Northern Shade Gardening

Athyrium 'Ghost' and Convallaria berry

The garden beds are slowly disappearing under the fall leaves. The yellow, orange and brown blanket provided by the trees will protect the perennials as the cold deepens. In the Spring, the leaves will decompose, adding their nutrients to the soil, and nourishing the plants. The tree leaves and mulches are the fertilizer for my plants.

Here is Athyrium ‘Ghost’ (ghost fern) with a red berry from Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley) in the shade. Many of the the ghost fern’s fronds have died down already. I like the feathery texture and silver colour of this fern, and have added more around the garden. The remaining silver fronds look good rising up through the maple leaves, behind the lily of the valley. Two ferns have made a substantial clump about 0.6 m (2 feet) tall and 1 m (3 feet) across. Athyrium ‘Ghost’ seems to have inherited its vigour from one of its parents, Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern). Its other parent, Athyrium niponicum (Japanese painted fern) is much shorter and narrower in my garden, with fewer fronds.

Campanula poscharskyana 'Camgood' (blue waterfall bellflower)

Campanula poscharskyana ‘Camgood’ (blue waterfall Serbian bellflower) continues to impress me with its extended blooming period, and the sheer number of blooms. Here it is, a third of the way through October in zone 3, and this group of three plants is having a bloomfest. Despite the competition from the iris behind, and the pine above, these stars are still shining bright. I will have to cut back the iris foliage, since it does not age as gracefully in the fall, as the pretty Campanula does. Both pine needles and deciduous leaves are sprinkled between these plants in the garden.

Campanula portenschlagiana (Dalmatian bellflower)

These are the flowers of Campanula portenschlagiana ‘Hoffman’s Blue’ (Dalmatian bellflower) in October. This perennial was covered in blooms in the summer, but now there are just a few scattered flowers. The foliage of this plant is fresh and green as soon as the snow has melted in spring. With a short garden season, this is an admirable trait. The leaves continue to form a healthy carpet until the snow falls again. A ground cover with unmarked leaves and pretty purple flowers is a winning combination. I have it in a long narrow section under the roof overhang, and rarely water it, yet it never droops. In the plants that have knit together there are very few weeds.

Impatiens 'Fiesta White' doubles October 9

This must be the latest I have ever had tender plants such as impatiens still blooming in the garden. The little rose-like blooms of these doubles are appreciated so late in the year, and look very pretty in the shade. We just got frost last night, so they can’t last much longer, and will soon turn to mush. I will plant new impatiens next year when all danger of frost has passed.

fall leaves over garden bed

Here the Linum perenne (flax) and lobelia are covered with falling leaves. The blue lobelia flowers are swimming just above the cover. The lobelia should have no problem with light frosts, and I expect they will bloom for a while.

Lobelia and fall leaves

This is another section of lobelia and Dianthus caryophylus (carnations) with crisp brown maple leaves. The lobelia has formed a river of blue through this bed since the end of May. I think this annual blends well with the perennials in the garden. It enjoys our cooler summers, so the blooms never falter for five months. It is so easy care that I do nothing to it after planting, except give it a spray when I have the hose out.

Pulmonaria, Athyrium, Brunnera, Asarum and fall leaves

With the exception of the yellowing ferns and fallen leaves, this little shade bed looks much like summer. The Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian bugloss) and Pulmonaria (lungwort) have no trouble lifting above the rising pile of maple leaves, but the little Asarum europaeum (ginger) groundcover are barely level with the top.

Pulmonaria x'Samourai'

Above is a closeup of three Pulmonaria ‘Samourai’ (Samourai lungwort) in a sea of fallen maple leaves. Their silver swords cut their own path above the tree debris.

Here is another post on protecting your perennials in winter by using a mulch of  fall leaves.

As the tree leaves settle in the garden beds, the perennials one by one get ready for winter in my Northern garden. Soon the frosts will send them the signal to dismantle the above ground structures, and the insulating layer will keep the crown and roots safe until next spring. How is your garden getting ready for winter?

Helleborus 'Ivory Prince', Adiantum pedatum, Brunnera 'Jack Frost'

Here are the new shade perennials tucked into their beds. Many already have a colourful quilt of leaves snuggled around them, courtesy of the trees. I liked the look of these shade combinations as I planted, so it was hard to stop digging and adding more. I had the greatest urge to plant the whole yard. It’s a good thing the more seasonal cold weather is returning to my Northern garden, putting an end to my additions.

This photo shows the new Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’ (Lenten rose) next to the Adiantum pedatum (maidenhair fern), and in front of The Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ (Jack Frost Siberian bugloss).  I like the look of these 3 leaf types together, the fine textured fern, large heart shaped Brunnera and stiff, scalloped Helleborus. They look great in the shade, even without any flowers yet. When I saw the Helleborus in the ground under the tree, I was smitten, and went back to the nursery for more.

Helleborus 'Ivory Prince', Athyrium 'Ghost', Brunnera

Here is a picture of the Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’ with Athyrium ‘Ghost’ (ghost fern) and Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’ (Looking Glass Siberian bugloss) in the shade under a tree. Right now the fern and Looking Glass are fading to brown, and dying down for the  year. The Helleborus have a subtle decorative pattern around the veins. I think they will look good next year with the silver tones of the fern and B. ‘Looking Glass’ when the new foliage comes in the spring. The pretty blue flower of the Brunnera, and white flowers of the Helleborus will be a bonus. The bloom times should overlap, but I’ll find out next year.

Helleborus 'Ivory Prince', Brunnera 'Jack Frost'

This shot is a closeup of the Helleborus and Brunnera together. The Helleborus leaves looks perfect, even though they have been hanging out in a pot all season. The Jack Frost foliage looks better and better every month, right up until October.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' (lilac fairy)

Here is an unexpected glimpse of spring. When I bought these plants at the end of the season, I thought they would die back rapidly. I was pleasantly surprised that this Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ (lilac fairy barrenwort) developed a flower after I brought it home, and here it is blooming, as if it was spring. We have had incredibly warm weather for the past 2 weeks, but the frost that is supposed to come in a few days should show the Epimedium what season it really is. When I saw how pretty the bloom on ‘Lilafee’ looked, I went back to get more, but they were all gone. If these overwinter well, I will be adding more next year.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' (lilac fairy)

Here is the Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ behind Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese painted fern). There are four painted ferns paired with the Epimedium in the shade.

Geranium 'Rozanne'

The Geranium ‘Rozanne’ are in a grouping under a lilac. I rate them an ‘Excellent’ for effort, putting up new blooms at the end of fall after just being planted. These perennials are good sports, and very accommodating. I hope they prove to be good sports about the winter cold too.

Cimicifuga ramosa 'Atropurpurea' (bugbane)

These Cimicifuga ramosa ‘Atropurpurea’ (bugbane) (now classified as Actaea) look very small, even though they came out of large pots with well developed roots. The tall stems had already been cut back in their pots, and these were the new leaves developing. The Cimicifuaga I planted last year grew 1.2 m (4 feet) tall this year, with their unopened flower wands towering up to 1.5 m (5 feet). I hope these are equally tall next year for the back of the border, while displaying their purple tinged leaves.

Heuchera 'Mint Frost'

The bed along the north fence used to have gentle curves to it. Each time I added to the bed, I redesigned the curves. After redoing the edges last spring, the curves were no longer sweeping, but too scalloped. This fall I dug a straight line across, instead, and I planted a group of Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’ in a bare area in front. I also moved some Campanula carpatica (Carpathian bellflower) forward that were getting squished by some developing phlox.

Asarum europaeum (European ginger)

I expanded this patch of Asarum europaeum (European ginger), digging out more grass near the tree trunk. I adore the glossy perfection of these round leaves. They glisten, whether it’s been raining or not. The original patch seems to have no trouble handling shade or tree roots. They are a terrific shady ground cover, and should fill in over the next few seasons.

Hydrangea paniculata 'DV PInky' (Pinky Winky)

Here is Hydrangea paniculata ‘DV Pinky’ (Pinky Winky hydrangea), planted at one end of my front bed. I transplanted numerous Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley) underneath it. They look a little worse for wear now, but the hydrangea is fresh and perky. I put a layer of fallen pine needles around it for mulch. The pine tree is right next to the shrub, so I just brushed the needles off of the the sidewalk into the bed, and called it mulch. Being a new shrub, it has some buds that are out of step with the season. I wonder if they will fully open, or be nipped by the frost?

A few of the plants seem a little oddly spaced, because of the tree roots. The trees and I came to a compromise. They kept their large roots exactly where they wanted them, and I planted in between.

Since it gets dark so early now, some nights I was planting by the glow of the motion security lights. When I went behind the willow to plant the Polygonatum commutatum ‘Giganteum’ (giant solomon’s seal), the light went out. I dropped one of them, and its stem broke off. In the dim light, I picked it up, guessed which way was up, and put it in the ground. I may have broken gardening rule # 1, Green Side Up. That’s when you know it’s time to go inside.

Planting in the fall means I have to wait until next year to see how the new beds will look, as they fill in and mature. This is normally late for planting in my zone, but some warm weather and good sales got me in the digging mood. Here is a previous post I wrote describing these new shade perennials. Do you plant more in spring or in the fall?

Hydrangea paniculata 'Dv Pinky'

Here some new perennials ready to plant in the shade garden. In zone 3 it’s getting late in the fall to plant, but we have had incredibly warm weather this week, and I hope the plants will settle in before the ground gets cold. There are not a great deal of plants left at nurseries by the end of September in my zone, mostly just left overs. I was fortunate to find many of the plants I wanted to add to the garden. These plants are posing in their pots before planting.

This shrub is Hydrangea paniculata ‘DV Pinky’ (Pinky Winky hydrangea). I short listed different H. paniculata, such as Unique, Pink Diamond, Pinky Winky and a few others. How did I narrow it down to this hydrangea? It might be because it is a very healthy specimen, has bright red stems which will look good in winter, grows extra large white panicles that turn deep pink in the fall starting at the bottom, or maybe it was the peer pressure from Joy. It’s a very attractive shrub, and I can’t wait to see what it looks like next year.

polygonatum commutatum 'Giganteum'

These Polygonatum commutatum ‘Giganteum’ (Giant Solomon’s Seal) do not look as good in their pots at the tail end of the season as they will in the ground next year. I’m about to make the classic gardening mistake, “1 metre (3 feet) apart for these little twigs? They’ll look ridiculous; surely I can space them closer.” : )

I will have to show them the ‘Giganteum’ tag to give them some growing inspiration. I have tried different tall shade plants against the fence under the willow, but they usually get a little stunted, whether from the shade, lack of water, or just losing the competition with the willow roots. I’ll see if these will grow to their full height in that tough area. I’ll look forward to the dangling white blooms next spring.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass'

This is Brunnera  macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’ (Siberian bugloss). It has the typical heart shaped leaves of Brunnera, with an overall metallic silver cast to them. The flowers are the familiar forget me not blue, that bloom in spring. The Brunnera will be planted with the Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese painted ferns). I like the look of the large rounded Brunnera leaves next to more delicate fern foliage, and they both do well in shade.  Both plants have some silver in them, but the fern also has purple and red tints. I’m moving two other Japanese painted ferns to make a larger group, along with the new ones I bought.

Cimicifuga ramosa 'Atropurpurea'

Here is my latest attempt at getting a bugbane that will flower before the end of the season. My Cimicifuga simplex ‘White Pearl’ (now called Actaea) flowers too late in the fall to get much of a bloom display in zone 3. Cimicifuga ramosa ‘Atropurpurea’ (bugbane) is supposed to flower a little earlier, so I should know by next September if I’ve just bought another foliage plant, or if there will be some white wands. The C. ramosa ‘Atropurpurea’ has more purplish foliage than C. simplex. Cimicifuga at 1.5 m ( 4 to 5 feet) tall is great for the back of the shade border. It makes a useful green backdrop behind other plants, and the leaves are a little more attractive than Aruncus dioicus (goatsbeard), with the Cimicifuga being more delicate and finer cut.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee'

Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ (‘lilac fairy’ barrenwort) is a low growing shade plant that has attractive foliage too.  I like the shape of the leaves, and the overall mounding outline of the plant. Some of these leaves have the reddish cast already. When this blooms in the spring it will have purplish flowers, but the plant should look good all season.

Geranium 'Rozanne'

This perennial is Geranium ‘Rozanne’. Most sources, including the plant tag, rate this to zone 5, so I was hesitant about trying it. However a customer ahead of me at the till said that she overwinters them with no special treatment, so now I’m optimistic that they’ll do fine in zone 3. This geranium has beautiful blue flowers with a much more pronounced white centre than G. ‘Johnson’s Blue’. I have ‘Johnson’s Blue’ under one side of the lilac, and now a group of Rozanne on the other side in part-shade. Geranium plants fill in quickly, so these should cover the area by next summer, and bloom all season.

Heuchera 'Mint Frost'

I also picked up four more Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’ (mint frost coral bells). This perennial has mint green and silver foliage over the summer, but turns a reddish orange in the fall. My own plants have just begun the change, but these new ones are quite advanced. They should look nice as a clump in front of the Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox), which look great in spring, but nondescript once their blooms are gone. I think the heuchera will hide the short phlox foliage well, while allowing the phlox blooms to show in spring.

Helleborus 'Ivory Prince'

These Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’ (Lenten Rose) have great foliage, especially considering they’ve been sitting in a nursery pot all season. The leaves are very thick and stiff, with an interesting pattern, so I’m going to put them next to some lacy ferns. I can’t wait to see them bloom next spring. Since they are borderline hardy in zone 3, I will let the willow put them to sleep under a blanket of leaves for extra protection.

There will be a little less grass to mow next summer, once I finish expanding the beds. Planting these perennials involves moving around a number of others, so I’ve been doing a lot of digging and rearranging. One advantage of rearranging in the fall is that most of the plants are full size, so I’m not as tempted to squeeze them too close together like I am in spring. My next post shows how I planted these  perennials and shrubs, and combined them in their new shade beds. Although they look a little spindly in their pots right now, I’m picturing them flourishing in the ground next year. I hope that all of these make it safely over the winter, because next spring I’ll be eagerly pulling back the leaf mulch from the flower beds, looking for regenerating shoots. What are you planting this fall?