RE: Shady Med Plants

Hi Cheryl,

As you know, I have deciduous Valley Oak, Quercus lobata, shade at home in
Los Altos, CA. Under it I grow (without additional water) Ribes sanguinum,
various spring bulbs, a yellow Chasmanthe, an invasive violet from
somewhere, and Arctostaphylos Howard McMinn. In the past I have had Ribes
vibunifolium and iris foetidissima but I removed them both because they were
too ugly and invasive. Nearby, with some summer water I have some Hellebores
and large areas of spreading geranium x cantabrigiense 'Biokovo', G.
wallichianum, variegated liriope and Erigeron karvinskianus. Also, some
Hermerocallis that would bloom more if they had more sun, Sisyrinchium
californicum, Hydrangea quercifolia. I've had fuchsia thymifolia but it died
out. I've recently added Ruscus aculeatus. 

Hope this helps,
Susan Bouchez
 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu [o*@ucdavis.edu]
On Behalf Of Cheryl Renshaw
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 12:06 AM
To: Medit-Plants
Subject: Shady Med Plants

Merci, Chantal!

I expect to be watering this bed as well (but hopefully not a lot). It's not
directly under an oak tree, but there is a large oak to the south of it that
shades the bed for all but about 2 hours in summer (and entirely in winter).
The soil is heavy clay (adobe), just to make things more interesting.

Have you tried Iris unguicularis in your bed? From what I read, it appears
to be a shade-tolerant iris, too...and it gives you winter flowers. Bonus!

Thank you for explaining how holm oaks grow in the wild. They are
occasionally used as street trees around here, so the only trees I've seen
have been staked when young so they have tall straight trunks (and lots of
space to walk under or to grow plants).

Anyone else gardening in mediterranean shade?

Cheryl

--------------
Cheryl Renshaw
Santa Clara, California

-----Original Message-----
From: Chantal Guiraud [c*@modulonet.fr] 
Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 9:46 PM
To: cheryl@wr-architect.com
Cc: Medit-Plants
Subject: Re: Pistacia lentiscus source in California? & General topic: Shady
Med Plants

Hi Cheryl,

I am gardening in the south of France and have a small garden  
downtown. So I have an holm oak and planted lots of cyclamen under  
it. They are doing very well (Cyclamen coum and hederifolium). There  
is too a Salvia ianthina actually in flower but I admit that I'm  
watering this bed (I am lucky to get water from a well).
There is also Erigeron speciosus 'Grandiflorus' that flowered from  
february to june and Euryops pectinatus that does not seem happy and  
no flower for the moment (too shady I think). I forgot also the iris  
formosana : they  flowered in april but are not very strong ( I  
suppose I should put more compost around them) You are right for  
Acanthus as they are seeding themselves too much.
In the wild, I did not notice anything growing under these oaks as  
they have low branches and are seeding themselves a lot.
About geranium macrorrhizum, what I can see here in my garden is that  
it is not happy if no watered at all. It can grow in shade but need  
watering in summer.
Myrtus communis is ok in shade but needs some water too in summer.  
Mine is flowering for the first time in completely shade.
I have no experience with Phlomis samia.
Hope this will help.

Chantal Guiraud
running the seed list for MGS
Montpellier (France)

Le 4 juil. 09 à 01:44, Cheryl Renshaw a écrit :

> Hello fellow mednuts,
>
> I'm working on a mediterranean planting plan where two of the four  
> garden
> beds are in nearly complete shade--they get about two hours of  
> afternoon sun
> in the summer. I'm trying to keep pretty strictly to plants from  
> the four
> non-California mediterranean zones for this garden.
>
> One plant I'm considering using is Lentisk or Pistacia lentiscus,  
> though I'm
> not sure I can keep it small enough. That may not matter, as I  
> haven't had
> any luck finding a source. Does anyone know of a nursery selling  
> these in
> California, or should I look for an alternative?
>
> I'm also interested in hearing about people's experiences with  
> mediterranean
> gardening with shade. In the Mediterranean, what grows under holm  
> oaks? What
> are your favorite understory plants? I'm looking at using hellebores
> (argutifolius and sternii), considered acanthus but it's a pest  
> elsewhere on
> the property and I don't think I could get it okayed, maybe Geranium
> macrorrhizum? Myrtus communis is definitely in. Maybe Phlomis samia?
>
> Thanks,
> Cheryl
>
> --------------
> Cheryl Renshaw
> Santa Clara (Silicon Valley)
>
>
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