Re: What is shade?

  Anelle,
      A garden (or any natural site) is constantly evolving.  Dense shade
becomes light shade or all sun through loss of tree branches or entire
trees.  Sun becomes  light shade as small trees or shrubs are added.  As
these grow the shade becomes more dense.  Our plants either adapt to the
change or die out or get moved.  The availability of water changes too,
changing what we can grow.
      Sun/Shade changes through the day as well as the season.  I guess you
have to determine the amount of sun each spot gets to what will grow well in
any spot.
      As to the sun/shade requirements on nursery tags, well.....I think
where they grow their plants has a lot to do with sun/shade (as well as
size).  Paul mentioned a Siberian Catmint that he grows.  I did a google
search in order to see the color as well as size and form.  Color was
anything from pink to blue/purple.  Size was listed as 18 inches to 4 feet.
Light was part shade to full sun or Full sun only.  That is why  I like this
site.  I get the experience of people who grow plants in their yards under
"normal" conditions, not those under optimum or artificial conditions at
nurseries.  I may get more than one answer, but I can figure out from where
people live as to if the plant may do well in my area.

      I hope I haven't confused the issue here.

  Virginia z5 40miles south of Chicago



  ----- Original Message -----
  From: "Anelle Kloski" <akloski@JPS.NET>
  To: <shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
  Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2004 12:10 PM
  Subject: [SG] What is shade?


  > I notice that the members of the list are  accepting when questions are
not
  > strictly about  shade gardening.  So the name of the list is OK by me.
But I
  > just suddenly realized that I am having trouble with the very concept of
  > what shade is.  In 1996 we moved into our retirement home here in the
  > western slope of the Sierra mountains at 3000', in Zone 7.  We are in
the
  > middle of a nicely varied forest, native plants wise: Yellow Pine and
Black
  > Oak belt.  We cut down only as many trees as we had to for the house.
Then
  > I started tucking in plants in the small area at front, which had a bit
of
  > sun.
  >
  > We have taken down only small trees since, but now I have a mixed area
which
  > is only "Sun" or "Shade" depending on the season and time of day. I
plant
  > things and hope for the best.  I no longer know if some areas are shade,
or
  > not.  I have been moving things around, if they are really unhappy.  We
just
  > moved a "Sappho" rhododendron because it had not flowered in 4 years,
and a
  > local nurseryman said it likes sun.  Just this week we moved a Fuchsia
  > Magellanica because after 6 years it is still tiny.  It did have some
blooms
  > on it, but after seeing huge trees of this plant elsewhere, I realized
it
  > wasnt too happy.
  >
  > I guess my whole garden is "Part shade", except for a few areas  that
get no
  > direct light.  I have planted very carefully in those areas if at all.
In
  > the total shade by my front porch I planted a  Mahonia someone gave me,
  > thinking it would not do well, and after several years it looks pretty
good
  > and has grown.  Is this  just hit or miss?  I notice some plant catalogs
  > contradict each other about sun/shade requirements.  A few years ago my
  > husband said, "What's a rhododendron?"  Now he is enthusiastic about
them,
  > and we have quite a few.  But I still cant tell if I am planting one
  > correctly, or not.  I have a few plants spotted around which I really
like
  > the idea of:  a gypsophila, which I think/hope  is in the "Sun".   And a
few
  > roses which I keep hoping are getting enough sun.  I sometimes think I
  > should go out and plot where the sun is for which time or day, in which
  > season.  But I am not that organized.  I guess nurseries cant be that
  > specific, because every region has a different mix of temperature, soil,
  > etc.  We have to water every day here in the hot summer.  So I guess its
all
  > up to me.  Any suggestions?
  >
  > Anelle
  >
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