Re: shady collection for southern California

On the east coast, shade means moist soil. The White Flower Farm plants will need lots of water, and won't do well if it gets hot. Better choices are Calif. natives -- but even the native Dicentra likes water. Instead, see

http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/Dry_shade.html

Las Pilitas is in Southern Calif. and sells natives for dry shade. The page above will take you to a couple links with tons of gorgeous photos (part shade and full shade).




On Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 11:23 PM, Kay Dreher <d*@seti.org> wrote:
Hi all,
My niece lives in Glendora, CA (USDA zone 10a). She has her eye on a shady plant collection from White Flower Farm that includes Mertensia virginica, Dicentra spectabilis, Dicentra alba, and Polygonatum odoratum. Do you think there is any hope for these plants in a shady spot in southern California? I garden in northern California, and I have no experience with her zone or her soil. Is there a catalog that's geared to So Cal? I sympathize with her infatuation with the White Flower Farm catalog; I've certainly succumbed to the gorgeous pictures myself. But that was when I lived in New England.

All suggestions welcomed!
Kay Dreher
Berkeley CA



--
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. -- Cicero
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index