Favorite Shade Ground covers
- To: s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
- Subject: Favorite Shade Ground covers
- From: G* <g*@OTHERSIDE.COM>
- Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 09:40:59 -0500
Hello Marilyn & All,
The following is not a complete list by any means, but some of my personal
favorites I use in the garden in no special order.
Foam Flower (Tiarella). If you want to See a Mozart symphony use Foam
Flowers in the garden. When they are in bloom in the foamy frothy
white-pink with a slight breeze creating a rhythm with the bloom stalks you
truly can see what he wrote. Lovely! There are a Kizillion different
hybrids and selections now to choose from. Many now have burgundy patterns
in the foliage. Easy and dependable.
European Anemone (Anemone nemorosa) any of these woodland anemones. They
come in whites, doubles, semi-doubles, pink, blue. Early spring bloomers
that quickly form a cover without taking over the garden. Try beneath a
white blooming dogwood or shadblow. These are early deciduous, but I could
not imagine my garden without them now that they are there. In fact, I have
been collecting them for a while now.
Gingers (Asarum) There are so many lovely local species to play with and
many more coming from China and Japan. My favorites are the European Ginger
with its kidney shaped leaves having a high gloss. Next would be A.
shuttleworthii from the south. Try the contrast of A. canadensis beneath
the frilly leaves of a Hemlock.
Iris cristata and its forms are lovely beneath small shrubs at the edge of
the woodland garden. Six to eight inch little swords in mass with lovely
blue or lavender-blue or white blooms in abundance just at foliage level.
In rich or average soil they quickly form a cover.
Mazus in a moist area scooting around with scalloped leaves in between
ferns and displaying lavender snapdragon blooms all beneath 2 to 3 inches
in height. Edges of the foliage often turn bronze in winther. Love this
stuff in between pavers and trying to climb up and over the edges of the
rocks.
Blue-Eyed Mary (Omphalodes verna) now has quite a few hybrids and
selection showing up in the catalogs. Nice evergreen foliage of good deep
green and flowers that resemble Forget-Me-Nots. Sometimes called Creeping
Forget-Me-Not. The more moisture the more it spreads.
Creeping Woodland Phlox. (Phlox stolonifera) many, many selections and
hybrids to choose from. Easy grower and will weave in and out with
evergreen foliage. Blooms come up on six to eight inch stalks to cover the
foliage in spring. pinks that hurt the eyes, blues, lavenders, white. Mine
weaves in and out of ferns and Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
Speaking of, Pulmonaria or Lungwort.... my favorite is one almost never
seen in catalogs today. Johnson's Blue. Little dwarf leaves almost
evergreen that are a mat green and hairy. Forms a colony in reasonable time
and the blooms open in a sky blue and stay that way. Blooms from March into
early May. Beneath a blooming Azalea... wow!
One final selection here... partridge Berry or Mitchella repens. Tiny
ground hugging mini vine of bright waxy green leaves. Flowers of whit-pink
and red berries. highly fragrant. A favorite beneath my jack in the
Pulpits.
Ok. I quit now. Anyone else care to add to the list with their favorites
and how they are used?
Gene Bush Southern Indiana Zone 6a Munchkin Nursery
around the woods - around the world
genebush@otherside.com http://www.munchkinnursery.com
----------
> From: marilyn <marimuse@EARTHLINK.NET>
> Well, Gene, go ahead and give the whole design for the shade anyway!!
> Would love to hear more ideas for groundcovers for shady gardens!
>
> And a very happy new year to all!
>
> Marilyn, Massachusetts, zone 6
