Re: plants for DRY, semi-shade

Agastaches are very drought tolerant, beautful and hummers love 'em -
but they can't "do clay". Tried them. Andrea says her place is blue clay
- don't know about where she's landscaping! My place is THICK black
gumbo clay. Great for cotton. But my big herb bed - clay heavily amended
w/ lava sand - is perfect for thyme, rosemary, sage and artemisia. The
lavenders do better in chimney flue liners (mini raised beds) in the
herb garden. Otherwise I lose them in a wet winter in El Nino years like
this one. I've got one out there (planted in the ground) now that's
deader than a door nail, will take it out tomorrow if it doesn't rain.
All the ones in pots and chimney flue liners are thriving. You're right
about Texas sun - it's rough. Like my favorite Master Gardener down at
McDade's (my favorite nursery) says - gardening in Texas is like
gardening nowhere else. And he did some of his schooling in SC. He's
awesome. Wish he was on this list and his wife, she's a Master Gardener
there too. Cool couple..




---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Marge Talt" <mtalt@hort.net>
Reply-To: gardenchat@hort.net
Date:  Fri, 21 Mar 2003 21:00:13 -0500

>Thanks, Pam...I wondered about that but was not sure.  SC isn't as
>hot as Texas, tho', I don't think...have lived in Texas, but did not
>garden there....IMO Texas summers are totally brutal:-)  Think SC is
>more humid, at least the parts I've been in.  But, given latitude,
>the sun could be just as intense.  
>
>I know I can grow things in part shade that need full sun further
>north, so the farther south you get, the more shade plants can
>tolerate.
>
>Think rosemary will take about any soil as long as it drains well;
>that seems key with them.  I've seen huge shrubs of rosemary in S.
>CA...and that makes me think of another plant that may do well -
>Agapanthus...they grow in the median strips around LA and should be
>hardy in SC.
>
>Hmmmm.....now, I wonder about some of the Agastaches...I only have
>that really common hardy one with the sort of faded blue/purple
>flowers whose name escapes me right now, but there are some really
>marvelous cultivars - one would about fill that planter:-)  They are
>drought tolerant, aren't they?
>
>I think the key is going to be whether these plants can get enough
>water until they are established.....sounds like there are quite a
>few that will otherwise do well in the light and soil conditions.
>
>Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
>mtalt@hort.net
>Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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>> From: Pamela J. Evans <gardenqueen@gbronline.com>
>> 
>> Well in this part of the country Marge, stuff you need full sun for
>does
>> fine (or better) here in part shade. I have one rosemary growing on
>the
>> South side of the house in dappled shade (under a 150 year old
>pecan
>> tree) and it is doing as well as the ones in the herb bed w/ real
>full
>> sun. My cannas along the tree line - dappled shade all day - grow
>and
>> bloom as well as the ones in full sun. One Texas gardener said -
>full
>> sun in Virginia is not the same as full sun in Texas. And the sun
>in SC
>> must be pretty intense as well, and she is in zone 8B, half a zone
>> warmer than I am (8A). Just a thought. And I think the name
>rosemary
>> come from ros marius or some such in Latin meaning dew of the sea.
>> Andrea has the coastal/salt problem which should be second nature
>if you
>> will for any rosemary plant - upright or creeping. I could be wrong
>of
>> course. Your suggestions were AWESOME as always. Wow.
>> 
>> 
>> Pam
>
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--
Pam Evans
Kemp TX/zone 8A



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