lesa
Garden Master
Ok! On the list!
Living Watercolor! lenten rose
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897tgigvib
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Lesa, you are zone 4. Helleborus is one of the few that will keep it's leaves most winters!
Tough as nails for zone 4, we grew them in BARELY zone 4.
Give her a somewhat protected spot. Plenty of good composty mixed loam all around the planting hole. Ours that grew best was under a large Nanking Cherry tree where she got filtered light most of the day, and was near some perennial Geraniums, Buxton Blue I think(?). I always put a product called Soil Pep, a wood chip based well composted soil amendment all around that area. The deep brown fully composted wood chips not only look good, but after a few years of adding an inch or two really made for rich nice shade garden soil.
Helleborus is a great shade garden landscaping filler who gives a beautiful show before anyone else except maybe Crocus. For an early flower show to begin the season, Helleborus, Crocus, Snow Drop, and some early miniature daffodils, each in its own light do great. All these are special beauties for zone 4 Lesa! Add some Ligularia for foliage in that early season and you have a nearly tropical look going! Plus either shade daisies or rockets of little daisies at the end of the short season, maybe even toughing it out through september. Alchemilla ladys mantle will be nice and low with beautiful foliage accepting a wide range of shade, and then making babys breath like sprays of flowers, and if you add huechera, some of the new varieties that arew good for zone 4, most of them, oh boy!
I seriously loved designing shade gardens for zone 4. Can you tell Lesa?
Tough as nails for zone 4, we grew them in BARELY zone 4.
Give her a somewhat protected spot. Plenty of good composty mixed loam all around the planting hole. Ours that grew best was under a large Nanking Cherry tree where she got filtered light most of the day, and was near some perennial Geraniums, Buxton Blue I think(?). I always put a product called Soil Pep, a wood chip based well composted soil amendment all around that area. The deep brown fully composted wood chips not only look good, but after a few years of adding an inch or two really made for rich nice shade garden soil.
Helleborus is a great shade garden landscaping filler who gives a beautiful show before anyone else except maybe Crocus. For an early flower show to begin the season, Helleborus, Crocus, Snow Drop, and some early miniature daffodils, each in its own light do great. All these are special beauties for zone 4 Lesa! Add some Ligularia for foliage in that early season and you have a nearly tropical look going! Plus either shade daisies or rockets of little daisies at the end of the short season, maybe even toughing it out through september. Alchemilla ladys mantle will be nice and low with beautiful foliage accepting a wide range of shade, and then making babys breath like sprays of flowers, and if you add huechera, some of the new varieties that arew good for zone 4, most of them, oh boy!
I seriously loved designing shade gardens for zone 4. Can you tell Lesa?
lesa
Garden Master
You've pretty much described my "woodland" garden, Marshall! Except, of course, I don't have any helleborus (yet!) I have never had any luck with babies breath either... I think I had a little of it in my wildflower garden one year- but basically ever time I plant it, it is a bust. Much as l enjoy my full sun gardens, there is something magical about a shade garden...
897tgigvib
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several kinds of baby's breath do great in zone 4, but they want full sun. the pink variety is the least vigorous. both the tall white and the low white do great in zone 4, full sun. They are true dieback perennials.
Alchemilla Lady's Mantle is not a true baby's breath but makes a similar spray, as do some of the huecheras.
Alchemilla Lady's Mantle is not a true baby's breath but makes a similar spray, as do some of the huecheras.
