jo4eyes

plants for part shade/ full shade

How could I forget Hellebores- some bigger than others, in flower now.

Also Euphorbia amygdaoides-Robbiae, yes can be invasive, but copes very well in dry shade & easily pulled up when nec.

Hardy fuschias too will cope, some obviously taller than others. J.

Fork Handles

Pennine Petal wrote (see)

Try not trip over any plant pots Jo!

I survived!

Nice lunch & had a £5 off any full price plant voucher too, so another Heuchera has come home with me! 

Off to wash the car now. I usually wait until it's rained/raining, but I need to sort it so metered water it will be. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Palaisglide wrote (see)

Stockton Dull and cold.

My last report for a while as laptop on the blink, posting hit and miss.
New part ordered although looking at new ones, it is a minefield, too much choice.

May be gone a while Frank.

Good luck Frank.

WManchester is bright with some sun & windy. Still that cold East wind, so at least the washing will dry. J.

plants for part shade/ full shade

Where to start?

Spring bulbs - anaemones, chinodoxa, species crocus, smaller daffs, bluebells, muscari, erythroniums, frittillary- if moist enough.

Plants - heucheras, japanese anemones, hardy geraniums- lots to chose from, Vinca minor, Solomons seal, epimediums- if dry shade, ajugas for ground cover, yes various ivies, lamiums.

Grasses - I've got an evergreen yellow grass, a carex I think, growing really well in a dry shade similar situation.

It does depend on why it's shade/what's causing it. Under deciduous trees lots of the spring bulbs pop up, flower then die back as the tree canopy above closes up. The soil beneath trees is invariably dry too, because of the tree's roots, so you need to plant in 'pockets' to get things established.

Fences/house walls however are permanent so the shade is almost 'deeper'. Usually just as dry, because of the rain shadow.

Hope some of these suggestions help. J.

Bee spotting

Despite the cold East wind today, I saw my first red tailed bumble bee of this yr today.

I've got Hellebores, crocus, chaenomeles, some narcissus all in flower, so not too bad. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Not too bad outside today, as long as you kept moving or out of that East wind!

Aches & pains permitting, I managed to carry all the Hosta pots down to their Summer/Autumn position on the bottom patio. They werent too heavy because of the lack of rain.

The sun tried, but it clouded over by mid afternoon. J.

Fork Handles

Glyn, I may have to if the sciatica doesnt settle.

Today I got lots done, including carrying my Hosta pots from by the house wall down to the bottom patio where they spend the summer/Autumn. I decided to try whist the pots were at their lightest as we've had no rain for ages.

I managed, but probably not the most sensible idea with a poorly R arm, a knee objecting & the odd back twinge! Anyway, afterwards I sat sheltered from the wind having had more painkillers! The nurse I spoke to last week has also phoned to check up on me!

Tomorrow am off to the hairdressers- the first cut in over 12 months- then lunch at GC with friend. So no real chance of more injury there??? J.

Fritillary (Snakes Head)!!!!

nutcutlet wrote (see)

I'd love to go to those water meadows jo. We're really too dry here, except last year.

It's really worth it if you can.

Daughter's garden is damp as over clay, so she's planning her own frittilary meadow of her own.   I'll try starting off some of my seeds for her, assuming the LB doesnt get the lot, & if no joy she can plant bulbs this Autumn. J.

Hellebore Addiction

Lorea wrote (see)

Hi guys, does anyone have any tips on getting hellebore seed to germinate? I've got helleborus foetidus in my garden which has self seeded but I recently bought some seed of a purple hellebore (that's all I know) and I've read that some can be difficult to germinate. Is there anything special I should be doing?

Cheers

nutcutlet wrote (see)

Hi Lorea

Sow it when it's ripe, ie about to drop out of it's seed case, leave it outside and wait. It will germinate in spring if not before. I usually cover mine with grit, saves the winter rainswahing them out.

Lorea- yes sow it asap when ripe. Cover with grit as NC says & then wait. They can take quite a while to germinate. I leave mine in a shady spot. Take care re slugs though as the seedlings can be attacked. Pot on/up as nec & eventually you'll get a flowering plant. No guarentee of a decent colour though. J.

Fritillary (Snakes Head)!!!!

IME double headed flowers do turn up sometimes. Mine are just out in one border & well up in a 2cnd. Mine have also self-seeded into a 3rd border.

So far no sign of LB attack, but the bright red beetles pretty easy to spot on them. Need to be careful to get them into a jamjar, then tipped onto slabs & stamped on!

If anyone gets the chance the Oxford water meadows are full of them- a site once seen never forgotten. J.

Care & maintenance of elderly Bramley apple trees.

Suggestions for planting in a sunny, boggy site.