Re: Companion plant suggestions
- Subject: Re: [SG] Companion plant suggestions
- From: N* S*
- Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 07:22:13 -0500
I'd add clethra, especially 'Ruby Spice', which has sort of red bottlebrush
flowers late in the summer when you're about to die of boredom in the shade
garden. The dwarf clethra 'Hummingbird' is also quite cute and only reaches
2-3 feet. All clethra flowers have an intense but not cloying (in my
opinion) spicy scent. Hydrangeas--oakleaf, arborescens, especially--are
also great for the second half of summer. I prefer the more subtle
arborescens, as opposed to the big balls of 'Annabelle' when you're after a
naturalistic look. 'Annabelle' , though, is cheap, widely available, and
really fast growing. And then there's the whole range of shade-tolerant
viburnums, like trilobum, which will provide white blooms in late spring
and then terrific red berries throughout the fall and early winter. I'd
also second Marge's idea of a mahonia. I've got an aquifolium and it would
survive Armageddon, I think.
Nancy S. (zone6B, NYC)
At 09:01 PM 1/10/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>What about one of my favs, Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet'?
>Suckering - mildly - blooms in June, might be a bit later for you -
>racemes of white flowers; fragrant, brilliant fall color. Tolerates
>a lot of shade and also takes sun. I have it growing up through some
>rhodies under a huge oak that has dogwoods (C. florida) under it.
>
>Think there are other clones and the species gets bigger than
>'H.G'...which is about oh, 3 or 4 feet tall after about 10 years or
>so in that spot.
>
>I'm also very fond of Mahonia bealei, tho' Dirr is not. Have three
>that I found deep in our woods and moved; still small they do get
>quite large I have read, but not very fast..evergreen; yellow flowers
>and bloomy robin's egg blue berries.
>
>Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
>mtalt@clark.net
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>----------
> > From: Bobbi Diehl <diehlr@INDIANA.EDU>
> >
> > Hi, am hoping someone can suggest some companion shrubs to
>intersperse
> > with some young Amelanchier 'Autumn Brilliance' (or so the nursery
> > claimed) that grow in our backyard. They are in shade, on the north
>side
> > of a row of giant Arborvitae, and are maybe 6 or 7' tall at this
>point.
> > They are not like bushes, more like small trees. A largeish beech
>tree
> > grows to the east of the serviceberries, but there is room to plant
>some
> > additional shrubs. Beneath this grouping I plan to put some hostas
>and
> > maybe some spring ephemerals.
> >
> > I would appreciate suggestions for shrubs that would have
>approximately
> > the same growth habit as the serviceberries but maybe bloom at a
>different
> > time, or with a different color of bloom, and that would like
>relatively
> > shady conditions.
> >
> > Bobbi Diehl
> > Bloomington, IN
> > zone 5/6
