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Re: [PRIMROSES] Polygonatum and Podophyllum was: Planting under

In a message dated 98-01-03 23:59:05 EST, you write:

<< My Polygonatum (both the giant and the variegated) share a small triangular
 bed with a hosta they are trying to devour and some astilbe.  This is in my
 "pets" area and gets pretty close attention and regular watering, so I
 didn't like to say they would do well in dry shade, since mine aren't in
 those conditions.

 We need some others who grow these plants in various conditions to speak up
 here and add to the knowledge base! >>

Marge,

All of us with tall old trees know dry shade.

This past summer in upstate New York we had a third year with serious
midsummer drought.  Last season we had no significant rain from June through
mid August.

I have over one hundred hosta cultivars and many seedlings.  By last summer I
was exhausted with the watering.  I live in a rural area and have no public
water supply.  Some of the garden water for transplanting, etc comes from a
cistern which is filled by a gutter system on the barns. If more is needed it
must be pumped from the pond.  For this reason the 100 hostas went thirsty
this summer.  With the exception of transplants and new plants, none were
watered.

My experience was that some of the hostas in more sunny situations had burned
leaves, edges only, and some looked less than in their spring finery.  None of
hostas, not one, was harmed by living high and dry for two and one half
months.  The lesson is that hosta can survive very well in dry shade once
established.  You would have better looking, more lush plants, with water but
you will not lose hostas to drought.

The Christmas fern, polystichum acrostichoides will withstand waterless
placement.  It is native to my hills and grows in acid soil in the rocky woods
of the Berkshire area (NY-Mass border)  I have many of these ferns planted in
shady spots and they are absolutely reliable in dry soil.  This is an
evergreen fern with a shiny leathery leaf.  I say evergreen meaning as
evergreen as any plant can be under a foot of snow.

I have never lost a Christmas fern and have never watered any of them.  Like
most ferns they are allowed to die down (not cut down) and make a humusy area
around themselves growing into larger clumps each year.  Almost free of any
care!  Ferns have no pests in my zone and bless them, the deer do not eat
them.

Claire Peplowski
East Nassau, NY'
zone 4 - Berkshire area
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