Читать книгу The Right-Size Flower Garden - Kerry Ann Mendez - Страница 12

TWO

THE “CUSTOM-SIZED” GARDEN – PERFECTLY FITTED TO YOUR CHANGING NEEDS

The previous chapter may have triggered mixed emotions as you reminisced about how your garden evolved over the years. This chapter is all about dreaming up your perfect partner, I mean garden – what fits your passions, lifestyle and landscape now! Let your mind wander; twirl through the meadows like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music; think outside the garden box with no “garden strings” attached. Soon enough, we will refine these dreams to realistically fit your site and budget.

You might want to consider one or more of the following enhancements:

Beyond plants. Outdoor kitchens are all the rage. An outdoor kitchen would gobble up lawn and garden space, thereby saving a lot of maintenance and resources (i.e., water, fertilizer, etc.). Keep that at the front of your mind as you look at the project’s bottom line. Designs can be as simple as a grill for the room’s centerpiece, along with a functional countertop. More elaborate set-ups might include a refrigerator, bar, ice-maker, wine cooler, smoker, wood-burning stove, tables, chairs, couches, stereo, television, and of course, the kitchen sink. You can even install outdoor heaters that keep the room temperature just right.

Removing lawn and old planting beds can create room for an outdoor kitchen.

For a scaled down version of Julia Child’s playhouse consider a fire pit. Nice for browning marshmallows and sipping evening beverages around.

Going hand in hand with outdoor kitchens are stylish herb and vegetable gardens for harvesting fresh produce. Now it’s time for true confessions: I don’t enjoy cooking. I can unscrew jars, tear open pre-packaged boxes, and open frozen food bags. My sister was aghast that I’ve never made mashed potatoes from scratch. I thought potato flakes were the real thing. So when it comes to kitchen gardens, allow me to defer to my good friend and colleague Ellen Ecker Ogden, on how to design a lovely herb and vegetable patch. Her fabulous book, The Complete Kitchen Garden, provides everything you need to know, as well as over 100 yummy recipes. For more information visit Ellen’s website at ellenogden.com.

Given my aversion for doing anything that involves slicing, chopping or dicing, my home garden makeover projects included creating additional seating space where I could relax while enjoying take-out meals. We ended up putting in two fieldstone patios and a wooden deck.

A lovely kitchen garden designed by Ellen Ecker Ogden.

An inviting, landscaped fire pit by Julie Moir Messervy.

This jaw-dropping tropical display welcomes visitors for a cool drink under the shade pergola, a design masterpiece by Steve Silk.

Sweet shade. You might also want to consider adding a shade-enhancing pergola to mitigate a stifling afternoon sun. This can be attached to the house or be self-supporting. You can install a retractable awning as your shade source or use climbing plants such as honeysuckle, wisteria, Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia), bougainvillea, chocolate vine (Akebia), climbing roses, golden hop (Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’) or ‘Sweet Summer Love’ clematis (a pink summer blooming, sterile alternative to ‘Sweet Autumn’ clematis). Be sure to check with your local Extension office, however, to see if any of these are invasive in your area. Some fast growing annual vines include morning glory, moon flowers (a white, fragrant, evening flowering member of the morning glory family), hyacinth bean, black-eyed Susan vine, scarlet runner bean or cup and saucer vine (Cobaea scandens). A word to the wise: Don’t be afraid to play lion tamer and prune plants as needed that boast rapid growth as one of their attributes.

A smashing, easy-care hedge of ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas.

A little privacy, please. Perhaps the need for privacy now has become an issue for you. The cute little game of peek-a-boo we played with infants has taken on an uncomfortable slant. “Pulling the blinds” can be accomplished with plants, fencing or a combination of both. First, decide if you need year-round screening or just during certain months of the year. When selecting plants for creating a hedge, remember to consider whether it’s evergreen or deciduous, as well as its mature height and width. For example, two commonly sold arborvitaes (an evergreen shrub) are ‘Green Giant’, which grows to 40'–60' tall and 12'–18' wide and ‘Emerald Green’ that only reaches 6'–10' tall and 3'–4' wide. Both look pretty similar when sold as young shrubs. But in the long run, size DOES matter.

If part of the hedge’s role is to keep out unwanted visitors like cats, dogs and two-legged trespassers, then go for thorny barriers. Possibilities include roses (rugosa are particularly spikey), Aralia, gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa, edible fruit), Mahonia, firethorn (Pyracantha), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), barberries, hollies and many spruces and junipers. Once again, check with local Extension offices to see if any of these are considered invasive in your region.

A fall photo of my backyard showing a privacy hedge of arborvitae ‘Emerald Green’ planted the prior year.

Narrow Evergreen Plants for Hedges

AMERICAN BOXWOOD

Buxus sempervirens

‘Graham Blandy’

Zones 5 – 9 ♦ Sun to Shade

6' – 8' tall, 2' wide

Spring flowers: inconspicuous

Attributes: Evergreen, narrow growth habit, deer and rabbit resistant, accent plant, privacy hedge, container plant, formal gardens

‘Graham Blandy’ is a people pleaser. It does well in sun or shade and makes an ideal hedge where deer are a vexing problem and light conditions vary along a hedge’s length. ‘Graham Blandy’ is also splendid when used as sleek sentinels in front entryways or featured in containers on decks and patios. This evergreen grows at a medium pace (faster than some boxwood), tolerates poor soil and rarely needs pruning. Protection from strong winter winds will make everyone happy.

JAPANESE HOLLY

Ilex crenata

‘Sky Pencil’ and ‘Sky Pointer’

Zones 5 – 8 ♦ Sun to Part Shade

4' – 8'+ tall, 1' – 3' wide

Spring flowers: inconspicuous

Attributes: Evergreen, narrow growth habit, deer and rabbit resistant, accent plant, privacy hedge, container plant, formal gardens

These no-fuss, “bean pole” shrubs have luxurious, shiny green leaves that look tidy year-round. I have grown ‘Sky Pencil’ for years and never, repeat, never pruned it. ‘Sky Pencil’ was introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum in 1985 with rave reviews. ‘Sky Pointer’ is a new, supposedly improved and stronger grower than ‘Sky Pencil’, a point still to be validated. Like ‘Graham Blandy’, both make terrific privacy hedges (with spiny leaves for additional emphasis), entranceway plantings and container specimens.

ARBORVITAE

Thuja occidentalis

‘Emerald Green’, ‘Emerald’, ‘Smaragd,’ ‘Degroot’s Spire’

Zones 2 – 7 ♦ Sun to Part Shade

7' – 14'+ tall, 3' – 5' wide

Non-flowering

Attributes: Evergreen, narrow growth habit, tolerates wet and clay soils, can be planted near black walnut trees

‘Emerald Green’, ‘Emerald’ and ‘Smaragd’ are all names used interchangeably for basically the same shrub. This narrow-growing evergreen is one of the most commonly sold hedge and foundation plants. Unlike ‘Emerald Green’, ‘Degroot’s Spire’ has a single leader, making it far less likely to splay open and flop after heavy snows and ices. This is a consideration for colder climate gardeners. These arborvitae are usually less expensive than ‘Graham Blandy’ and the ‘Sky Pencil’ twins, plus they grow at a fast pace. The only drawback — arborvitae can be a dinner bell for deer.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN JUNIPER

Juniperus scopulorum

‘Wichita Blue’

Zones 3 – 7 ♦ Sun

10' – 15' tall, 4' – 6' wide

Non-flowering

Attributes: Evergreen, narrow growth habit, deer resistant, drought tolerant, privacy hedge

‘Wichita Blue’s’ dusty-blue needles look vibrant year-round. That’s probably why it’s the top seller for blue, upright junipers. The shrub has a pyramidal habit and is pretty fast growing, typically averaging 8" of height a year. It does best in well-drained soil and hates wet feet. Put away the pruners for this virtually maintenance-free evergreen.

Additional narrow evergreen choices: columnar Hetz juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Hetzii Columnaris’), slender hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gracilis’), columnar Japanese plum yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’)

Eco-friendly bamboo fence from Cali Bamboo.

Fencing. If fencing is your preferred partition, then composite, wood and vinyl are most often used, but bamboo is catching on quickly. Bamboo is an environmentally sustainable resource that can last twice as long as cedar and it’s also termite resistant. Steel, aluminum and chain link usually don’t provide the level of privacy desired and barbed wire and electric fences are downright nasty. If possible, go with a structural style that allows some airflow and light. Semi-privacy fences still block the view but the boards are set slightly farther apart. Shadowbox fences (also called board-on-board) are another choice with alternating boards on both sides of the fence creating open-air shafts. Wood, composite or vinyl can be used with both of these configurations. Finally, don’t make the same mistake I did. I thought I knew where my property line was located and I was wrong. Very wrong! Let’s just say I had to do some “double digging” for a 140' fence. Be sure to contact the utility company to make sure no lines will be compromised while digging and check with your municipal office or residential association for any fencing regulations (i.e., height restrictions, setbacks from roads and/or property lines).

I loved this hilarious fence of recycled downhill skis on Martha’s Vineyard!

Sedum ‘Maestro’

Floral wall tapestries can be colorful problem solvers for those seeking outdoor privacy in condominiums and townhouses. These can be easily made by securing lattice to a planter box or buying pre-made trellis planters. Plant colorful annual vines or climbing veggies at the base of the lattice and let the scrambling artwork begin. You can even place these nifty screens on wheels to relocate them as needed.

Soaring water bills and watering restrictions have caused many to rethink their landscape. Parched plants gasping for daily gulps need to find a new home. If you’re not willing to part with these water hogs, then at least group them together in an area close to a water source. Or pot them in containers that allow for more efficient hydrating. No more dragging hoses to Timbuktu. I’ve also made it a habit to place drought tolerant plants in the deepest part of garden beds where irrigation may not reach; at the top of slopes where water drains away quickly; and in spots where competition from tree and shrub roots play havoc.

Dianthus ‘Raspberry Swirl’ – colorful and drought tolerant.

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Sun to Part Sun

CATMINT

Nepeta

Zones 3 – 8 ♦ Sun to Part Sun

8" – 36" tall

Early summer flowers, repeat bloomer: lavender, blue, white

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, fragrant, cut flower, container plant, no deadheading required, enjoyed by butterflies, hummingbirds and bees Many of us have a fascination with growing lavender. The thought of inhaling wafts of calming lavender tickles our fancy. If you live in zones 5 or colder, get over it. Lavender typically appears pretty ratty when, or if, it makes it through these winters. Better to plant catmint instead. It resembles lavender and can smell like it too when planted along with lavender dryer sheets. ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint has tried my patience with its floppy habit. Compact cultivars that grow under 18" include ‘Little Trudy’, ‘Little Titch’, ‘Cat’s Meow’ (pictured above), ‘Purrsian Blue’ and ‘Blue Wonder’. Shear back the first round of blooms after they “purr-ter out” for a second “purr-fect” show. Tuck in a fresh dryer sheet while you’re at it.

REPEAT BLOOMING DAYLILY

Hemerocallis

Zones 3 – 9 ♦ Sun to Part Sun

14" – 36"+ tall

Flowers: all colors except blue

Attributes: Drought tolerant, rabbit resistant, some fragrant varieties, container plant, salt tolerant, enjoyed by hummingbirds and butterflies, tolerates wet soil, can be planted under black walnut trees

Before reading on, if deer are relentless in your neighborhood, then kindly skip to the next flower. Daylilies are chocolate bon-bons to these brown-eyed belles. Repeat blooming daylilies bring repeat smiles. ‘Stella D’Oro’ was the original trendsetter in this category. Frankly, there are now far better choices for consistent bloom and showy flowers. ‘Pewter Pink’ (pictured above) is a new daylily that’s turning noses. Many horticulturalists claim this is the most fragrant daylily yet. This silvery pink beauty grows to 24" with blooms that can reach 7" across! ‘Early Bird Red’ has set a new flower bar record with its ability to produce three rounds (sometimes four) of bud-laden scapes (stems). ‘Early Bird Orange’ has similar bragging rights. Other repeat blooming eye-pleasers are ‘Custard Candy’ (creamy yellow with burgundy watermark), ‘Going Bananas’ (soft yellow), and ‘Baja’ (red).

TICKSEED

Coreopsis verticillata and crosses

Zones 4 – 9 ♦ Sun

12" – 28" tall

Early summer and summer flowers, some repeat bloomers: yellow, pink, white, red, salmon, bicolor

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer resistant, cut flower, container plant, no deadheading required, enjoyed by butterflies

Move aside, broad-leaved tickseeds (Coreopsis grandiflora); I’m fed up with constantly deadheading flowers atop long wiry stems, as well as its short-lived habit. Another member of your family, thread-leaved tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata), gets my vote. These come in a wide assortment of flower colors (not just yellow) and require zippo deadheading. ‘Moonbeam’(soft yellow) is a long-time favorite. Other “trialed” and true picks of mine include ‘Mercury Rising’ (red), ‘Route 66’ (yellow and red), and ‘Redshift’ (creamy yellow with a burgundy center). ‘Zagreb’ and ‘Golden Showers’ are way too fast-spreading for my taste. (Pictured above: ‘Mercury Rising’.)

YARROW

Achillea

Zones 3 – 8 ♦ Sun

18" – 24" tall

Summer flowers: yellow, pink, red, peach

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, cut flower, dried flower, no deadheading required, enjoyed by butterflies

I used to consider yarrow a messy thug. Most varieties were weak stemmed and prone to wandering (yellow flowering ‘Coronation Gold’ and ‘Moonshine’ were exceptions). All that changed when I became wooed by the ‘Seduction’ series. Strong, virile stems, erupting from neat foliage clumps, produce masses of handsome, repeat blooming flowers. ‘Sunny Seduction’ (yellow), ‘Peachy Seduction’ (peach), ‘Strawberry Seduction’ (red) and ‘Saucy Seduction’ (pink) will have you swooning. ‘Pomegranate’ is another lady killer with shimmering red flowers and all of ‘Seduction’s’ fine habits. (Pictured above: ‘Strawberry Seduction’.)

Additional fabulous perennial choices: false blue indigo (Baptisia), sedum, most ornamental grasses, peony, German bearded and Siberian iris, Russian sage (Perovskia), carnations (Dianthus) and lady’s mantle (Alchemilla).

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Part Shade to Shade

BARRENWORT

Epimedium

Zones 4 – 8 ♦ Part Shade to Shade

6" – 24" tall

Spring flowers: purple, yellow, white, pink, orange, bicolor

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, foliage creates weed-smothering mat, good for erosion control, does well in shallow soils

Got maple trees? Get barrenwort. Barrenwort is a hardworking perennial that wins the wrestling match with tree and shrub roots for limited water and nutrients. Delicate flowers, adorning wiry stems, move gracefully in springtime breezes. It’s best to shear back the semi-evergreen leaves in late winter to fully appreciate the floral show. The elongated, heart-shaped leaves take on a lovely burgundy-red blush in spring and fall. Even better, the leaves form a reliable weed-suppressing mat. (Pictured above: ‘Bandit Plant Delight.’)

LENTEN ROSE

Helleborus

Zones 4 – 8 ♦ Part Shade to Shade

10" – 36" tall

Spring flowers: pink, red, purple, white, yellow, burgundy and bicolor

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, enjoyed by bees, great leathery foliage that is evergreen or semi-evergreen, cut flower, container plant, can be planted under black walnut trees (per two great garden gurus, David Culp and Tony Avent).

Lenten rose is a shoo-in for 4 – 6 weeks of no-fuss color. It’s the perfect pick if you’re tired of losing spring blooming bulbs to munching varmints. Incredible hybridizing has generated a wide range of flower colors, as well as blooms that face downward, outward or upward. Multi-petaled selections in the ‘Winter Thrillers’ and ‘Winter Jewels’ series are making a big splash. Lenten rose are semi-evergreen or evergreen in winter, depending on your zone. Cut back old stems to the ground in late winter to put the spotlight on the emerging flowers. For a breathtaking display, combine with spring blooming ephemerals like Virginia bluebells (Mertensia), shooting star (Dodecatheon) and liverwort (Hepatica). (Pictured above: ‘Peppermint Ruffles’.)

SOLOMON’S SEAL

Polygonatum

Zones 2 – 8 ♦ Part Shade to Shade

2' – 3'+

Spring flowers: white

Attributes: drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, enjoyed by bees, fragrant flower, cut flower (foliage), container plant, can be used as a slow groundcover, pretty golden fall foliage, native to eastern and central North America

Elegant arching stems drip with white, bell-shaped flowers in spring, followed by blue-black berries. Unfortunately, the fruit doesn’t attract birds, and the berries are poisonous. Newer introductions have burgundy stems and stunning white and green leaves that quickly capture one’s attention, even in heavy shade. ‘Angel Wing’ and ‘Double Stuff’ are two such head-turners. Other unusual selections that I’ve grown are humile, a darling groundcover that only gets 6" - 9" tall, and biflorum var. commutatum (also called giganteum), a strapping 6' – 7'-tall specimen. (Pictured above: ‘Double Stuff’.)

FOAMFLOWER

Tiarella

Zones 4 – 9 ♦ Part Shade to Shade

8" – 12" tall

Spring flowers: white or pink

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, enjoyed by bees, colorful foliage, container plant, can be used as a groundcover, native to North America

The fingerprint of most foamflowers is a dark, maroon-colored patch in the center of the leaf. Exquisite leaves are various shades of green and range in shape from slightly lobed to deeply divided. Foamy pink or white flowers cover the foliage mound in spring. ‘Cascade Creeper’ and ‘Sugar and Spice’ have some repeat bloom later in the summer. Foamflowers can be slow clump growers or ground-covers, depending on the cultivar. (Pictured above: ‘Sugar and Spice’.)

Other perennial choices: Hosta, some ferns (lady fern, male fern, sword fern), bugleweed (Ajuga, groundcover), Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) and bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum)

The biggest drinker in the garden. Since we’re on the subject of water requirements, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: our lawn. Lawns comprise the largest section of most residential properties and they consume the majority of water used by homeowners. According to the National Wildlife Federation: “Approximately 50 – 70 percent of our residential water is used for landscaping, most of it to water lawns, which total approximately 20 – 30 million acres in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that nearly 70 million pounds of active pesticide ingredients are applied to suburban lawns each year, helping to make polluted runoff the single largest source of water pollution nationwide, affecting ground water, lakes and streams, wildlife, and human health. And the use of gas-powered lawn mowers contributes five percent of the nation’s air pollution. A gas-powered lawnmower emits 11 times the air pollution of a new car.” If our water bill doesn’t cause us to rethink the lawn, perhaps the sheer weight of these numbers will.

A colorful groundcover of creeping thymes surrounds this urn of cascading flowers.

If you haven’t already put this book down to grab your spade, then do so now. I’ll wait as you go out and remove a chunk of lawn. Then consider adding remarkable, drought tolerant groundcovers (covered later in this book) instead. Or maybe you have more space to put in a meadow or wildflower garden? Your options may vary based on your residential setting and the size of your landscape, but you can do something.

FLOWERING SHRUBS AND CONIFERS

One of my biggest and best downsizing strategies was to replace sweeps of mixed perennial gardens with flowering shrubs and conifers. Dig, dig, swap, swap…Oh what a relief it is! You really don’t appreciate how much more work perennials are, compared to shrubs, until you make the switch. Don’t misunderstand, I still love perennials and will always have these in my gardens, just a lot less of them. Most “woodies” simply don’t require the same amount of water, fertilizer and routine care. And I can get every bit, if not more, color from shrubs and trees, especially given the explosion of new cultivars with dazzling foliage, berries, bark and/or form.

Drought Tolerant Flowering Shrubs for Sun to Part Sun

HYDRANGEA (PANICLE, SMOOTH AND OAKLEAF)

Hydrangea paniculata, arborescens and quercifolia

Zones 3 – 8 ♦ Sun to Part Shade

2.5' – 15'+ tall, 3' – 10' wide

Summer, fall flowers: white, pink

Attributes: Drought tolerant, cut and dried flower, container plant (some varieties); oakleaf is native to southeastern North America, smooth is native to North America I’m not playing water boy anymore, and neither should you. I’m putting my muck boot down on big leaf hydrangea’s (H. macrophylla) afternoon hissy fit, when its wilting leaves whine for water. It’s time to throw in the bucket and plant panicle, smooth or oakleaf hydrangeas instead. They’re just as beautiful and much less work. Check out this gorgeous oakleaf hydrangea ‘Gatsby Gal’! If you still insist on having blue flowers, then buy florist’s spray paint and spray away.

NINEBARK

Physocarpus opulifolius

Zones 3 – 8 ♦ Sun

3' – 10' tall, 3' – 6' wide

Early summer flowers: white with pink tinge

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer resistant, container plant, bee and bird friendly, attractive foliage, exfoliating bark, native to central and eastern North America Vase-shaped ninebarks are the perfect alternative to invasive Japanese barberries. Ninebark produces delicious berries that birds find irresistible, but “recycled” seeds don’t create havoc in the environment. Fashionable foliage colors include chocolate, coppery-red, gold and green. Exfoliating bark keeps the show going in winter. ‘Little Devil’, ‘Tiny Wine’ and ‘Little Wine’ are the minis in the collection, maturing to only 3' – 4' tall with petite dusky leaves. (Pictured above: ‘Tiny Wine’.)

BLUE MIST, BLUEBEARD, BLUE SPIREA

Caryopteris clandonensis

Zones 5 – 11 ♦ Sun

2' – 4' tall, 2' – 3' wide

Late summer, fall flowers: blue, violet

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer resistant, bee and butterfly friendly, fragrant foliage, hedge plant Blue mist shrub saves the best for last – an explosion of misty blue flowers in late summer. Butterflies relish the blooms even more than we do! Foliage can be silvery green or golden. ‘Lil Miss Sunshine’ (gold leaves) and ‘Petit Blue’ are the shortest in this family, topping out at 24" – 30". Blue mist shrub dies back to its trunk in colder climates. No worries, just prune off dead wood and it’s off to the races for another year of dazzling flowers. (Pictured above: ‘Petit Blue’.)

REBLOOMING LILAC

Syringa vulgaris

Zones 3 – 7 ♦ Sun

4' – 7' tall, 3' – 4' wide

Spring, summer, fall flowers: purple, violet

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer resistant, hummingbird and butterfly friendly, fragrant, cut flower, container plant, hedge plant

Hold on to your garden hat! The ‘Bloomerang’ series of lilacs doesn’t know when to stop. Instead of only one flower flush, ‘Bloomerang’ yields two to three rounds of heavenly scented, purple flowers. ‘Bloomerangs’ max out around 6' and are mildew resistant. These are the perfect choice for entryways, entertainment areas and hedges. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage a more robust rebloom.

CHASTE TREE

Vitex agnus-castus

Zones 5 – 9 ♦ Sun

3' – 9'+ tall, 3'– 8' wide

Summer flowers: lavender, blue

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer resistant, fragrant flowers and leaves, enjoyed by bees and butterflies, salt tolerant This is one of the few flowering shrubs I’ve yet to grow. What’s wrong with me?! These vase-shaped lookers sport gray-green, lance-shaped leaves and spikey, lavender-blue flowers in the heat of summer. ‘Little Diddley’ is a Proven Winners selection that only gets 3' – 6' tall. ‘Shoal Creek’ is favored for its extended bloom (fragrant flower spikes can be 8" – 12" long) and can be grown as a shrub or open-canopied tree reaching 15' or more in warmer climates. To control height, prune hard in late winter or early spring. Like blue mist shrub, chaste tree dies back to the ground in zones 5 and 6 and then shoots forth new wood from the base. And I’m sure you are wondering why it’s called chaste tree. Seems that in ancient times the leaves were believed to be an anaphrodisiac, helpful in curbing lustful urges. (Pictured above: ‘Little Diddley’.)

Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa)

Additional flowering shrub choices include: Potentilla, Rugosa rose, Forsythia, tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa), butterfly bush (Buddleia, sterile cultivars available)

Drought Tolerant Flowering Shrubs for Part Shade and Shade

JAPANESE KERRIA, JAPANESE ROSE, EASTER ROSE

Kerria japonica

Zones 4 – 9 ♦ Part Shade to Shade

3' – 10' tall, 4' – 8'+ wide

Spring flowers: yellow

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, tolerates wet soil, golden fall foliage

When people saw Kerria’s bright yellow, pom-pom flowers in my shade garden, they’d ask where in the world I found a spring-blooming rose that thrives in low light. This underused shrub deserves more respect! Yellow blooms can be single-petaled or clustered. Arching, lime-green stems play a delightful supporting role. Kerria can sometimes sucker. To rectify the situation, as with lilacs and Forsythia, simply cut any unwanted stems off just below the soil surface. Plants in the Kerria family are sometimes called Easter rose because the flowers typically bloom around Easter time.

OREGON GRAPE HOLLY

Mahonia aquifolium

Zones 5 – 9 (4 where protected) ♦ Part Shade

3' – 6' tall, 2' – 5' wide

Spring flowers: yellow

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer resistant, birds enjoy berries, fragrant flowers, evergreen, barrier border Beauty and the beast. Lush, grape-like, yellow flowers dangle from stems covered with extremely prickly leaves. Edible, blue-black berries appear later in summer. To maximize flowering, plant more than one shrub together. Oregon grape holly’s foliage is easily damaged by blustery winter winds, so place them in a protected area. Spraying leaves in early winter with an anti-dessicant like Wilt-Pruf will also help preserve their glossy green patina.

FIVE-FINGERED ARALIA, FIVELEAF ARALIA

Eleutherococcus sieboldianus ‘Variegatus’

(old name Acanthopanax sieboldianus ‘Variegatus’)

Zones 4 – 8 ♦ Part Shade to Shade

6' – 8' tall, 6' – 8' wide

Spring flowers: greenish-white

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, tolerates heavy shade and poor soil, great barrier hedge

Here is another shrub that gets no respect. But times they are a-changin’. Aralia sparkles in shade! Attractive creamy white and green leaves quickly fill in shady gaps. Like other members in the Aralia family, the stems are covered with thorns, making it a great privacy hedge as well. Like holly, there are male and female Aralia, but females are primarily sold at garden centers. If matchmaking occurs, then yummy blue-black berries are the result. Aralia is intoxicating when planted with coral bell ‘Stormy Seas’ (purple leaves), Heucherella ‘Buttered Rum’ (gold, burgundy and orange leaves), and Japanese forest grass ‘Aureola’ (sweeping yellow and green blades). Just make sure to protect your ears when the roaring applause comes! (Pictured above: Eleutherococcus sieboldianus ‘Variegatus’.)

SMOOTH HYDRANGEA

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Grandiflora’

Zones 3 – 9

Part Shade (can also handle sun to part sun)

3' – 5' tall, 3' – 5'+ wide

Summer flowers: white

Attributes: Drought tolerant, rabbit resistant, reliable bloomer, cut and dried flower, native to eastern U.S.

‘Annabelle’ and ‘Grandiflora’ are real troopers. Unlike many hydrangeas, they make dry shade seem like a walk in the park. Both have glowing white, ball-shaped flowers in early summer, with some repeat bloom. Blooms age to limey-white. ‘Grandiflora’ is a bit more compact than ‘Annabelle’. Smooth hydrangea set their flower buds on new spring wood, so any pruning required is done in late winter.

JAPANESE ANDROMEDA, LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY SHRUB

Pieris japonica

Zones 5 – 8 ♦ Part Shade to Shade

4' – 8' tall, 3' – 6' wide

Spring flowers: white, pink

Attributes: Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, evergreen, foliage, enjoyed by bees

All Japanese andromeda have lily-of-the-valley-like flowers that decorate evergreen foliage. Most have white flowers; ‘Valley Rose’ and ‘Valley Valentine’ have rich pink “jewelry.” Some cultivars, like ‘Mountain Fire’ and ‘Forest Flame’, display shocking, reddish-pink new leaves after flowering, others not so much, or not at all. There are also variegated selections like ‘Variegata’ and ‘Flaming Silver’. Green and white leaves glow with reddish new growth. I grew ‘Flaming Silver’ under a pine tree in Upstate New York with tremendous results. Japanese andromeda are in the same family as Rhododendron, azalea and mountain laurel. All are shallow-rooted shrubs and should be watered deeply in the fall to help encourage lush spring flowers. Japanese andromeda have a strong aversion to cold winter winds (so do I). (Pictured above: ‘Flaming Silver’.)

Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)

Additional flowering shrubs for dry shade: St. John’s wort (Hypericum calycinum), sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) (pictured above) and fragrant sweetbox (Sarcococca ruscifolia).

This lovely front landscape and hardscaping was done by Faddegon’s Nursery, where I used to work, in Latham, NY. Notice how the sweeping walkways soften the straight lines of the house and entrance arbor. Similar colors are repeated throughout the landscape, including the hanging baskets, to unify the look.

Foundation plantings. Many foundation plantings, especially those in the front of the house, are screaming for a touch-up or complete overhaul: shrubs have outgrown their space or are outdated, or there is little or no greenery during winter months, leaving foundations embarrassingly exposed and the garden lacking year-round structure, color and texture. Skinny may be fashionable in the apparel industry but not when it comes to foundation beds. Gordon Hayward, a well-known garden designer and author from Vermont, advocates that the minimum width of this type of bed should be the height of the front wall of the house (not including the roof). Basically, envision the wall flopped forward onto the lawn and that is where the edge of the foundation garden should be. If that causes you to gulp, then go with at least half that depth and you’ll be on the right track. And while you’re reconsidering the foundation planting, why not take a peek at the walkway going to the front door. If it’s a severe straight line, parallel to the house, with a sharp right angle just before the entrance, then perhaps this unimaginative, “walk the plank” approach could use a little tweaking. Just saying.

And we all have one thing in common when it comes to our landscape – we are getting older and bending down isn’t getting any easier. Is it an illusion, or does the ground look farther way than it used to? Can’t be true. My doctor says I’ve shrunk an inch in the past two years and he’s not talking about my waist. No wonder many of us are building raised garden beds. If we can’t get to them, they’ll come to us. Raised bed or container gardening also solves the difficulty of digging in rocky or clay-packed soil.