Shade bed advice

7 years ago

Hello!

I’m hoping to get some input on plantings I can do in the pictured bed. It is under a tree so is very shady. Thinking about a low maintenance flowering shade ground cover but open to any opinions/advice you might have to offer. It’s very close to a side door to house which we use more than front door so I’m looking to fess it up a bit. I’m in Massachusetts.

thanks!

Featured Answer

User

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

So many shade plants can give you lots of interest with their varying leaf texture, shape and color (and that’s even without adding flowers). This brand new bed has a mixture of astilbe, Hosta, Heuchera, iris, foxglove, ajuga, brunnera, Carex, blue moon phlox, spotted dead nettle, ferns, and I also tucked in some annual impatience. Obviously you don’t have to cram in so much variety (that’s just my gardening taste), but you can make a gorgeous shade bed with just a few varying leaf textures and leaf colors.

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Comments (7)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
What kind of tree? It can make a difference........
79suren thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
79suren
Original Author
7 years ago
Red maple
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
Maples can be difficult to underplant.....a lot of surface roots and generally a nutrient poor, dry shade situation. You may have already noticed that with the other plantings :-) Some groundcovers that will tolerate this are epimediums, lamium or Geranium macrorrhizum. If more irrigation available, pachysandra or ajuga will work.
79suren thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
tira_misu
7 years ago
What works best under my norway maples is geranium macrorhyzum. I have tried dead nettle, salomon seal, hostas, brunneras and tiarellas and most have disappeared or shrank in this kind of dry shade.
79suren thanked tira_misu
partim
7 years ago
I'm glad I came across this thread. I have a bed under a maple and so far I have tried Ajuga, which was nice for a few years, but I removed it when it started to get mold every year. Currently I have golden creeping Jenny which has been eaten to the stem by sawfly larva for the last few years. I will try the Geranium macrorrhizum next. I also have some lamium I could transplant there.
ClemsonFan Suzy
7 years ago
79suren: I love the basic space you have to work with! It is like a little island oasis wait to welcome you home. The walkway is a very nice frame for it. nidnay offered many good suggestions. I look forward to seeing what you end up with.