More on dry shade

Thanks, Gene. As usual you have provided a great deal of information in a
relatively short post. I appreciate the time and care you take to answer
questions.

You're right about the different kinds of "dry shade." Mine is definitely
the woodland kind, although it's hardly a woodland, just a garden area
dominated by a greedy, shallow-rooted, mature sweetgum tree.  So what you
describe (combining species that go dormant with those that don't, careful
placement of plants relative to the spacial heterogeneity of the tree's
root system, and lastly, just breaking the rules) sounds like a plan!

Gerry


At 09:22 AM 10/8/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Hello Gerry,
>    I see where several others have replied to you with their experiences on
>plants for dry shade.... and there are some good ones mentioned.
>    I think, first of all, I will mention that there is dry shade and then
there
>is dry shade..... not all is created equal. Under mature trees and shrubs
in a
>woodland setting is quite different than from under the eves of a house.
>Generally, dry shade is not dry all the time... mostly during latter July
and into
>August and the first of September around here. There are usually adequate
rains to
>provide moisture during the spring and early summer.
>    Many of our natives have adapted to that environment... spring
moisture and
>drying out during summer. Quite a few, like Trilliums, store energy and
then go
>dormant until the next period of moisture is available. These I mix with
plants
>that do not go dormant. Such as, Virginia Bluebells and merrybells...
bluebells go
>dormant, the merrybells do not. Blue and yellow are great colors, the
foliages
>contrast nicely making a great display. When the bluebells leave around
July, the
>merrybell foliage remains until frost. Root competition is also a normal
fact of
>life to them.
>    Some of my favorites in the garden are vines up next to the trunk of
mature
>trees and going up into the limbs. A bit further out from the trunk in the
>heaviest competition would be the ferns, and natives that go dormant along
with
>some proven winner such as hardy Cyclamen, Epimediums, Bletilla or Chinese
Ground
>Orchid, Corydalis lutea, ochroleuca, hepaticas, some Hostas, iris cristata
for
>groundcovers. Getting a bit further out where there are smaller roots and
a bit
>less competition and a bit more light you can grow about any shade plant
you like.
>    Do not always take the word of the experts.... I grow several Hosata
at the
>base of a mature cedar tree, along with a mix of cinnamon ferns and
Chinese ground
>orchids. The hosta were planted before I was told they would not grow
there;-)
>Cinnamon ferns do not do as well as they would in a moist environment, but
the
>perform well enough for me.
>    Be willing to play with your plants and see what will work  Where You
Garden.
>    Gene Bush     Southern Indiana    Zone 6a     Munchkin Nursery
>          around the woods - around the world
>genebush@otherside.com     http://www.munchkinnursery.com
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Gerry/Bob O'Neill <eoneill@IBM.NET>
>Subject: Re: [SG] FW: [SG] Painted Ferns (growing them)
>
>
>> At 08:20 AM 10/6/00 -0400, you wrote:
>>   .One of my backbone
>> >plants for the dry shade garden.
>> >    Gene Bush     Southern Indiana    Zone 6a     Munchkin Nursery
>> >
>>
>> Gene,
>>
>> Would you like to elaborate a little? What other plants do you recommend
>> for dry shade?  Epimedium, of course, but what others?  Any ferns?
>>
>> Gerry
>
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