(no subject)

[sexy_romulan]

Man...three days after christmas and the gardening itch hits. Dammit. There won't even be seeds to browse through until February.



Have I mentioned how truly, deeply, and passionately I want to grow roses? Bizarre, since I've never been that fussed about them as a cut flower. I love the shrubs and climbers - they're classic, yet wild; lavish and rambly at the same time. I love the whole cottage garden look for the same reason. Hard to do without full sun though. Must keep my eye out for a place with a south-facing yard (or at least a sunny wall). Then I can plant lilacs, too.

Ooooo, google has just spied me a nursery west of Kanata that stocks many roses in addition to perennials and shrubs. I think I will have to pay them a visit in the spring!

Roses are total pie-in-the-sky daydreaming, though. Must find ways to deal with the shade, since I have so damn much of it.

On my Vesey's shopping list:

* Astilbe (3 for $10, woo!)
* Gigantor ferns
* Hardy cyclamen
* Toad lilies? They're tiny, but shade-tolerant and cheap
* Bugbane is GORGEOUS but mad expensive. I suppose I can allow myself one mad plant purchase each year, but I don't think last year's dappled willow is doing too well. If it actually leafs out in the spring I may allow myself to indulge again.

The bed by the fence is pretty much done, I think - just need to pepper it with some impatiens (hey, now THAT is what I should interplant with those damn ferns! Should have thought of that ages ago!) and keep the forget-me-nots from taking over and it should be good to go. I could be wrong but I think the foxgloves have already self-seeded. I'll plant some more seeds just in case and if I'm right I'll just plant more elsewhere, they're gorgeous anyway.

The other bed - not to mention the wild and woolly section - needs some work. There's part sun there, sort of, but apparently not enough to sustain hollyhocks. I'll try some rudbeckia again, I guess. What else would go well with lilies? Poppies, maybe? I don't think a single one of those came up last year. I could try hostas, I suppose, but bleah. Well, mixed in with the lilies, that might not look half bad. I could try mixing some columbines in with the wild and woolly stuff, I guess, since those did actually come up in the other bed.

In the sort-of-sunny former ground cover bed, meanwhile, I have the rose, hydrangea, and phlox. I doubt the ferns will be back, but you never know. There's tulips and squills there for the springtime, but then those die back and there's nothing to take their place. I will probably transplant some of the forget-me-nots over here, since they are apparently indestructo-plants, and I could try the rudbeckia and marigolds here. Beans or morning glories on the climber, although I still didn't get many flowers last year. One of the gigantor ferns, too, and some astilbe in the shadier part.

In the bed next to the house I have raspberries, rhubarb, hordes of oregano, a bleeding heart, some columbines, a couple of phlox, and (hopefully) a dappled willow. This would be the place for the bugbane, if I spring for it, with its nice dark foliage. A gigantor fern would be good here too - the huge expanse of wall kind of calls for height. I wish, wish, wish I could find a climber that would tolerate this much shade. Hardy kiwi maybe? I am NOT planting any more virginia creeper!

Comments

[amazon-syren.livejournal.com]

Hey, guess what: Hostas are also called "August Lilies" (or "Plantain Lilies"), believe it or not, because of when they flower and what their flowers look like. ;-)
(You could try miniature hostas, as they won't provide Teh Huge clumps of leaf.
Here (http://www.mailorderplants4me.com/catalog/33) is a website of miniature hostas ("Blue Ice" looks nice, but I'm partial to the blues, as do "Cookie Crumbs", "Bread Crumbs", and "Dragon Tails", which are all bi-coloured, and "X-Rated" which, allegedly, has bright purple flowers).


Suggestions for shady gardens:

Virgin's Bower
Dropmore Scarlet Honeysuckle(?)
Hardy Kiwi

Joe Pye Weed (also called "Queen of the Meadow", I think)
Verigated Meadow Sweet
Bleeding Hearts[1]
Cinamon Fern and Royal Fern, etc. (I think you already knew that one)
Trilliums (!!!)
Purple shamrocks (will grow under conifers, I think - but it may be an annual)
Lily of the Valley
Bugle Weed
Periwinkle (!!!)
Creeping phlox (you've already got this one, yes?)

More at:Canadian Gadening Online (http://www.canadiangardening.com/plants/bright_ideas3.shtml).


Wanna come over and eat pie with me? I can make tea. :-)


- TTFN,
- Amazon. :-)


[1] Bleeding Heart Cultivars: (http://www.mrgrow.com/plant/may.htm)

D. eximia, D. formosa and D. spectabilis

* 'Adrian Bloom' Crimson-red flowers, blue green foliage
* 'Alba' White flowers
* 'Bountiful' Deep pink flowers Heavy bloomer at beginning and end of season.
* 'Luxuriant' One of the most common varieties, has cherry-red flower, green fern-like foliage
* 'Snow Drift' White flowers
* 'Pantaloons' Robust white flowering selection

[ami-b.livejournal.com]

See, there are hostas all along the walkway of our building, and they have little purple flowers in the summer. I just have a weird hosta prejudice. Maybe because everyone assumes I'm growing hostas, given the shade :p But the minis are a good idea, and would be a nice contrast with the height of the lilies, no?

That's a great list on the website, I will have to look into some of those. Especially the vines - woo! Virgin's Bower and honeysuckle both bloom late...and the honeysuckle is gorgeous. Not as shade tolerant as VB, though, apparently. And hey, both of these are carried by the nursery I linked to...sweet! Wanna go on a gardening mini-road-trip with me come spring? ;D The nursery website further suggests climbing hydrangea, but notes it's not always hardy in this area...we seem to have a relatively gentle microclimate here, though, except for the wind.

I believe I have some creeping phlox - it went kind of nuts with the blooming last year - as well as periwinkle, bleeding heart, ferns, and lily of the valley. I think I may try bee balm, too.

And bugle weed - oh, bugle weed. Don't ever plant this one, it is MAD invasive. I'm going to have to tackle it this summer, it's making a bid to take over the lawn.

Tea sounds lovely! Corey is actually going out to watch UFC tonight - would you be up for an evening get together?

[amazon-syren.livejournal.com]

I would *totally* be up for an evening get together! :-D

Paul's out for the afternoon and evening, too. (Getting together with a friend of his - finally! He's quite the hermit. ;-)

When do you want to come over? 5pm-ish? :-)

Mmm... Beebalm... :-D
I think Sweet William will grow in shade, too. At least it grows in partial-shade, so it might work. :-)

Re: hostas and Lilies: yup. :-) Plus: even the little ones provide good ground cover. Be warned: The slugs like 'em. ;-)

Duly noted about the bugle weed. :-\
Periwinkle also gets Everywhere, but - hey - I think you can walk on it without totally destroying it, so it's not so bad if it gets all over the place. ;-)

Mini-road-trip sounds like fun! :-D

[ami-b.livejournal.com]

5 PM sounds good - it's a date!

Yeah, I've run into slugs in my yard, although to my knowledge they're not eating anything so far. Well, if I need to, I can arm myself with beer (one for the slugs, one for me ;) )

I don't think periwinkle chokes stuff out when it gets everywhere, this is the thing. Or maybe I just planted it far enough back in the shady section that it's taking a while...?

[amazon-syren.livejournal.com]

Well, I haven't noticed the periwinkle choking anything out in my yard, so that's a good sign. ;-)

See you at 5pm. :-D (I will feed you dinner). :-)

[arndis.livejournal.com]

The cheapest way to get plants is to befriend other gardeners. The second cheapest is to go to the gardeners' plant sales, like the one the Experimental Farm holds. Or you could try asking my mother. ;)

[ami-b.livejournal.com]

Oooo, the experimental farm has a plant sale?? I am so there!!!!