 10ft or so.
As Debbie said, 'Gurnsey Cream' will take some shade too and is lovely.

Your "beach junk" additions sound great!

Patti
downeastwaves
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks for the advice Ladies!

I've been scared to plant the clematis seeds I have, Tangutiea, Jack Manii and Blue Bell from seed trades back in 2002-3.

Maybe I will put them in just to see what I get. I tried the Nelly Moser on my first driftwood fence and it did not come up.

Hope the sun comes out today so we can finish the fence. Speaking of beach junk, I found a really cool natural sponge that I hope to stick some place as a decoration.

Leasa
gardeners_hands
20 years ago
'mornin' Leesa!
I wish I had some weir poles, they'd be perfect in my garden on the Wet Coast! (heh heh)

I recently posted a reply to someone about kerria, it might just be perfect for you! It can take the cold, tiny yellow flowers (only for a month), gets 15 maybe even 20' tall (cut back as you like), thornless, not overly vigorus, lovely small leaves with serrated edges, LIKES A BIT OF SHADE. You'll see called Japanese rose, but it is not a rose.
Do a Hortiplex search for kerria and I think you'll really like it.
GH-
fivemeows
20 years ago
Leesha. If you don't get much sun roses wouldn't bloom well. If you do have 4 hours of sun try Willam Baffin hes a winner here in Maine See my arbor pic in the gallery. Also Climbing Hydrangea would do great in mainly shade.Clematis would not be my choice they have a short bloom time and the bottoms tend to be ratty and bare looking.There great in places but not on a arbor . I have Betty Corning growing in my William Baffin climbers on the arbor.
SandL
20 years ago
Autumn Clematis comes to mind. It has tons of little white flowers when in bloom and becomes very full and bushy. When I get my arbors up, that's what I'm planting!
lilaclily
20 years ago
Cindy (fivemeows), still waiting on all those hostas you were supposed to send me over a month ago. Nice to see you posting.