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Re: [PRIMROSES] Planting under trees was: New Member Bio

> I spend dry summers wrestling with and cursing 2 sets of hoses, each 200
> feet long.  Horrible,  heavy, nasty minded creatures bent on destroying
> every plant they can....but they get to the ends of my gardens.   There are
> shade tolerant plants that also tolerate dry shade once established (all
> will need some water to get established), particularly if your underlying
> soil is clay based (retentive) -- hostas, sadly, aren't among them -- they
> will try to hang in there but will be sad puppies.  But, if it is
> impossible to provide supplemental water, it will still be possible for you
> to plant under these trees.   Some plants that come immediately to mind
> are:
>
> Brunnera
> Pulmonaria (subject to a bit of mildew when cool and dry)
> Begonia grandis (who should pull through your winters)
> Lamiastrum galeobdolon (very rampant)
> Hedera helix (also pretty rampant, but the small and variegated leafed ones
> are pretty nifty IMO)
> Euphorbia: amygdaloides var. robbiae and purpureum (one of my favorites)
> Dicentra cucullaria and spectabilis do surprisingly well in dry, rooty
> conditions
> Pachysandra terminalis (fairly rampant ground cover - evergreen)
> Arisaema triphyllum
> Phlox divaricata
> Podophyllum peltatum
>
> I'm sure there are more, just can't bring them to the front of my
> mind....anybody add to this list??

I grew a particular plant due its ability to thrive in dry shade.  I
sold some to my sons' day care provider, as she needed something that
could handle the stomping of little feet.  Thus, I've had the
opportunity to watch this plant on a daily basis.
Symphytum 'Hidcote Blue'.  It stays low, 10-12 inches, the bloom period
is long.  Tubular flowers unroll from a fiddlehead-like flower stalk.
They emerge with a bright pink hue, and change to a beautiful blue and
white.
I planted one under my mature cedar and the leaves overlap like
shingles, making a perfect rounded mound.  It is doing much better than
the daycare providers, as hers is planted in very poor soil with round
wash-rock several inches deep.
I've read that these spread around, and I've noticed one seedling a few
feet from mine, tho Sharons' has not done so.

The Greenhouse
81 S. Bagley Creek Road & Hwy 101
Port Angeles, WA  98362
(360) 417-2664
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