Comments on: Designing a Shady Garden Bed

By: Northern Shade

Northern Shade — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:40:01 +0000

Tina, the shady garden makes a cool retreat on a hot day. My shadiest areas have fewer weeds than the sunny areas too. The trees create most of the shade, but the fence and house create the other shady pockets.

By: tina

tina — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:27:25 +0000

It is extremely rewarding redesigning garden beds. I like your before and after pictures and also enjoyed the other redesign posts. I am slowly, begrudgingly switching to shade plants. You make them look most lovely.

By: Northern Shade

Northern Shade — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:12:26 +0000

Easygardener, I like the fern and Brunnera foliage together too. In summer the Brunnera leaves get much larger, and they really show up the delicate lace appearance of the ferns. The flowers of Mr. Morse stand out against the darker background.

By: easygardener

easygardener — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:40:52 +0000

Nice planting. I like the contrast between the Ferns and Brunnera. I’d not heard of Mr Morse with its white flowers. I can see they would be ideal in a shady area.

By: Northern Shade

Northern Shade — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:10:23 +0000

Bangchik, I admire the lush abundance of tropical areas. All I need now is to find a palm that does well in -35 C. :)

Helen, yes, ‘Mr. Morse’ has very similar foliage to ‘Jack Frost’, but it has white flowers. It shows up well, twinkling in the darker areas of shade. A healthy variety of plants looks so much more interesting than grass, eh?

By: Helen at Toronto Gardens

Helen at Toronto Gardens — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:35:55 +0000

Northern_Shade, everything in your “after” pictures looks lush and healthy — quite the difference from “before”, where even the grass looks sad.

Is ‘Mr. Morse’ a brunnera with white flowers? That looks very fresh.

By: bangchik

bangchik — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:07:01 +0000

You bring life back to the almost barren soil… Such a great job over eight years. The plants look very tropical….

~ bangchik

By: Northern Shade

Northern Shade — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:23:48 +0000

Jeremy, gardening at higher elevations must have its challenges. My gardening season is short, and winters cold too, so it restricts the type of perennials I can grow. I try to plant a number of hardy spring perennials to get things started with a bang, as well as perennials that last through the fall frosts with interesting flowers or leaves, to extend the gardening season as long as possible. Do the hardy bulbs grow for you? Many of them are from alpine areas. Are there native shrubs and trees where you are, or are you at the treeline?

How cold are your winters? If your winters go to -35 C (-31 F) or -40 C (-40 F) then many of the plants on my site might work for you. Good luck finding plants that can adapt.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:59:22 +0000

That is an amazing transformation! I live in Colorado, I have to replant just about every year because the snow/freezing during the winter pretty much kills off my delicate flowers and plants. I haven’t really found any hearty plants that can other than perennials that can survive the harsh winters here. :-(

By: Northern Shade

Northern Shade — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:57:35 +0000

The Garden Ms. S, they create a whole different atmosphere in the garden, a calm peaceful feeling. Plus, the more plants, the more the interaction with other living creatures. I especially enjoy watching and listening to the wildlife they bring.