This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: [SG] Brian's Introduction

Hello Brian,
        Welcome to the Shade garden group. Sounds as though you have quite an
adventure coming up for you this spring. Shade gardening is truly the best
way to garden in my opinion.
        May I suggest you give some thought to the woodland natives for
underplanting your silver maple? They are adapted for those conditions. The
list is almost endless for spring bloomers that have shallow root systems
and go dormant when that maple is up and in full leaf demanding all that
water from the soil giving other plants a hard time.
        There are also plenty of non-native perennials that will take the
competition once they are established. Just keep on reading the messages
here and many of both will be discussed  over the winter.
        Gene Bush     Southern Indiana    Zone 6a     Munchkin Nursery
          around the woods - around the world
genebush@otherside.com     http://www.munchkinnursery.com

----------
> From: Brian Harrison <blt@ERINET.COM>
> To: shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: [SG] Brian's Introduction
> Date: Saturday, October 31, 1998 10:30 PM
>
> Thanks, Sherryl, for the warm welcome.
>
> I'm Brian Harrison.  I just purchased a home
> in Middletown, Ohio, which is Zone 5/6, just
> north of Cincinnati.  My entire property is shaded
> to at least some degree.  I have five new beds,
> each with a different light situation.  All have
> clay soil, which I have amended with a slightly
> acidic loam from a nearby mushroom farm.
> During my first season, I received numerous
> perennial divisions from friends and family, but
> so far nothing extraordinary.
> I have starts of two hosta varieties that my
> mother has been dividing and giving away for
> over twenty years.  One is a small variegated
> variety that shuns any direct sunlight, and the
> other is a medium variety with hand-sized
> pea green leaves.
>
> I still have lots of space to fill, so I plan to
> spend the winter months expanding my
> understanding of shade-loving plants and
> seeking new things to plant for next year.
>
> One issue that I have is that two of my beds
> are near silver maple trees, which have roots
> that spread densely at or near the soil surface.
> I am interested in finding suitable plants that
> can thrive amidst the roots.  One of those beds
> is mostly shaded most of the day.  The other
> receives partial shade most of the day with a
> brief window of direct sun in the afternoon.
>
> Also, I know that I want to plant azaleas, but
> I want to be an informed consumer.
>
> Any insight?
>
> -Brian
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index