Many people make a shade garden by trial and error…typically lots of error because many popular plants require sun or partial sun in order to thrive or even survive. Shade gardening can be quite fulfilling with a few practical tips from a pro.
Matthew Allison, a landscape architect who has practiced his trade for over 20 years, shares practical tips for how to create a shade garden that is appealing to the eye yet incorporates plants that to not require a lot of maintenance. Mr. Allison shares his tricks of the trade in interviews on October 25, 2010 and October 30, 2010 below.
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‚”Tree roots need oxygen and usually get it in the top 6″ of soil. You can add soil over roots, but usually not more than 3-4″, 6″ max. It chokes the roots by depriving them of oxygen. The combination of soil and mulch should be added to get that total.”
‚”(Gardeners may plant at) no particular distance from the trunk. Piling soil and mulch higher up the trunk gives insects a chance to burrow into the bark and harm the tree.”
‚”Shade gardening can be a big problem, but there are several good plants. Aucuba is a good plant that does very well, as well as camellia. Hosta are a big favorite of mine. They like shade and drought. Usually drought is a problem in shade, since tree roots take what water makes it past the leaves. People usually think that because it is shady, it is moist, which causes more problems. Groundcover is a good solution too. Ivy, vinca, pachysandra, liriope, mondo grass are all good plants that do well as groundcovers.”
Find additional information and picutures detailing Mr. Allison’s top picks for shade gardens by reading:
‚”The only plant I have really regretted planting is houttuynia (chameleon plant). It is very invasive and takes over any area where it is planted, but has great coloring.”
Find additional specific, practical gardening tips by reading:
People often find that gardening is a journey. Unfortunately, many people who attempt to plant a garden in the shade of a tree end up going down many undesirable paths! By properly preparing the soil and carefully selecting hardy and low maintenance plants that grow well under trees, many gardeners find their shade gardens to be some of their favorites.
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