Re: Introduction
Hi Sheryl---Nice description of your garden. A ground cover for under the
maple trees could be lamiastrum galeobdolon 'variegatum'. I had a large bed
of it growing under a white pine tree. There was some discussion of this
plant on this site recently. If you missed it, try going into the archives.
Hank Zumach
Stoddard, WI
zone 4B
----- Original Message -----
From: Sheryl Jones <sjones@LIBRARY.WISC.EDU>
To: <shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2000 3:31 PM
Subject: [SG] Introduction
> I have been lurking for quite some time. I guess it's time to tell
> about my garden.
>
> I have a small lot in the city of Madison, WI. In the front yard (which
> faces east) a have a large oak, a medium sized birch and a large
> spruce. As you can imagine, this leaves me with very little sun. The
> previous owner (I have been in the house since May of 1998) planted lots
> of hostas and daylilies along with a boxwood, a couple of dogwoods and a
> wiegila. The south exposure is the only really sunny spot I have and I
> have turned it into a water/rose garden. At present I have a small pond
> surrounded by peonies and a butterfly bush. One side of the garden is
> walled by rugosa roses. The back border is mostly given over to
> wildflowers such as coneflowers and Virginia Bluebells. The backyard is
> dominated by a huge maple. Nothing grows under the maple. Next to it
> is a burning bush. Right behind the house is a flower quince. In fact
> it is (ouch!) right next to the hose. I try to grow vegetables and
> berries in the far back as they are somewhat beyond the reach of the
> maple's shade. All along the back fence are either yews or arbor
> vitae. I'm not sure which. The yard came with a large lilac and I have
> since planted two more. I'm hoping this will be their first season of
> bloom. For annuals I have tried violas, hollyhocks (bienennial, I
> know), zinnias and sunflowers. I'm really trying to find an aggressive
> groundcover that can withstand the shade of the maple. I planted lamium
> last year and am hoping it will thrive. The north side is just a thin
> strip and, therefore, isn't planted with anything with grass. The whole
> yard is planted with bulbs (tulips, hyacinth, crocus and daffodils).
>
> Hope I wasn't too long winded!
>
> ----------------------------------------
> Sheryl Jones
> sjones@library.wisc.edu
> URL: <http://www.geocities.com/felidae>
>
