Northern Shade Gardening

I’ve become very enthusiastic about Heuchera and Tiarella, for their terrific foliage, and ability to grow under the trees. I’ve been extending the garden under my large spruce trees, digging out more lawn and planting shade perennials with evergreen leaves. Some of the new plants are Heuchera ‘Raspberry Ice’, Tiarella ‘Jeepers Creepers’ and Tiarella ‘Sugar and Spice’. These are all shade tolerant, and they will look great until covered up with snow. The Tiarella have very pretty flowers, and I’ve been adding some Heuchera that have showier blooms, too.

Tiarella 'Jeepers Creepers'

Tiarella ‘Jeepers Creepers’ (foamflower) is supposed to be midway between a clumping form and a running form. These perennials are so attractive, that I wouldn’t mind if they spread more like a running type. You can see in the picture above that the leaves have a nice glossy look. The plants have been extremely healthy looking so far. I’ll let you know next year how they grow and overwinter in zone 3.

Tiarella 'Jeepers Creepers' hairy leaf

Tiarella ‘Jeepers Creepers’ has shiny, green leaves with dark centres radiating out along the lobes from the middle. The foliage is very fresh looking and attractive. The leaves have small white hairs when you look at them close up. You can click the photo above to see how hairy they really are.

Tiarella 'Jeepers Creepers' flower

One ‘Jeepers Creepers’ plant has a single flower still on it, since it was planted this month. It should be covered in these white spikes next year. I was very impressed with the length of the flowering time of Tiarella ‘Pink Skyrocket’, so I’m looking forward to seeing how long these ones bloom next year.

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' 3 plants

Heuchera ‘Raspberry Ice’ (coral bells) has outstanding silvery purple leaves that look dramatic in the shade garden. There are three plants in the group above, already making a nice sized clump. The silver colour is reflecting the light underneath the spruce, so they show up well. I have a group of these in my backyard too, where they have no problems with the shade.

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' pink flower

These new ‘Raspberry Ice’ are out of synch with the seasons, so they have a single pink flower on them still. You can see how pretty the dark pink bloom looks, especially against the silvery background.

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' silver purple leaves

Some Heuchera have gorgeous leaves, but insignificant flowers. The winning combination of fantastic foliage and showy flowers make Heuchera ‘Raspberry Ice’ a great garden plant.

Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' green and purple leaves

Tiarella ‘Sugar and Spice’ (foamflower) has foliage very similar to ‘Jeepers Creepers’, green lobes with darker purple  centres. The colour contrast makes the perennials a little bolder looking and pleasing in the garden. They can be placed next to green leafed plants to add a little pizazz, or make a bridge between plants with purple leaves and those with green foliage, coordinating them together.

Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' foliage

I also have  some ‘Sugar and Spice in my back garden, and the foliage is glossy, reflecting extra light. This makes them valuable in the shade, where they brighten the shadowy areas. Plus, the shiny leaves are a joy to look at, even when there are no flowers out.

Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' flower

The flowers of Tiarella  ‘Sugar and Spice’ are white, but they emerge from pink buds, so they have a light pink appearance from a distance, but they are not as dark pink looking as ‘Pink Skyrocket’.

Heuchera and Tiarella under spruce

The picture above has ‘Raspberry Ice’ at the front and ‘Jeepers Creeper’ behind. Next spring I’ll know more about how these survive a zone 3 winter, but I anticipate them doing fine. My other Heuchera have been very hardy, preserving most of their leaves under the snow for an early spring display. We generally get reliable snow cover, which helps save the evergreen leaves from the bitter cold. You can see in the photo above that they are entirely unaffected by our first frosts. These are great plants for shade gardening in a cold climate.

Heuchera and Tiarella under evergreens

As many perennials have turned brown in Autumn, disappearing for the winter, those with evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves provide texture, colour and garden interest. In zone 3, the dieing back can start early, leaving the garden looking bare. However, perennials like Heuchera, Heucherella, Tiarella, Asarum (ginger), Helleborus (hellebore), some Campanula (bellflowers) and some Pulmonaria (lungwort) lengthen the gardening season with their evergreen foliage, until finally covered with snow. Then in spring as the melting snow reveals bare earth in most of the  garden, these perennials are showing colourful foliage for a quick start to your shade garden. In a short growing season, this trait is especially appealing.

Tiarella 'Jeepers Creepers' great leaves

You can read and see more about some some other Heuchera and Tiarella I grow in theses posts, Heuchera foliage in fall, Tiarella ‘Pink Skyrocket, Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’, Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’, and Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' (lilac fairy barrenwort) red leaf colour in fall

Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ (Lilac Fairy barrenwort or bishop’s hat) has green leaves shaped like asymmetrical hearts and pretty purple flowers. However the foliage is especially nice in the Spring and Fall, when they are etched with red. Right now, they are developing their fall colour of red patterns along the leaf veins. The eye-catching foliage looks particularly attractive as it changes, adding a little more colour to the shade garden. These pictures are all from October, except for the flower photo.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' lilac fairy flowers in May

The photo above shows the flowers from last spring. ‘Lilafee’ has a little extra pizazz then, when the new leaves have red bands all around the edges, although the photo above doesn’t highlight the red border. The edging emphasizes the asymmetrical heart shape to the leaves and makes them stand out. The flowers will start to bloom while the new foliage is still small, in mid to late spring. In my zone 3 garden, they are in flower for about a month, from the middle of May to the middle of June. They are the fourth perennial to start blooming in my spring garden, right after the Helleborus, Brunnera (Siberian bugloss) and Pulmonaria (lungwort). ‘Lilafee’ has purple blooms, a little larger than regular Epimedium. The flowers are held above the foliage, so they can be enjoyed without searching. The buds are a darker purple. Then as they unfold, the long spurs have white tips.

This cultivar ‘Lilafee’ is sometimes sold as ‘Lilac Fairy’, and you can see the dancing fairy effect in the picture above. If you are a marketer, it is  not enough to have a great little plant, you have to have a catchy name, too.

Gradually the red bands disappear, and the flowers fade by summer. These dependable perennials provide a healthy green edge for a summer flower border. However, they don’t grab your attention in the summertime, since the green is not as noticeable. They are a nice setting for other leaves and flowers, though.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' (lilac fairy barrenwort) fall colour leaf closeup

Then in Fall, the plain  green leaves start colouring along the veins, developing pronounced red lines. They become a focus again, as other perennials fade out.  After the  transformation, the bolder colouring catches your eye. These Epimedium grandiflorum are planted next to some Cornus canadensis, which have a dramatic Fall change to purplish red. The two perennials make for a more lively October garden.

Epimedium are very low maintenance plants. They form a good groundcover, as you can see below,  so there is not much weeding to do. These plants can handle a fair amount of dryness, so you don’t have to water frequently. Epimediums don’t mind a site underneath the tall conifers, which other perennials might object to. Plus, they are easy to fit into shady garden nooks. Some of mine only get an hour or so a day of light, and they do fine. Although they are easy care, they are not annoying or invasive like some shade groundcovers can be. They grow to the edge of the surrounding perennials, but don’t bother them. They are about 30 cm (1 foot) tall, so you can use them for underplanting, too. Then the Fall colour is an extra bonus.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' (lilac fairy barrenwort) athyrium ghost brunnera jack frost

In the photo above, the Epimedium grandiflorum are backed up by the finely cut fronds of two Athyrium ‘Ghost’ (ghost ferns) and bordered on the left by the heart shaped leaves of a Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’. In the back garden, I have them next to some Athyrium niponicum (painted ferns) and in front of some Dicentra ‘Alba’ (white bleeding hearts.)

The Epimedium grandiflorum have semi evergreen leaves, so they are another great plant for a short growing season. They remain green and patterned up until snowfall. After the snow melts in spring, they lose their old leaves, and grow new ones. These semi-evergreen perennials extend a short gardening season to make both late Fall and early Spring more interesting in the garden. You can see more spring photos and read more information about this Epimedium in this earlier article.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' (lilac fairy barrenwort) fall colour

If you are looking for a low maintenance  shade groundcover, with pretty flowers and nice Fall colours, Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ is a good choice.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' lilac fairy closeup of fall leaf

Here are some of the blue  and purple flowers still blooming in October in zone 3. These are the hardier perennials that have a long flowering time and can still produce colour as most other perennials are fading away for the year.  If you’re viewing on a lower resolution, you need to click the picture to see the overflow.

blue and purple flowers in October

On the top left are the flowers of Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (cranesbill) with five rounded petals, each with a white  centre. These have been in bloom since July. ‘Rozanne’ is a terrific plant for a long season of pretty blue flowers. The foliage still looks fresh, too. It is such an easy care perennial, and goes well with many other plants. I like to use them for underplantng shrubs or tall perennials, as they doesn’t mind the shade they make. You can see more pictures of how these hardy geraniums look under a lilac here.

On the upper right of the photo is Phlox paniculata ‘David’s Lavender’ (tall garden phlox), which has soft lavender coloured petals, each with a smaller white bee in the middle than ‘Rozanne’. Mine start flowering at the end of August in zone 3, and continue through until October. They put on a good show, even in part shade. You can see that the white ‘David’ behind finishes a little earlier than the purple flowers.

Campanula poscharskyana (Carpathian bellflower) is on the lower left, with some unopened buds still. These blooms are a pretty lavender blue., and have five narrow petals in a star shape. Many  of the plants still have a good number of flowers, but in summer there can be over a hundred blooms on one small 30 cm square (1 foot square) plant. They produce  well in the shade. The starry blooms are arranged along long flowering stems that mostly spread out along the ground. This bellflower goes from July until very late Fall. It is another perennial that is very useful for underplanting shrubs or tall perennials with a narrow base. There are more pictures of using this Campanula for underplanting in this article.

Campanula rotundifolia (harebell or bluebell of Scotland) is shown on the bottom right side of the collage. These perennials have been blooming since June, and are still producing many blue flowers, even after the first frost. The flowering stems are about 30 cm tall (1 foot), or a little taller, with many bells arranged all around the stems. There are more photos of Campanula rotundifolia in this post from last year. Another bellflower still blooming is Campanula cochlearifolia (fairy thimble bellflower). The blooms are smaller versions of C. rotundifolia on shorter plants. Both of these Campanula put on a good display in part shade.

You can see from the pictures, that the maple tree has lost all of its leaves, and perennials like lily of the valley have faded to yellow, but some hardy perennials continue to bloom through late Fall. Those two Campanula often flower right through October and sometimes up until December, or the first snowfall which usually comes first. These are all great plants for keeping the garden going in soft shades of blue and lavender, when other perennials are starting to sleep.