I have Joe-pye weed growing under the heavy shade of maples and oaks.[Butterflies] Would like to trade for your dianthus. Doreen.

So glad to see the suggestion for Alplains. It's my favorite wish book :) Alan Bradshaw's prices are fair, the seed quantities are good, and the germination advice is helpful. Thank you kchd!

Thank you Doreen for your Joe-pye weed suggestion and offer. I'll send you a PM next.

I have a similar situation, with sandy soil under pines, oaks, and other various trees. I've been amazed at how well some of the supposed full-sun plants can actually do in quite heavy shade. I also just spent yesterday reading some list linked from the Xerces Society of dry shade plants. Prairiemoon Nursery is always a good source of information also.

Anyway, I have seeds for False Aster, Penstemon digitalis, Hardy ageratum, Prairie Onion, and more. I'd be very happy to toss together a package to send you for postage. I'm more interested in whether you will truly use them. I love to share with anyone who is working on increasing the diversity for the pollinators. Message me and we can exchange addresses. I'll look at your lists, but don't really need anything.

Martha

Thank you Martha for your suggestions and for your exceptionally generous offer! I'm more than happy to send postage. I'd be especially pleased if you can find things on my list that would fit into your garden :)

If you're having success with False Aster in dry shade, that is awesome! The Hardy Ageratum and Prairie Onion also look exactly right for for my project. I have some Penstemon digitalis under this tree and have noted the same thing you described in your post (though when I first planted my baby seedlings there - maybe four or five years ago - I was sure they were doomed).

Here's a photo of the west corner of the former lawn. We're working our way around the front and back yards. The area under the tree in the background is where I'm trying to focus this upcoming season. We started nearly everything in our yard from seed, and many of those seeds came from wonderful trades that originated here.
http://habhero.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/bohanan-300x222.jpg

Below is a link to the main Habitat Hero gardens page that shows some of the beautiful things people are doing to incorporate habitat into their spaces:
http://habhero.org/category/habitat-hero-gardens/

My husband is antsy to get the grocery shopping done, but I'll message you as soon as we finish up.

Thank you again!

Michelle

If I'm looking at the picture correctly, the tree you are working under appears to allow quite a bit of indirect light. I think you will find lots of plants will do well there that we typically think of as sun-loving. The dry soil can be helped significantly with careful mulching and an occasional sprinkle. You could even run a circle of drip irrigation hose around the tree, but hidden under mulch. Attach one of those quick-connect hose links to the end of it and it would be ready to hitch up to your hose any time you thought things needed some supplemental water. I keep meaning to do that in my own garden, but one of my favorite things is hand watering my "babies." So, I haven't gotten around to it.

Martha

Mrs B,

Look into the different Sedges. They are low water and shade tufting grasses. Above all, may I suggest that you specifically look at your own natives. I just finished my Planting Natives class here in Central Texas. Sooo many Chinese plants have escaped out into the countryside and displaced our natives that feed and provide nesting material for all the little critters.

You're right about the amount of indirect light Martha. Some things seem happy enough under the tree. Others let me know they'd like to be somewhere else. For instance, the Ipomopsis rubra are "leaning cypress" instead of "standing cypress" :)

Ah, yes. The mulch! The loader operator was certainly generous yesterday. He filled the bed of the pickup nearly to the top of the cab. My husband said he hoped the back window wouldn't break. I was still unloading after dark. The drip line under the mulch is a good idea. It might make the tree feel better, too, after competing with the turf for water for so long.

Thank you Xtal for the tip on the sedges. I hadn't considered them, and I'll research various species. Solid commentary on natives. It's nice to see greater value being placed on them, and I'm always thrilled to "discover" a local beauty :)

Many thanks to everyone who has traded with me and helped this project along! Another bubble envelope of seeds is heading out in the morning.