Part Shade Plants in a Shady Garden
Portland Oregon and Vancouver Washington and vicinity
I was at Nordstrom Rack yesterday and as usual, any shoes I wanted were in another size. The sweater that would make me look like a million bucks was too tight, so instead I felt like a two dollar bill in it. It reminded me of all the plants I want in my shady garden. I lust for sun lovers, but only shade plants are in my size.
An untold number of part-shade plant victims have died (or been murdered) over the years because I was sure they’d look like a million bucks in my shady garden. I want deep vivid colors. Baptisia australis (Wild Indigo), Phygelius (Cape Fuschia), Crocosmia (Montebretia) all are listed as being capable of growing in part shade and have the colors I salivate for. I’ve tried them and they do grow, but at a striking 45 degree angle, with minimum bloom and leggy composure. My shade plants whisper among themselves that these wanna be part shaders are a disgrace. ”She calls herself a landscape designer but allows that riff-raff in the yard” my shade plants whisper to one another.
There are a few success stories that my shade plants would rather not talk about. The full sun loving Boltonia spurts forth hundreds of blooms in it’s mostly shady area. Part shade winners also include a Clematis blooming in November, Rosa glauca (Blueleaf Rose) growing a tad too vigorously (any one want a start?) and Salix ‘Hakiro NIshiki’ (Dappled Willow) rudely throwing limbs here and there surprise me in their continued willingness to show up the shade plants.
Part shade plants in my garden, both good and not so much
- Penstemon ‘Apple Blossom’ It’s short, so no one can tell that it leans to the sun
- Spiraea Other designers may pooh-pooh this plant but it’s a workhorse plant that requires little and gives alot
- Fatshedera ‘lizei ‘Aureo-Maculata’ Love this evergreen climbing on a trellis next to my house
- Rhamnus ‘Fine Line’ They look so cook, all columnar with fine fingery leaves, but half of them croaked in my yard and in my neighbor’s yard.
- Choisya ‘Aztec Pearl’ They think they’re so perfect with their evergreen leaves and scent, but they fall over without staking
- Hebe ‘Silver Dollar’ or ‘Red Edge’ They’re cute enough that I can live with a brown limb here and there
- Philadelphus coronaria ‘Aureus’ Didn’t bloom, have yellow leaves, nothing in it’s half shade area. The neighbor cut down a tree, giving it more light and viola, a whole new plant
- Eucomis I have three and have yet to see five year plants bloom
- Erysium ‘Apricot Twist’ Love this plant.
- Aster If they’re under two feet tall, they’re prolific
- Callicarpa japonica is a total winner
- Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ looks like a spindly stick.
