Marianne's Response
Plant choices for shade in Zone 5 and 6
I am having difficulty choosing appropriate plants for a Zone 5-6 location which faces south but is near the base of my neighbor’s ash trees to the north of the planting site. The site is mostly shady from about late April to late July, but then, except for a few hours in the morning, is mostly sunny the rest of the day in the late summer and fall. Plants that do beautifully for several months in the spring and early summer really struggle later in the summer and fall, despite being kept well-watered. Help!
Posted by jansgarden on January 23, 2014
Marianne's Response
The secret here is that tree roots and summer sun create drought-like conditions. Try Sedum \"Autumn Joy\", sedum \"Angelina', and dichondra \"Silver Falls' for plants that will thrive in dry soil. Are you looking for shrubs rather than groundcovers and perennials? If so the dwarf conifers may be the answer. Tiny and compact the super dwarf mugho pines and cone-shaped super dwarf Alberta Spruce (look for 'Pixie Dust') and the blue star juniper are all adaptive to the dry soil. You should also consider raising the bed in this area and adding compost and steer manure to increase the ability of the soil to hold water. A mulch over the roots in the summer will also help conserve moisture. Good luck with this challenging site that is ripe with potential!
Keep growing,
Marianne Binetti
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