Northern Shade Gardening

13 Pulmonaria Athyrium

Here is a picture tour of the perennials that grow under my willow tree. All of these plants have done well in this shady spot with dappled light. There is a fence to the south and west, so the garden area gets sun in the early morning, and then some dappled light through the shifting willow branches during the day. These plants have managed to compete with the willow roots, and thrive in this area.

The walk goes clockwise, following along the edge of the bed, so mostly the pictures below just show the shorter plants in front. The photos overlap slightly, as you walk along. It starts with the blue flowered Campanula, which are just outside the edge of the willow leaves, and ends at the Epimedium.

There are lots of silver leafed plants here, because the silver colour adds some sparkle in the shadows. The light colour shows up well in the shade, and looks good next to the different shades of green. The main silver colour comes from the the Brunnera macrophylla (siberian bugloss) and Pulmonaria (lungwort). The Athyrium ‘Ghost’ (ghost fern) has silver fronds, and Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese painted fern) has highlights of silver mixed in with green and purple. There are also glints of white from the variegated Hosta ‘Francee’. The darker green colours tend to fade into the background under the willow, so the groups of lighter colours make it much more interesting, and the darker colours show up well against them in the shade garden.

Some of the perennials, like the ferns,  have very light textures, and some, like the Hosta, have much heavier textures. The plants with the finest cut leaves are the ferns and the Aruncus aethusifolius (dwarf goatsbeard). The most robust ferns here are the Athyrium filix-femina (lady ferns). They send up new fronds all summer, and grow thick and lush. At the back, with just the occasional frond poking into the photos, are some Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich ferns). These ferns grow the tallest in my garden, and have a vase shape with fewer fronds. The Dryopteris expansa (spiny wood fern) is medium sized fern, and mostly keeps to itself. My smallest perennial here with finely cut leaves is the Aruncus aethusifolius. It is about 30 cm tall, and has done very well so far, planted very close to the willow tree trunk.

The perennials with the largest most solid leaves under here are the Hosta, Brunnera, Asarum and Pulmonaria. These look great next to the ferns, and keep the bed from being a solid mass of shapeless green.

The tallest perennials that I’ve been able to grow under the willow shade are the Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’ (white bleeding hearts), and the Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich ferns). The ostrich ferns are in some of the darkest corners, but the bleeding hearts are in a lighter part of the canopy. I’ve planted some Polygonatum commutatum var Giganteum (giant solomon’s seal), too. So far it’s only 60 cm (2 ft) tall, but I do have hope that it will take its name more seriously as it gets older. I tried Aruncus dioicus (tall goatsbeard) under here, but it didn’t do well, whereas it thrives in other shady spots.

Once you get to the Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’, you’re at the other edge of the willow canopy. All of these plants have thrived here under the swaying branches of the willow. I love this tree, which forms a wall of green in this corner of my garden, and I’m glad these perennials will grow underneath it to create a shady retreat.

birdbath shade plantings

This woodland birdbath is located under my willow tree. The garden bed is backed by a fence to the south and west, so it mostly gets some early morning sun, and some dappled light during the day. These shade plants have all done well with low light, and competing with the willow roots. Very few weeds ever grow here. I always enjoy gardening in this shady green area.

You can see that the birds would have every right to complain right now. I’ve let the birdbath go dry, but it will soon be refilled. I usually check it every day or two, empty it, and refill it. The birds enjoy a good splash about in the water, or a guarded drink. Some birds are extra cautious, pausing every few seconds to check around, while some just splash away, sending water droplets spraying to the nearest plants. Some birds bring a friend to keep guard from a nearby branch.

Behind the birdbath are Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern). These ones grow about 1 m (3 feet) tall, and don’t mind this shady location. They give a lush look to the planting, with their large, arching fronds. On either side of the birdbath are the much daintier looking Adiantum pedatum (maidenhair fern). Both ferns sway in the breezes. A few Dryopteris expansa (spiny wood fern) and Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) grow on the far left edge.

Asarum europaeum (European ginger) grows at the front of the bed. The rounded leaves make a great groundcover here, very close to the tree trunk.

The heart shaped leaves with silver highlights are Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, and make a nice contrast. Behind them in the darkest, driest corner, grows the uncomplaining Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley).

Just out of sight to the back and right there are Polygonatum commutatum (solomon’s seal). Their slender arching stems form a bracket to this group. Just to the left of the photo are Brunnera macrophylla ‘Mr. Morse’, which have very similar leaves to the Jack Frost, but with white flowers in spring. All of these shade plants have done very well in this garden under the willow.

frog birdbath

Here is my other birdbath, under a pine tree. This one has a hexagonal shape.There is a relief of a frog on a lily pad inside the bowl, and carvings of lily pads around the pedestal. It gets double the amount of birds as my other one. There are tall shade plants around this birdbath, but above it is more open than the birdbath under the willow. The Hydrangea paniculata has just started blooming, and the white flowers are halfway open. A large Matteuccia struthiopteris frond is just about as tall as the shrub on the other side. To the left grow some Pulmonaria plants.

woodland birdbath with water

Now the woodland birdbath is filled with water, and ready for some feathery customers at the bird spa.

Helleborus Brunnera Athyrium foliage combination

Brunnera, Helleborus and Athyrium ‘Ghost’ make a great foliage combination in the garden. I especially like these three shade plants together, as their leaves look good all season, even when they are not flowering. This group of perennials is flourishing in a shady garden area with about an hour or two of direct sun a day, a bit of dappled light, and some extra light in spring before the leaves come out on the willow. You can click the pictures to see the whole photo, if you’re viewing at a smaller resolution.

The Brunnera macropylla ‘Looking Glass’ (Siberian bugloss) leaves start off with more green in the spring, but by summer the foliage develops a mainly silver colour, with small green lines along the leaf veins. This colour is very eye-catching, especially in the shadows of the shade garden. In spring this perennial has a bonus of very beautiful light blue flowers above the leaves, which last for 6 weeks or more. The Brunnera add pretty heart shaped leaves and a frosty silver colour to this foliage combination for the rest of the season.

The Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’ has very dark green, stiff leaves, with faint light green markings on the veins. I really like the contrast next to the Brunnera leaves, with the inverse colouring. The beautiful green leaves are displayed very early in the spring, when most everything else is still underground or brown. I would plant another group of ‘Ivory Prince’ in another shady garden area, but I can’t find any around locally this year, so I’ll have to wait for this group to expand. This is a great shade plant for its long season of  interest, and I especially like the thick, dark green foliage next to the other perennials in this combination.

I’m pleased with how long the Helleborus has held onto the colourful bracts for the flowers. In early spring these had rose pink buds, that opened to cream, pink and green flowers. The bracts which hold the flowers have a greenish yellow colour and are still holding up, looking like flowers three months later.

Athyrium' Ghost' Helleborus 'Ivory Prince'

The Athyrium ‘Ghost’ fern has very silvery fronds, even when they don’t have shafts of sunlight highlighting them, as they do in the first photo. The dark purple axis down the middle of the frond really sets off those silvery pinna. The silver fronds stand out when surrounded by darker leaves in the shade. The feathery texture of the foliage contrasts nicely with the other solid leaves in this combination. The ghost fern comes up later in spring than the other two perennials, but by mid summer the plant is taller than the Helleborus or Brunnera.

This trio of perennials is one of my favourite foliage combinations  in the shade garden right now.  Are you enjoying any particular combinations in your garden?