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[SG] Hosta replacement plants / now Gardening regions

Hello Claire,
        This thread is always interesting to follow for me. Same thing always
comes up when I give a slide presentation and lecture. Plant performance
from area to area, region to region and sometimes from one garden to
another. While a plant may live in Zones 3 to 8, obviously the plant will
not perform the same in three as in eight. When I say shade here in
Southern Indiana it is going to be not so much for you up north and usually
a lot more for someone in Florida like Dave.
        Gardening references are great as a beginning point for gardeners. There
is nothing like killing a couple of your own to learn where and how a
perennial performs best. Personal experience is the best tool we have in
gardening. Also do not forget the small university presses around the US
and regional gardening books they publish.
        Gene Bush     Southern Indiana    Zone 6a     Munchkin Nursery
          around the woods - around the world
genebush@otherside.com     http://www.munchkinnursery.com

----------
> From: Claire Peplowski <ECPep@AOL.COM>
> I think the original question was from a gardener in zones 3/4.  Leadwort
does
> not have a prayer here.  Some of the others mentioned are not for zone 4
> winters.
>
> The invasive stories, no doubt true, in areas south of us are not the
case in
> most zone 4 gardens.  We have late frosts in spring and soils are slow to
> warm.  Fall frosts for me are 4 years out of five about September 20.
This
> gives these running groundcovers less time to spread so quickly.  In
shaded
> dry soil archangel needs hand pulling once a season and lamium
occasionally is
> difficult to establish.
>
> Again, if curbed with a mown edge, any vigorous plant can be grown.
Bishop's
> weed, archangel and lamium are all pretty in masses.  Did anyone mention
> common blue myrtle a plant with deep green shiny leaves.  On another list
this
> plant was condemned as a weed in the south but is a beautiful addition to
a
> northern garden.  It is slower to establish but offers a gardener a
ground
> cover that will allow you underplant it with early hardy spring bulbs.
If
> started in dry soil watering is necessary for a few months.
>
> Claire Peplowski
> East Nassau, NY
> z4
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