Re: needs list of plants for z 5 and deepshadewas:InterestedInShade Gardens -Reply

Think Marge's post will warrant 3 postings so here's the 2nd part of the list.

Penny

  liriope species-blue and white.  Hardy to zone 7

Good plant for dry shade.  Grows in just about any soil, good for holding
banks - develops a very extensive root system - to my surprise when I've
gone to dig them up.  Will grow in deep shade or a fair amount of sun.
Will self-seed to a mild extent.  Is easy to grow from seed.  Gardeners
farther south and with different soil have said it gets weedy...doesn't 
for
me.  Needs to be cut back to a few inches from the ground in very early
spring before new growth.  This is all the care mine get...never feed or
fuss with them.  My deer munch on it in winter.  This is no problem, just
wish I could get them to cut them all back *neatly* and save me the
trouble.  Someone on the List posted that they set their lawn mower on 
high
and just mow them in early spring.  If mine were where this is possible,
I'd sure try it.  If you wait too long, cutting back can be extremely
tedious as you have to tease the old leaves out of the new ones....been
there too many times.

  *mertensia virginica-violet/blue.  Hardy to zone 3

Super early spring plant.  Disappears by early summer.  Glaucous 
green/gray
leaf and beautiful blue flowers.  Mine seem to prefer a bit of sun as 
that
is where they sow their seeds the most.  I would say for light to medium
shade instead of deep - at least in my garden.  They will seed about and
slowly develop into sizable clumps.  New leaves emerge with a purple-blue
overcast.  High on my list of loves.  Like a moist soil best, but don't
seem very picky.

  *mimulus species (Monkey flower).  hardy to zone 7
  ophiopogon japonicus-blue (Mondograss)  Hardy to zone 7

Haven't tried the above two, yet.

  *osmumda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern).  Hardy to zone 4

Another good fern.  Will grow in deep shade.  Have a self induced clump
hugging my house foundation - very inhospitable ground.  Also have some
that arrived deep under a big juniper and just grow right up through it.

  *pachysandra

Good groundcover for medium to deep shade.  Hates sun.  Is aggressive and
will spread and try to cover the world, but for a constantly neat, green
ground cover it can't be beat.  Requires no care that I've noticed once
established.  Have never fed mine in 20 years, it just gets all the 
rotted
leaves it can swallow up - I rake off the ones on top in spring.  Has a
white flower in May, nice but not spectacular.

  *polygonatum species-white. (Solomon's Seal).  Hardy to zone 4

Superior plants.  Try the white variegated form - one of the most elegant
of leaves -looks like someone with a thin brush painted a perfect white
line on the edge of each leaf.  There is also a giant and a dwarf.  
Spread
quietly by rhizomes.  Wouldn't be without them.  Leaves stay nice all
season.  Small bell-like white flowers in spring.

  *polystichum species (Sheild Fern).  Hardy to zone 4

'Nother good fern - comes in a variety of forms  - all worth having and
will grow  in deep shade.

  primula species

Another group I particularly love, although I really don't have enough
native moisture to make many of them happy.  Most will not tolerate dry
conditions.  One of the easiest and earliest (for me) is the common wild
primrose or cowslip.  Could be P. veris or officinalis or vulgaris, don't
really know.  Has a bright, clear, light yellow flower in a many-flowered
umbral starting in early April.  This one tolerates slightly drier
conditions than most, although it really shouldn't be allowed to dry out,
either.  It's pretty tough - needs dividing every few years, best right
after flowering or in about July. Mine get it about every 4 or 5 years 
and
would probably like it more often than that.  Very cheery plant and goes
well with Pulmonaria since they flower together - that is, if you like
blues and yellows together.  I have found that P. japonica will not
tolerate sun in my garden (found out the hard way), but is happy in light
to fairly deep shade as long as I can keep the ground constantly moist.
These will seed - but never enough to suit me.  I have a clear light pink
that is soooo lovely it just grabs the heart!

  *Pulmonaria saccharata-blue,silver-spotted foliage (Bethlehem Sage).
Hardy
  to zone 4

A large number of named varieties out now.  I have P. s.. 'Mrs. Moon'
naturalized over large areas - self seeds where happy.  Is subject to a 
bit
of mildew, but keeps on trucking. Have read of new ones that are mildew
resistant.  Some of mine get it and some don't.   Will grow in deep to
light shade, but really doesn't like to dry out and will droop sadly if 
it
does.  Not, as far as I can tell, fussy about soil.  Very early flowering
for me, starts even before the leaves have barely made it out of the 
ground
and continues well into April.  The spotted leaves brighten up dark 
corners
well, but, then, I am a sucker for variegated leaves.  Got a new one with
an almost totally silver leaf this fall and am drooling over a few more 
in
the catalogs...not that I really *need* more of them.  Guess I will just
have to foist off a few more 'Mrs. Moon' on the unsuspecting to make 
room.
  Oh, most have either a blue flower that turns pink with age or
vice-versa...never can remember which, but it's a neat trait.

  *tradescantia virginiana-white, pink, magenta, purple, blue (Spiderwort
).
    Hardy to zone 4

Had these in deep shade and what a mucky, messy, sprawly plant I found 
them
to be.  Succulent stems that break if you try to prop them up, small
flowers - sprawled in an ungainly fashion.  Finally yanked them out.
Others seem to love them and maybe they've got some improved forms.  Been
years since I had them, so I may be unfair to the species.  Mean to try 
one
of the dwarf types and give it a bit more sun.  Not, however, one of my
'must haves'.
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