Need Garden (Zone 5) Help/Suggestions

10 years ago

OK, I am very slowly starting to get the hang of this gardening thing. I live in Zone 5 - southern NH. I'm linking to a folder of my garden areas here: Momnipotent's Gardens

The Concrete Garden gets almost no sun (or indirect sun) and the Circle Garden gets part-sun/part-shade (what is the difference?) with the left-hand side getting less sun than the right-hand side - both are located in the northwest-facing front of the house.

The Back Garden is southeast facing.

Concrete Garden: I have hosta (?) lining this shady little strip along the walkway to the front door. Recently, I added more compost and mulch and also planted some basic impatiens. There's isn't room for much else, but given its location, can you suggest any other plants (annuals or easy-care perennials) that could give it more texture?

Circle Garden: on the left-hand side I put mostly hosta and recently I added some coleus, impatiens and alyssum. There is a rose bush in this half of the the garden that does ok every year with not as much as sun as I think it might like. There is another rose bush in the right half of the garden that is struggling to make it and it does every year! I recently moved this latter rose bush about a foot so I don't know how well it will do this summer. Anyway, again, need some suggestions on what else I can add to this garden to give it more texture. Some of the plants, esp. the Siberian irises and Japanese irises (I think that's what those are) are there temporarily while my workplace figures out what its garden plans are (so here for at least a year). The much smaller hosta (4 of them) in the left-hand side are also there temporarily.

Back Garden: this is a newer garden that I dug last year. southeast-facing. The trellis and clematis are on loan from my workplace again. The irises/daylilies on the far right are also temporary. The rugosa rose in the front (which looks dead, but I think is gasping for air) is too. The rest are all mine - the peonies (don't know if you can tell, but I finally have 1 flower about to bloom after a few years! Yay!). I just added more soil and mulch. The phlox (can you see any?), foxglove (I think), coreopsis, lavender are all mine.

So, if you have any suggestions re: annuals or even easy-care perennials to give this garden a more lush feel, I would really appreciate it.

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Comments (3)

MuddBugg Z5 ME
10 years ago
Hello! Fellow Southern New Hampshirite here...the only thing I can add is that I believe the hosta you have lining the walkway by the door is H. Undulata Univittata. They're one of the fastest growing hosta around and they look very happy where you have them. I have some and just love their curly leaves.
defrost49
10 years ago
I think you made a good choice planting some color in pic 5 of hosta strip.

I would like to see the blue flowering plants close to blue leaved hostas but don't move until a better time. I think some variation in height would be good so I would be tempted to put a bird bath in the center of circle garden where your walkway curves. My new bird bath this year is a glazed colorful plant saucer from Ocean State on top of a chunk of log. Pretty inexpensive. Another favorite accent if you can ever find one is what used to hold a kerosene jug on an old stove. I put a wooden planter on top. I'm sure you can look around for things that would add some height. Put something colorful in the planter. I think some spotted lungwort would work for a low lying perennial that spreads slowly and adds some foliage interest.

You've made a good start and things will look better as they grow.
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jnavarro31
10 years ago
Hi momnipotent. Gardening in part sun can be challenging, and I've found that it comes down to two main things: 1) paying close attention to exactly when, where, and for how long the sun hits each part of your garden, and 2) experimentation. If a plant isn't thriving where you put it, don't be shy about moving it.

Some suggestions to add to your hostas would be ferns, brunnera, polemonium, astilbe, geraniums, or chelone lyonii. I grow all of these and I love them. Astilbes and polemonium will give height and color to your garden. Coral bells are another great option, although I have difficulty growing them (for some reason, the local thug squirrels always dig mine up). I also grow Japanese anemone and they do wonderfully in lots of light conditions. Be forewarned, however, that once established they can spread very quickly and consume other plants. I wouldn't call it aggressive, but certainly assertive. In fact, I noticed this morning that one of mine is threatening to swallow some of my columbines, so it will need to be pruned this evening. Speaking of which, columbines are another option. Meconopsis cambrica (Welsh poppy) is a freely-seeding cheery yellow flower that does well in a variety of conditions.