Articles

Favorite Flowering Ground Covers

‘Shell’Pink’ and ‘Orchid Frost’ lamiums look lovely side-by-side.

If you have a garden area that needs filling in, whether along a slope, between plants, or beside stone steps or rocky retaining walls, there are many beautiful perennial groundcovers for the job. They range from ones that do well in hot, dry areas to others that like moist shade.  I have chosen groundcovers that have beautiful leaves as well as flowers, which do not overwhelm surrounding plants and are easy to grow.

Flowering Groundcovers for Full to Partial Shade

‘Orchid Frost’ is one of many pretty deadnettles for shady gardens.

Spotted Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum, Zones 3-8): One of my favorites for shade is named spotted deadnettle, or simply deadnettle, even though it has no prickly nettles.  I have had several varieties in my shade garden for years. The early summer flower stalks are about 7 inches tall, rising over 4-inch-tall plants that spread several feet across. There are lots of varieties with variously spotted leaves and blooms of purple, pink, or white that are visited by bees. My favorite varieties include ‘Orchid Frost’ with lavender flowers and beautiful silver leaves, ‘Aureum‘ with bright pink flowers and white-striped gold leaves, Shell Pink‘ with palest pink blooms, and ‘White Nancy’, which has white flowers and silvery leaves. Lamium is deer-resistant, spreads gently, and is easily divided and transplanted. Plant it along shaded bed edges or allow it to cascade from the side of a shaded container garden. Lamium likes full to partial shade, and moist, well-drained soil.

Fragrant sweet woodruff flowers and plants look attractive in shaded gardens.

Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum, Zones 4-8): Another partial- to full-shade groundcover is European sweet woodruff, which also has the benefit of being an herbal plant used to flavor May wine in Europe. It has clusters of starry white flowers in the spring and whorled, star-shaped leaves; both are fragrant, but it’s the flowers that are used to flavor the wine. (Click here for a May wine recipe.) Sweet woodruff is about 8 inches tall and gently spreads around trees and shrubs.  It likes moist, well-drained soil and is deer resistant!

Wild ginger creates mats of attractive foliage through the growing season.

Wild Gingers (Asarum spp., Zones vary): There are many wild gingers with lovely ground-covering foliage and interesting beetle-pollinated spring flowers. The popular native species is Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadensis, Zones 2-8). Its medium-green, heart-shaped leaves look very pretty on bed edges or to hold shaded garden banks. Chinese wild ginger (Asarum splendens, Zones 6-8) is more ornamental with its pointed, green leaves that have spectacular silver markings.  ‘Quick Silver‘ is the best variety. Small, three-petaled, purple flowers appear around the base of the plants in spring. It also does well in full to part shade.  Most Asarum reach 6 to 8 inches, like average well-drained soil, and are deer resistant.

‘Cutting Edge’ Tiarella has attractive spring flowers and lovely leaves. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)

Foamflower (Tiarella spp.): These pretty native perennials have attractive, lobed foliage and spires of foamy flowers that appear in late spring. The flowers may be ivory or pink and attract both bees and butterflies. The pretty clumps of ornate leaves spread over time. Try the new Proven Winners variety ‘Cutting Edge’, which has spectacular green, maple-shaped leaves with red venation. Provide foamflower with full to part shade, and moist, well-drained soil amended with fertile organic matter, such as Black Gold Natural & Organic Garden Compost Blend. In fact, this amendment will create a good soil foundation for all of the shade-loving groundcovers mentioned.

Flowering Groundcovers for Full to Partial Sun

Creeping thyme doubles as an herb and groundcover.

Creeping Speedwell (Veronica prostata, Zones 4-8): Grow this creeping groundcover along a border edge or in a rock garden. The stunning variety, ‘Aztec Gold’, has gold leaves with violet-blue flowers in the early summer.  It reaches 6 inches tall, is heat tolerant, and needs moderate moisture. Deer don’t like it but bees and butterflies do.

Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum, Zones 4-8): This easy garden herb is one of my favorites. It does well between paving stones or cascading down rock walls. The fragrant leaves are tiny plants reach 2-inches-high. The spreading mats have little summer flowers of purple, bright pink, or lavender, depending on the variety you buy. Bees love the blooms! Check out ‘Elfin’ with purple flowers, ‘Annie Hall’ with pink flowers, and ‘Silver Posie’, which has white-edged leaves and lavender flowers. The fragrant leaves can be used in cooking. Thyme needs full sun, very well-drained soil, and is drought-tolerant once established. Like most plants in the mint family, it is also deer resistant.

Creeping phlox is perfect for garden edges and slopes (‘Emerald Blue’ is at the far left, and ‘Candy Stripe’ is at the far right)

Stonecrop (Sedum spp., Zones vary): For hot, dry, sunny, areas nothing can beat, low-spreading stonecrops.  Many have beautiful, succulent leaves, as well as starry flowers that attract bees and butterflies. It is very easy to pull up a piece and replant it to help fill in an area quickly. Some good varieties are the 2-3 inches tall ‘John Creech’ (Sedum spurium ‘John Creech, Zones 3-9) with pink, summer flowers, SunSparkler® Wildfire (Zones 4-9) that has red leaves edged in rose as well as pink flowers in the late-summer, and ‘White Diamond’ (Sedum pachyclados ‘White Diamond’, Zones 5-9) with blue-green rose-shaped leaves and white summer flowers.  The broad-spreading ‘Angelina’ (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’, Zones 5-9) is a popular variety with gold spiky foliage and yellow summer blooms.  Sedums are drought-tolerant once established.

Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata, Zones 3-9): This has some of the most beautiful flowers of all the groundcovers and blooms for up to 4 weeks in the spring.  It averages 5 inches tall and spreads quickly. Plant creeping phlox in open, sunny areas along slopes or retaining walls, in front of shrubs, or in rock gardens where they will get full sun and well-drained soil.  Look for the colorful varieties ‘Scarlet Flame’ with red-eyed rose-pink flowers, ‘Emerald Blue’ with pale lilac-blue flowers, and ‘Candy Stripe’, which has pink flowers edged in white.  Creeping phlox is deer resistant.

Snow-in-Summer can take heat and drought!

Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum, Zones 3-7): gardeners with hot, dry, sunny spots that need a flowering groundcover should grow snow-in-summer. It creates a broad, spreading mat of silver leaves that erupt with cascades of white flowers in the summer. Try the more compact variety, ‘Yo Yo‘. It is beautiful! Site it as you would creeping phlox. Bees and butterflies love the flowers!

These easy groundcovers will help to provide needed in sweeps across your garden. Buy a few to fill in bare areas, and you will be glad you did.

Groundcovers to Avoid

It is important to note that there are some popular groundcovers to avoid because they are invasive and have become an ecological problem in wild areas. These include groundcover periwinkle (Vinca minor and Vinca major), wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei), Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans), Japanese spurge (Pachysandra procumbens), and worst of all, English Ivy (Hedera helix). English ivy is a tree-killer in zone 7 or warmer (click here to learn more). The evergreen types are truly the worst because they smother native spring ephemerals and other natives along the forest floor. Avoid planting them, if you can.

Does Moss Make a Good Groundcover?

“Even though moss dries out in summers, will it make a good ground cover for dirt that is largely dark clay?” Question from Susan of Junction City, Oregon

Answer: If you live in an area with consistent moisture and lots of shade, then it can make a good ground cover, though we recommend amending any clay soils first. There are lots of different moss species that are sold by specialty moss nurseries, or mosseries. (Moss Acres is one and Mountain Moss is another.) Most mosses grow best in moist, fertile soil that holds water well and is more acidic (pH 5.0 to 6.0), though some mosses will tolerate some sunshine. (Click here for a list of shade-loving mosses and click here for sun-tolerant moss options.)

Steps for Growing Garden Moss

Here are five steps to getting moss to grow in your yard or garden.

  1. Work up shaded lawn or garden areas that are bare.
  2. Apply fertile amendments, such as Black Gold Natural & Organic Garden Compost Blend or Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, into at least the top three inches of soil.
  3. Apply moss as sheets or fragments purchased from a quality mossery. Make sure that they are the right species for your area.
  4. Water in the new moss and keep it moist. Follow the care steps as provided by the mossery.
  5. Keep your moss moist during the hottest, driest times in summer.

It’s that simple! If you like the look of mossy rocks, you can even apply moss starts to rocks to get that lush, green, mossy look.

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What Are the Best Container-Garden Plants for Shade?

Impatiens are classic potted flowers for shade!

“I’m in a complex where we can only plant in containers outside…and there’s a lot of shade to complicate matters…any idea for some plants that would do well contained without a lot of sun?  Thank you…also someone told me the ivy I did plant in a pot can be brought inside for a houseplant when it gets too cold outside true or not?” Question from Kim of Orangeburg, New York

Answer: There are lots and lots of wonderful annuals that thrive in shady locations. The perennial vine, English Ivy (Hedera helix), can grow in pots inside or out, and it will take shade, but there are many better options for shade containers. Here are some of my favorite shade-loving annual garden flowers for summer potted gardens.

Annuals for Shady Container Gardens

Begonias: You can’t go wrong with begonias, as long as you provide them with good moisture, especially through the hottest summer days. Two showy high performers are Bossa Nova® Red  Begonia and Illumination® Golden Picotee tuberous begonia. Classic wax begonias that you can purchase in flats at every garden center are also inexpensive and excellent.

Bush Violets (Browallia hybrids.): These annuals are nonstop summer flowers. Try the true-blue Endless Illumination Bush Violet.

Coleus (Solenostemon hybrids): There are hundreds of different types of coleus available with the most colorful, beautiful foliage imaginable. Click here for a wonderful coleus online nursery! (Click here to learn how to take coleus cuttings to generate new plants for free!)

Classic Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana): Pick up a flat of colorful impatiens at your favorite garden center, and plant them in shady pots for summer-long color. (Impatiens are also easy to start from seed! Click here to learn more.)

New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens hybrids): These impatiens are generally taller and tolerant of a little more sun than classic impatiens. the tangerine-orange Infinity® Orange is especially pretty as is the crimson-pink and pale pink Infinity® Blushing Crimson.

Torenia (Torenia hybrids): You cannot go wrong with any of the spreading torenia in the Summer Wave Series. They spread and bloom all summer long. Summer Wave® Large Blue is really lovely.

For more ideas, try the Proven Winners Container Garden Recipe search. It is a great resource for gardeners just learning how to create spectacular potted gardens. Just be sure to choose “Full Shade or Part Shade” for the sun-exposure dropdown. I also recommend clicking here to learn more about growing perennials in containers.

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What Are The Best Shade-Loving Native Groundcovers For New Jersey?

Shade Native Groundcovers For New Jersey

“What are the best ground covers for where I live in coastal New Jersey? The location is shaded 75-80% of the day.” Question from Thomas of South Amboy, New Jersey

Answer: The groundcovers that grow best in the shaded areas in your area of coastal New Jersey are natives. Here are four of the prettiest and toughest for your area.

Native Groundcovers for Shade

American Alumroot (Heuchera americana) forms large mounds of textural, red-veined leaves make this hardy perennial a great groundcover for shaded spots. Truly, any Heuchera can be planted en masse to cover a lot of shady ground and look great. One note: they do not appreciate mulch over their crowns.

American Ginger (Asarum canadensis) is an attractive, low-growing, spreading groundcover with bright green, heart-shaped leaves. It is easy to grow and pretty.

Evergreen American Wild Ginger (Hexastylis arifolia) is a low-growing, spreading groundcover with beautifully mottled leaves. It is one of my favorite native groundcovers.

Appalachian Sedge (Carex appalachica) forms fine, grassy clumps of foliage that are very attractive. It will tolerate both dry and moist shade.

Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is a rare fern that is evergreen, grows well in dry shade once established, and spreads. Multiple plants must be planted over an area for it to cover good ground. It is my favorite groundcover for shade. (Click here to learn more.)

If natives are not your thing, then bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) is a pretty, low-growing spring bloomer with deep green foliage and spikes of bright purple flowers in spring. There are lots of attractive varieties available.

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

 

What are Shade- and Sun-Loving Groundcovers for Florida?

Texas Frogfruit is a native groundcover that feeds bees and butterflies.

“Can you tell me, please, which ground cover plants do well in SW Florida, in a shady and wet location, as well as an area that is drier and gets sunshine most of the day!” Question from Colleen of Englewood, Florida

Answer: There are several groundcovers, for wet and dry areas, that are suited to your Zone 9 landscape.

Florida Groundcovers for Moist Shade

  • Ogon Golden Variegated Sweet Flag (Acorus graminius ‘Ogon’): This evergreen, grassy perennial will tolerate soil moisture, shade, and brings sunny yellow color to shaded spots.
  • Evergold Sedge (Carex hachijoensis ‘Evergold‘, Zones 5-10): Evergold produces moppy clumps of grass-like blades of green striped with gold. The plants will tolerate both moisture and shade. 
  • Snow Drift Caladium (Caladium hybrids, Zones 9-11): All Caladiums are beautiful, but snowdrift is extra elegant and brightens shady spots. They will grow well in moist soils and shade.
  • Fizzy Mizzy Sweetspire (Itea virginica Fizzy Mizzy): These compact shrubs grow well in partial shade, boggy soils, and are natives that feed wildlife. White, fragrant, spring flowers feed bees and butterflies and the fall leaves turn shades of russet-red.

Florida Groundcovers for Dry Sunshine

Texas Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora, Zones 8-11): This semi-evergreen groundcover reaches 3-6 inches and produces small pinkish-white flower clusters that feed bees and butterflies. The flowers may appear from late spring to fall. It is a Florida native that can tolerate sunshine and partial sun as well as moist and dry soils.

Asian Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Minima), Zones 8-11: The evergreen Asian jasmine is compact, slow-growing, and it has deep-green, glossy leaves that are bright red when they first emerge. Throughout the growing season, it produces small, white flowers that are fragrant. Established plants tolerate drought and light frost.

I hope that this list gives you some ideas.

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Favorite Shade-Loving Flowering Shrubs and Perennials for Fall

Reblooming hydrangeas, yellow waxbells, and fuchsias are three reliable bloomers that flower into fall.

We’ve had a long hot and dry summer here in the Pacific Northwest, so those plants that relish the sun and take drought have performed beautifully. In turn, shade lovers, that thrive in cool, moist environments have needed extra care. In my garden, we have a mix of areas with blazing afternoon sun, almost total shade, and both sun and shade. I have banked on a large selection of shade plants to provide color in the form of foliage as well as flowers in my full and partially shady areas, and as summer wanes, I count on certain fall bloomers to keep my shade gardens looking sharp.

Reblooming Hydrangeas

Let’s Dance® Rhythmic Blue®is an excellent reblooming hydrangea. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)

Reblooming hydrangeas are the first group of plants that come to mind for late-summer and fall color in the shade garden. While many will tolerant some sun, I think they look their best, and the flowers last much longer if the plants are grown in afternoon shade. Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, Zones 6-9) and mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata, Zones 5-9) are some of the best adapted to shade, and rebloomers flower the most reliably into fall. One excellent selection to try is the large-panicled Let’s Dance® Rhythmic Blue® reblooming hydrangea, which reaches 4 feet by 4 feet and produces big violet-blue (or pink in more alkaline soils) flower clusters well from midsummer to fall. Another is the very compact 3-foot Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha®  reblooming mountain hydrangea with its lacy pale-blue flowers. It grows well in-ground or in well-drained containers filled with a quality mix, like Natural & Organic Black Gold Flower & Vegetable Soil.

Good water is essential. If the plants become stressed for moisture, often the flowers will turn crisp, especially when in the hot sun. Despite our tough summer, hydrangeas have thrived when given adequate moisture and some protection from the sun. When I walk around my neighborhood, I see gorgeous hydrangea flowers on those plants that have been given the right care. This is where a good mulch will also help keep the plants hydrated and happy. Black Gold Garden Compost Blend is an ideal water-holding soil amendment as well as mulch.

Fuchsias

The flowers of ‘DebRon’s Smokey Blue’ are large and deep fuchsia and purple. (Image by Mike Darcy)

Another popular and well-known flower for partial shade is fuchsia (Fuchsia hybrids, Zones 9-11). ‘DebRon’s Smokey Blue‘, with its dark rose and purple flowers, is a personal favorite. Mine have been blooming all summer and will continue well into the fall. We have fuchsia plants in containers on our deck that are covered with flowers and have many buds yet to open. While the flowering will not be as prolific as it is now, they should continue to bloom until frost. Some fuchsias have the addition of colorful variegated foliage, so the plants can be colorful even without flowers. With their brightly colored flowers and foliage, fuchsias provide quite a show in the autumn shade garden.

Hardy fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica, 6-10 feet, Zones 6-9) is an Argentinian shrub that blooms from summer to fall with many small, red and pink, pendulous flowers that feed migrating hummingbirds. While many of the hardy fuchsias will grow in the sun, I’ve found that they perform better without the hot afternoon summer sun. It is wise to place hardy fuchsia near the home or protective stone walls to provide it extra winter protection.

Palm-Leaf Begonia

The amazing palm-leaf begonia produces white and yellow flowers into fall and has spectacular leaves. Bring it indoors before the first frost of the season. (Image by Dedarot)

A new plant for me this year is palm leaf begonia (Begonia luxurians, Zones 9-11). The leaves are very tropical looking, and it has been in bloom during the past month with clusters of white and yellow flowers. I have my plant in a container with Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix. It’s in an area where it only gets filtered sunlight because of overhead trees. It was about 12 inches tall when I bought it in early June and has now grown to 4 feet. Technically a perennial, it would be treated as a summer annual here or could be brought indoors as a house plant in a sunroom or greenhouse. It would not survive our winters outdoors.

Yellow Wax Bells

My yellow wax bells are just coming into bloom.

Yellow wax bells (Kirengeshoma palmata, Zones 5-8) is a perennial in the hydrangea family that is native to eastern Asia. It is quite a mouthful to say in Latin as well as to remember. While the common name, yellow wax bells, is much easier to remember and say, it is not well known and would be hard to find in most garden centers under that name. I rarely see it in local gardens, and I don’t know why. It grows beautifully for me. A plant was gifted to me many years ago. I have it in a shady location, and it thrives.

The plant itself is about 4 ft tall and wide and is coming into bloom now. Its waxy yellow flowers are very pretty and look attractive against its large, bold, palm-shaped leaves. It likes shade and moisture and is winter hardy. I mulch it regularly with Black Gold Garden Compost Blend.

This is just a sampling of plants that give late summer color to shaded gardens. To add to the list, I have written about fall anemones (click here to read), dahlias, some other favorite fall-flower picks (click here to read). Check out your local garden center, and you may be surprised at the large selection of blooming plants that are still available.

What Are Good Shrubs for a Home’s North Side?

Gold-and-flame-leaved Forest Flame reaches 6 to 10 feet and has chains of ivory spring flowers.

“I am having trouble with roses in the constant north side shade area of my home. Looking for a possible flowering shrub or a better suggestion for this area at the front of our house.” Question from Larry of O’Fallon, Missouri

Answer: Roses by default are sun-loving. Just a handful of species roses and cultivated roses will tolerate partial shade. (Click here to read another AGE about shade-tolerant roses.) But, there are loads of flowering shade-tolerant shrubs that will grow beautifully on the north side of a home. Here are some of my favorites. All of them should be hardy where you live in Missouri.

Shade-Loving Shrubs

Reblooming Azaleas (Rhododendron spp.): Encore® and Bloom-A-Thon® Azaleas will rebloom and some are even evergreen. I recommend them if you have slightly acid to acid soils with good drainage.

Smooth Hydrangea varieties (Hydrangea arborescens): Tolerant of sun and shade, smooth hydrangeas are very hardy and native to your region. Some of the new varieties bloom for a long time in summer, and then their flowers remain on the plants and continue to look pretty into fall and winter. I love the many varieties sold by Proven Winners, such as the pink-flowered Invincibelle, among others. (Click here to view them all.)

Yak Rhododendrons (Rhododendron hybrids): There are so many outstanding evergreen Rhododendrons that grow beautifully in shade, and yak forms are extra tidy and compact. ‘Grumpy‘ is an outstanding yellow-and-pink-flowered form that reaches 5 feet at maturity and has dark, evergreen leaves.

Lily of the Valley Shrub (Pieris japonica) is another evergreen that likes growing conditions similar to that of azaleas and rhododendrons. Interstella has pink chains of blooms in spring and only reaches 4 feet at maturity. Larger varieties include the outstanding gold-and-flame-leaved Forest Flame, which reaches 6 to 10 feet and has chains of ivory spring flowers. It’s a real showstopper.

Hartlage Wine sweetshrub (Calycanthus x raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’) grows well in partial sun to light shade and has very fragrant maroon-red flowers in late spring. At maturity, it reaches 6 to 8 feet, so give this one some space. In autumn, its leaves turn yellow and orange before falling.

We have an excellent article, by horticulturist Russell Stafford, that details how to properly plant new shrubs in the landscape. Please click here to view it. I hope that some of these shrubs interest you!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What Florida Garden Plants Like Shade and Wet Soil?

What Florida Garden Plants Like Shade and Wet Soil?

“Can you tell me of a good, hardy plant that can survive in a shady spot that gets wet frequently here in SW Florida? It’s along my house facing North but floods when we get lots of rain, but the flooding never lasts more than a day?” Question from Colleen of Englewood, Florida

Answer: There are a number of attractive landscape plants suited to shady spots with intermittent flooding where you live in Florida. Here are just a few.

Florida Garden Plants for Moist Shade

Canna Lilies (Canna hybrids) grow well in partial shade, have beautiful leaves and flowers, and thrive in wet and average soils. I like the manageability of dwarf varieties.

Florida Gamma Grass (Tripsacum floridana) is a tidy, grassy perennial native to your region that will grow in partial shade. It will tolerate both bouts of drought and standing water.

African Iris (Dietes bicolor) is a groundcover for shade that tolerates periodic wet soil and has attractive iris-like yellow flowers.

Elephant Ears (Colocasia spp) thrive in moist soils and shade, come in many sizes and colors, and have beautiful big, bold leaves.

Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema commutatum) is a house plant up north but grows beautifully in the landscape down in Florida where it can take moist soils and shade.

White Begonia (Begonia popenoei) is a large-leaved, shade-loving begonia that does not mind wet soils now and then.

For more plants suited to your moist-shade location, reach out to your local Florida extension agent (click here to find yours).

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What Hardy Roses will Tolerate Partial Shade?

What Hardy Rose will Tolerate Partial Shade?

“What rose will tolerate dry partial shade in zone 5b?” Question from Trish of Newton, New Jersey

Answer: Most roses are full-sun shrubs that require 6 or more hours of sun per day and average water, but there are a few that can take partial shade (4 to 6 hours of sun per day). Amending the soil with peat moss, applying a 2-3-inch layer of quality mulch, and providing them with drip irrigation are simple fixes that will overcome dry soil troubles.

Roses Tolerant of Partial Shade

Most shade-tolerant roses are contemporary varieties of antique shrub roses. Some of the best have been bred by the English rose breeder, David Austin (click here to view 6 David Austin roses for partial shade that are hardy to your zone). Another for partial shade is the apricot-flowered shrub rose Roald Dahl, which I have growing in my garden. The ever-blooming shrub rose is quite fragrant and easy to grow. If you are interested in a climbing rose for partial shade, try the French antique rose, ‘Zéphirine Drouhin‘. Its large, rose-pink flowers are fragrant, and its twining stems are thorn-free–another bonus.

To learn more about how to grow roses, I recommend watching the video below.

Happy rose growing,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Perennials for Dry Shade

Japanese anemones are excellent shade perennials with late-season blooms.

Here in the Midwest, we have had unusually dry weather from August to October in the past few years.  Last year we had no rain, except for one sprinkle, for ten weeks.  My water bills exceeded $200, with the water company calling me to ask if we had a leak somewhere.  I had the sprinkler on often moving it every two hours to a new spot, to save my extensive gardens, shrubs, and trees.

Still, the gardens remained dry, which has inspired me to consider new ways to save water in the garden (click here for some good ideas). I did, however, notice that some perennials fared better than others in the shade garden, even under my large silver maples (Acer saccharinum). Here are several I recommend if you garden in shady areas that have the potential to become seasonally dry.

Barrenwort for Dry Shade

Red bishop’s hat has attractive spring flowers and colorful leaves through summer.

Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) is a slow-growing, spring-flowering perennial for shade gardens with attractive foliage that withstands dry shade through summer and fall.  Growing only 8 to 15 inches tall, depending on the type, it has small, heart-shaped or elongated leaves, often with darker edges or colorful veins. The unusual, pendulous flowers appear on slender stalks and are small and four-petaled. They come in several different colors, including ivory, orange, pink, red, and yellow.

I have fairy wings (Epimedium grandiflorum, USDA Hardiness Zones 5-7) with red-lilac flowers, ‘Orange Queen’ (Epimedium x warleyense ‘Orangekönigen’, Zones 5-9) with orange flowers, and ‘Sulphureum’ (Epimedium × versicolor ‘Sulphureum‘, Zones 5-9), my favorite, with yellow flowers.  The red-flowered bishop’s hat (Epimedium x rubrum, Zones 5-9) is another reliable variety that also boasts reddish-tinged foliage. These are very easy to grow, noninvasive plants, and the leaves are attractive all season.

Helleborus for Dry Shade

Hellebores are some of the best perennials for year-round interest.

Lenten rose and Christmas rose (Helleborus orientalis, Zones 6-9, and Helleborus niger, Zones 3-8) are among the earliest bloomers with the Christmas rose blooming a little earlier than Lenten. When it is still cold, they display their beautiful single or double flowers, letting you know that spring is coming.  Most varieties have 3 -to 4-inch-wide flowers, in shades of pink, ivory, dark rose, green, or black; many of the light-colored flowers have freckles. Lenten roses have evergreen, palm-shaped leaves that look pretty all year round, even in dry shade.  The plants stand 1 to 2 feet tall.  A warning, they are poisonous, especially the roots, so refrain from planting them in areas where small children and pets frequent. (Click here to learn more about growing hellebores.)

Geraniums for Dry Shade

Bigroot geranium is tough and has pretty flowers and foliage.

Perennial geraniums are not related to Pelargonium, the annual geraniums you buy every spring. The perennial types, called cranesbills, are quite hardy and long-lived once established. One of my favorites for shade is the big root geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum, Zones 3-8), which is a mounding plant that flowers from spring to fall and has large, water-holding roots to help it ward off dry spells. While the mound can typically get 20 inches tall, some are shorter with centers only reaching 12 inches tall with a 24-inch spread.  The delicate single blooms can be violet, blue, lavender, or light- to rose-pink.  To keep them reblooming, cut back the stems. It also helps to cut back older leaves when they start looking ragged.  This year I bought a beautiful new variety, ‘Elke’, with bright pink flowers edged and centered with white.

Anemones for Dry Shade

Japanese Anemones (Anemone x hybrida, Zones 4-8) are one of my favorite dry shade flowers.  They start showing their wide blooms in August and keep blooming until frost on tall stems that sway in the breeze.  Colors range from white to dark pink and purple.  Some excellent varieties are the white-flowered ‘Honorine Jobert’, double, dark-pink-flowered ‘Bressingham Glow’, and double, pink ‘Margarete’.  They will slowly spread via underground runners.

I also have the native spring-flowering Virginia anemone (A. virginiana, Zones 3-8) under my silver maple, and it thrives in the dry shade there. It bears white flowers in mid- to late-spring and feathery foliage through summer. Its one downfall is that it tends to spread, so it needs space.

Pulmonarias for Dry Shade

Pulmonaria flowers often turn from pink to blue.

Lungworts (Pulmonaria spp.) are low growing plants that are grown for their spotted leaves, as well as their pinkish and violet-blue flowers.  The unfortunate name arose in the Middle Ages because its spotty leaves look lung-like. At that time, it was believed that the pattern or shape of a plant’s leaves indicated it would be good to use as a medicine for organs it resembled.

Pulmonarias only 12-14 inches tall, including the flower spikes, and grow slowly to 2 feet wide.  The pretty spotted or mottled leaves can be silvery or white with flowers ranging from glowing rose, blue, purple, and white.  They cannot tolerate the sun, which will fry the leaves, but established plants can take dry shade. Look for ‘Raspberry Splash’ with intense pink flowers and dotted leaves, ‘Silver Bouquet’ with silver leaves and rose and blue flowers or ‘Bertram Anderson’ with silver blotched leaves and glowing blue blooms.

Other Perennials for Dry Shade

Italian arum looks tropical, but it is surprisingly hardy.

When my daughter was studying horticulture at Purdue University, she brought home an Italian arum (Arum italicum, Zones 5-9), which forms an interesting clump of attractive leaves that withstand drought. It is a beautiful plant whose insubstantial flowers develop bright orange-red fruits late in the season.

Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides, Zones 4-9) dots the dry woods in our region and also makes an outstanding fern that will grow well in dry, shaded gardens. Its evergreen fronds look good all winter when not covered in snow (click here to read more about evergreen ferns).

Evergreen European wild ginger (Asarum europeaum, Zones 4-7) is another good foliage plant that will take dry periods in summer and continues to look pretty all season with its glossy, heart-shaped leaves.

European ginger is a beautiful evergreen that withstands dry shade.

Of course, all plants will require some watering if it has been three weeks since it has rained, but there are two things you can do to help with hot, dry weather.  First, fortify garden soils with Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, which helps to hold moisture in the soil when conditions are dry, and mulch, which keeps the soil moisture from evaporating.  When planting, remember to sprinkle a time-released fertilizer over the plants, and again in early July to keep them looking good until frost.

When you do need to water your garden, shrubs, or trees, 1 inch a week should do the trick. Leaving them completely without irrigation during the hottest, driest periods of summer and fall will result in poor looking shaded beds.