Design trends

Finding Color in the Shade Garden

Recently I spent some time in a friends’ garden in Bonny Doon. This garden is so spectacular is was on the Valley Churches garden tour several years ago when Bonny Doon gardens were featured. As in many gardens there are some sunny spots as well as lots of shade under porch overhangs and trees. My friend Kate has managed to have as much color in her shade as she has in her sunny spots.

Perfect for pots, Shooting Star hydrangea re-bloom.

Blooming wildly on Kate’s shady porch are several Shooting Star hydrangeas. Very hardy and reblooming, hydrangea serrata reach only 24 inches high and wide and so are perfect for small spaces and pots. This small shrub would be the “thriller” in a pot. It blooms on new wood and old wood so repeats all summer. I took away several cuttings of this as well as traditional mophead hydrangeas so start my collection again.

Also called Queen’s Tears, billbergia are reliable growers in dry shade.

Every spring, before the fire, I would look forward to the unique flowers of my Queen’s Tears billbergia. Recently a fellow gardener gifted me a variegated one so I could carry on the tradition. This pineapple relative makes a vigorous, deer resistant groundcover under trees without becoming invasive. Exotic looking rosy-red spikes are topped with drooping pink, blue and green flowers that look like dangling earrings. Insects never bother them. Give them a little water now and then and forget them. They’re that easy to grow.

The sound of rustling leaves is soothing to our ears. But many of the ornamental grasses that sway in the breeze don’t survive in shady locations. One that does is Japanese Forest Grass. There are several varieties of hakonechloa that can brighten a dark spot by your favorite lounging chair. Aureola has the classic bright gold and lime green striped leaves. I love the way each graceful leaf tumbles toward the light reminding me of flowing water. Also called Sweet Grass they are relished by my cat.

Looking for shade tolerant flowering shrubs to cut for bouquets? Fragrant daphne odora is a wonderful small shrub. Sweet olive or osmanthus fragrans is a large evergreen shrub or small tree with blooms that smell like apricots in winter. For summer fragrance grow Carol Mackie or Summer Ice daphne.

Flowering plants to grow in dry shade areas include bergenia, mahonia, fragrant sarcococca and clivia, Viburnum ‘Mariesii’. Oakleaf hydrangea foliage and flowers look great in bouquets and the leaves turn red in fall which is an added bonus.

Chinese Ground orchid attract hummingbirds.

Chinese Ground Orchid ( Bletilla striata ) is another of my favorites plants for shade. A natural companion for ferns and wildflowers, this plant is tougher than it looks. Vivid, magenta blooms resembling small cattleya orchids emerge on long stalks for about 6 weeks in the spring.

Clivia miniata

For dry shade try growing Kaffir lily ( clivia miniata ). I’ve got a bright orange blooming Belgian Hybrid I hope to have many clivia in the future as they divide so easily and bloom in fairly dark shade. Beautiful, robust green strappy leaves are handsome year round but the dozens of flowers clusters, some containing as many as 60 flowers each, brighten up any area. Drought tolerant once established they make a gorgeous accent, border or container specimen.

Sure, every garden is different- different look, different soil, different degree of shade, but it’s surprising how often one of these plants plays a starring or supporting role in a vignette or border

I use all of these tough plants in designs for shady gardens because I know they will thrive, look beautiful and provide color. If you have a garden that gets little winter light these are the plants for you. Those of us who live under the trees know a shady garden is a pleasant place to spend time on a hot summer day. Be thankful for what you do have.

Design trends

Fire and Renewal

A very old New Zealand Tree fern struggles to regrow after the fire.

I regularly visit my burned parcel in Bonny Doon to monitor progress of the redwoods and understory plants. It will take 30-50 years for the forest to regenerate but it’s trying.

Yerba Santa in full bloom on burn scars

Amazing how Mother Nature takes advantage of a void. Succession plants like native Yerba Santa are everywhere. I don’t mean just a few. I mean hundreds of thousands all blooming and attracting butterflies and bees. Also Bicolor lupine are flowering in huge numbers along with California poppies all over Bonny Doon. Lupine roots or rather nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the roots take nitrogen from the air and so are useful to restore the soil. Birds eat the seed and butterflies and bees are attracted to lupine. The Arrowhead Blue butterfly uses this plant as a host.

Bicolor lupine blooming over burn scars

On my property, ceanothus thrysiflorus (Blueblossom ceanothus) has sprouted in huge numbers. They used to regularly self seed but this crop is all from seed. None of the original plants survived the fire. They are everywhere. Bluewitch nightshade has appeared in large numbers also. I had never seen this plant on my property before the fire. Insects love it including bees, butterflies and moths.

California fuchsia on the author’s property.

There are other plants that are growing up there on their own since the fire. Without irrigation for over a year and a half, Hummingbird sage (salvia spathacea) is blooming and spreading again. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are attracted to this plant. California fuchsia (epilobium canam) never skipped a beat after the fire and has self seeded and spread also. Hummingbirds, butterflies and moths frequent these plants also.

Cultivated plants that have come back include smoke bush (cotinus coggygria) Bear’s breeches (acanthus mollis and a very old New Zealand tree fern.

Of the burned plants that I brought back in melted pots many of them are staging a comeback. I had to cut off all of the burned woody trunks of Pink Flowering current but it has sprouted from the roots and regrowing. Hellebore, bleeding heart, calla lily, liriope, Japanese forest grass, a couple flowering maple, bletilla and cymbidium orchids are making a valiant effort.

Foxglove have sown in pots totally burned in the fire.

My favorite comeback story is the foxglove that sprouted last year in a couple of my pots. The seed must have come from one plant up on the hillside above my burn property. They are the perfect flower for hummingbirds. Each flower produces a large amount of nectar and they offer the supply that hummingbirds need to support their high energy needs.

All Gardners are optimists. We just need to be very, very patient with Mother Nature.

Design trends

Plant for Fragrance

Some yellow primroses have a delightful scent.

Every year the garden is different. Some plants bloom early and some later depending on the weather. But you know that. This spring my yellow, fragrant primroses have been spectacular as always. FYI – it’s only some of the yellow ones that have a scent. That reminds me I’ll have to get some dark purple petunias later this spring. They smell like vanilla. I just picked up a heliotrope to scent my deck with licorice and vanilla. Their vivid dark violet flowers are intensely fragrant and spectacular. Butterflies can’t resist them Some say they smell like cherry pie. I’ll leave that for you to decide.

Heliotrope arborescens ‘Fragrant Delight’

My pink jasmine is doing its thing, too. This common vine can easily overgrow it’s spot. Prune periodically to keep your vine in bounds. Fragrant Carolina jessamine has finished blooming so now is a good time to prune them back.

The word fragrance comes from the 17th century French word fragrantia, meaning sweet smell. A garden’s fragrance can be as unforgettable as its appearance. The scent of a particular flower can make you remember past times and places. Plant them along a garden path to enjoy as you stroll, in containers to scent a deck or patio or locate them beneath a window and let their aroma drift indoors.

Old fashion lilacs are still blooming in some gardens. Nothing ways “spring” like the legendary scent of these shrubs. Give them a spot in full sun with enough room for them to spread 6 feet wide. While most plants accept slightly acidic soils, lilacs are an exception. Dig lime into your soil at planting and side dress yearly if your soil is acidic.

Clematis armandii (Evergreen clematis) flower.

Another vanilla scented vine is Evergreen clematis. They make a great screen with 6 inch long, glossy leaves and creamy white, saucer-shaped, vanilla scented flower clusters. Provide study support for them to climb on. They are slow to start but race once established.

Citrus blossoms really scent the air. Plant lemons oranges, mandarins, kumquats, grapefruit and limes in full sun areas. Established trees need a good soak every other week during the warmer months so keep them on a separate watering system from your other edibles.

Sweet Alyssum attract pollinators and smell sweet- just like their name.

Inside the veggie garden, include scented plants that attract beneficial insects. Fragrant lavender and sweet alyssum are good choices. For sheer enjoyment, plant perennial carnation and dianthus for their intense clove fragrance. Cinnamon Red Hots grow to 15 inches, are deer resistant, bloom all spring and summer and don’t need deadheading. Velvet and White border carnations are among the least demanding and most satisfying perennials in the garden. As cut flowers they are long lasting and highly fragrant in bouquets.

Fragrant shrubs that are easy to grow are Mexican Orange (choisya ternata) which blooms most of the year. Pittosporum eugenoides, tenuifolium and tobira all have tiny blossoms that also smell like oranges. The tiny flower cluster of Fragrant Olive (osmanthus fragrans) have a delicate apricot fragrance. Other fragrant shrubs include California native Philadelphus lewisii (Wild Mock Orange) and Calycanthus occidentals (Spice Bush) another native to our Central and Northern California mountains. Their fragrant burgundy flowers smell like red wine. Ribes viburnifolium, carpenteria californica and rosa californica are mildly scented, too.

Plant for fragrance. It’s your reward for all the care and tending you give your garden.

Design trends

Enchanted Gardens of the Valley

This deer resistant garden created by Robby Frank is low maintenance and stunning.

If you’ve been missing the annual garden tour sponsored by Valley Churches United like I have, you’re in luck. This year you have the opportunity to visit six unique and inspiring garden in and near Scotts Valley. Who wouldn’t be mesmerized by strolling through a beautiful local garden? Plus the proceeds from this fund raiser stay here to provide food and other services to our neighbors in need. This year’s tour is Saturday May 21, 10:00-5:00. Tickets are $30 and available at Valley Churches United in Ben Lomond as well as several nurseries and Zinnia’s. A limited number of tickets is available. For more information call 831.336.8258 ext 229.

Blue Agave Syrup is made from the nectar of the flowers.
Generally plants take 20 to 30 years to bloom

Robby’s Agave Central and Zen Garden is a garden I’ve had the pleasure to visit often. This talented gardener is eager to share his vision and techniques to keep it mole and gopher free. His latest water saving technique involving adobe is something you might want to try in your own garden. As a deer resistant, low maintenance gardener, Robby has created a soothing space complete with a hand made Japanese garden arch called a Tori. His shade garden is filled with tree ferns and the sitting area under the oaks beckons you to stop and enjoy the birds. There is a fire pit area plus a tree swing to enjoy before you head up to the rock garden and the cactus garden. This year round garden features tough but beautiful plants and there is something to admire everywhere you turn. The immense array of drought tolerant plantings throughout the vast wandering garden beds are very purposely planted to provide focal points. The 40 year old Blue Agave has begun growing the long awaited flower stem just in time for this garden tour. This eclectic garden curated over 28 years is a plant collector’s delight as well as a true bird sanctuary. It is complete with a specially created bird feeding site where more than 30 varieties of birds have migrated through this garden haven. Located off Glenwood Drive and just past the Iris Farm.

So many bearded iris and vintage collectables-

Nearby is Jim and Irene Cummins Iris Farm. It’s one of those places you could spend all day and never see everything. I’ve spent a bit of time painting in this garden. Beside the stunning bearded iris the Cummins grow and propagate, this couple have collected an impressive collection of farm implements and tools. The property was originally a turkey farm owned by Irene’s family back in 1949 but the old barn dates back to the late 1800’s when it was a stop for the stagecoaches to change horses. Filled with hundreds of bird houses collected by Irene, everywhere you turn there are blooming irises among vintage collectibles. Wagon wheels, vintage watering cans, unusual tools, even an antique bed frame filled with bearded iris are just some of the delights to discover. The iris farm includes 1000 blooming bearded iris many being hybridized on-site.

The Wright Residence
Corbett and Sheri, over the past 28 years, have transformed their property into a plant lovers dream. They are truly plant connoisseurs including an impressive Japanese maple collection such as Shishigashira and Full Moon Japanese maples that are trained to show off their exquisite foliage and shape. Among the other beautiful trees that are featured among the different garden rooms are Chinese Fringe tree and the unusual Dove tree which is also called the Hankerchief tree. This garden is filled with color from exbury azaleas, smoke bush, roses and Plum Delight loropetaum as well as a generous serving of white flowering shrubs like doublefile viburnum. Sitting areas, patios and water features abound amidst the veggie garden and the vineyard. Wander through the many garden rooms, enjoy the vineyard, the bocce ball court, the hidden fire pit, the restful water features, the vegetable garden complete with legacy family herbs and the formal rose garden room where music may be heard.

Prepare to be inspired at Big Tree Manor, a sprawling 10 acre Tudor estate beautifully tended over the past 22 years. You’ll be greeted by the formal front gardens full of gorgeous foliage in both full shade and sun as you wander to the expansive back gardens. Discover the beautiful pathways that also serve as water diversions as this valley receives copious inches of rain in the wet season. The classic gazebo sets the mood for the mixed perennial flowerbeds along the back of the home. A carefully curated orchard of 71 trees thrives while surrounded by the forest. View the vegetable and potting shed areas as you find your way to the dog training arena and then a short stroll to the 2000 year old Big Tree, a sight to behold. Barry’s Garden is also called the Forest Garden although the redwoods are just a part of this lovely garden.

The Casa Aldana –
Casa Aldana is a beautifully terraced garden retreat created over the course of 25 years. Now an oasis of magnificent outdoor living spaces surrounded by colorful and mature drought tolerant plantings that attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and many other birds. See how a terraced setting creates separate spaces to enjoy, including a fire pit room, a covered patio BBQ area off the kitchen, an amazing upper pool pavilion complete with a family room retreat, a children’s play area and room for growing vegetables. All these garden areas have been thoughtfully connected by drought tolerant plantings bursting with vibrant colors that attract wildlife habitat.

Some interesting facts about this garden include how the existing rock was jack hammered out for the pool and patio area. Heavy equipment scarred the rock and the rock that remains, which serves as a retaining wall, looks like it came straight from the Sierra. Filled with lavender, lantana, red hot poker, Monica’s grandmother’s bearded iris and other hummingbird attractors this garden beckons you to stop by the pool under the vine covered pergola and enjoy a cold beverage.

Shaffer Park
Rare opportunity to explore this private 24 acre park complete with whimsical and personal touches developed over 25 years to bring joy, reflection and peace in the natural surroundings. Stroll the grounds and discover the redwood ring chapel, the challenging disc golf course, the bocce ball courts, the Stations of the Cross walking loop, strongman, archery, discus, shot put, hammer and weightlifting areas. Don’t miss the vintage Santa’s Village mushroom, amazing paintings with the artist on site, and the huge picnic table and chair that brings out the kid in everyone!

This is just a snippet of inspiration and ideas you’ll glean from these gardens on the tour. If you’re looking for fresh landscaping ideas, a new tree variety, gardening tips and fresh inspiration, don’t miss the gardens on this tour.

Design trends

Rhododendrons in the Garden

Rhododendrons are one of spring’s show stoppers. Huge, rounded clusters of stunning blossoms in lavender, red, purple, white, pink and even yellow and gold clothe these shrubs with color. You can have flowers from February to late May by choosing different varieties. And rhododendrons are easy to grow if you give them what they need.

Rhododendrons like air in the root zone so amend your soil liberally with organic matter. 50-60% is not too much. If you garden in clay, just plant them in raised beds or berms 1-2 ft above the original soil level. Rhododendrons like moist soil so top dress around your plants with several inches of mulch over the root zone, making sure the stem is not get buried. Pine needles, oak leaves or wood chips are good choices. Never cultivate around the plants as this would injure the surface roots. Finally, most rhodies thrive in partial shade or morning sun. The hot afternoon sun that we get during the summer would burn even those varieties that tolerate some sun. Since their leaves remain on the plant for several years you’d have to live with burnt leaf centers and edges for a long time if they get too much sun.

Because rhododendrons contain toxic resins that are more concentrated in the foliage, weevils have developed a resistance to pesticides along with a tolerance for the toxins in the leaves. Organic or even chemical sprays have little effect anymore according to a study funded by the Rhododendron Society of America and end up killing hundreds more predatory beetles and other beneficial insects in the process.

Applying parasitic nematodes to your soil is one way to control weevils. Other tactics include placing a shallow pan of water under the plant or a soup can filled with soapy water buried up to the top to attract and drown the adults . You can also try banding the trunks with tape or waterproof paper and smearing the bands with a sticky barrier like Tanglefoot. Spreading some coffee grounds under the plants also helps to discourage them from crawling up the trunk after they spend the night at the base of the plant. And if you’re really determined you can hand pick them after dark- effective but not much fun.

Our native rhododendron occidentale

There are thousands of rhododendron varieties. By planting early, mid-season and late blooming types you can enjoy those huge, gorgeous flowers for months.

Cheer is one of the showy early bloomers. Large, pink flower trusses cover the 5×5 ft plant. It can take some sun and would be a good candidate if you have one of those gardens that receives and hour or so of afternoon sun.

For April blooms consider Edith Bosley. Similar to Purple Splendor it grows upright to 6 ft.tall but only 4 ft wide. Perfect for narrow spaces. Other mid-season bloomers that would make a splash in the garden include Golden Gate, a 3 ft compact orange hybrid and easy-to-grow, red-flowering Jean Marie de Montegue.

To extend your season add some late season varieties like Lee’s Dark Purple. Growing with a spreading habit to 4 x 5 ft wide, you’ll love its blue-purple trusses. Anah Kruschke also blooms late in spring with lavender pink flowers on a dense 5 x 5 ft shrub. A tough undemanding larger variety is English Roseum. This one grows 6 ft tall with lavender pink flower trusses and blooms in May.

Rhododendrons really contribute to the woodland or shade garden. They are long-lived and deer resistant. I’ve only heard two gardeners tell me that deer ate some of their flower buds last fall for the moisture content. Most likely those deer couldn’t read well enough to read the deer resistant list!

Design trends

Tips for Growing Vegetables in Shade

Chard can successfully be grown in partial to light shade.

We humans used to be mostly foragers and obtained our nutrition by being hunter-gatherers. Foragers use to enjoy a comparatively leisurely life with good nutrition by working just a few hours each day, while those in agricultural communities toiled almost ceaselessly and had comparatively poor nutrition. What happened to make us the agricultural society we are today?

The end of the ice age occurred at the same time that foragers migrated around the globe. Warmer, wetter and more productive climates may have increased populations in some regions. The increased population pressure. may explain why some communities of foragers began to settle down and begin growing food. The rest is history. Many of us are returning to growing and producing our own food whenever we are able. Even on a small scale, a garden, a few fruit trees, a chicken or two or three, all help to put healthy, nutritious food on our table.

There are three types of shade. A partially shady location is one that receives 2-6 hours of sun, either in the morning or in the afternoon. It can also refer to a full day of dappled sunlight. Most edibles that prefer full sun will grow in partial shade, especially if they receiver their hours of fullest sunlight in the morning. A lightly shaded garden receives an intermediate level of shade. While it may receive only an hour or two of direct sun during the day it is bright enough the rest of the time to allow a variety of edibles-especially leafy greens to grow. Full shade is found under mature trees that have dense, spreading foliage. Unpruned oaks and maples cast this kind of shade in summer. Heavy shade under mature evergreens is often dry. A fully shaded location like this is fine for woodland plants but in not a great place for edibles.

Whatever level of shade you have in your yard, make the most of the situation. First, if you have the choice, opt for afternoon shade. Shade in the afternoon is more hospitable in the summer when the sun is fierce. The severe temperature swings created by a combination of shade in the morning and blazing sun all afternoon are difficult for most plants to withstand. Gardens facing east will enjoy bright sun all morning and shade in the early afternoon.

If you garden under deciduous trees you can give plants a head start by starting the seeds indoors or direct seeding early before the trees leaf out. All trees, however, bring roots as well as shade to the garden and tree roots will compete with garden plants for water and nutrients. Any plant grown where there are tree roots will need extra water and fertilizer to make up for the competition. If you can’t get the garden out of the dense shade of trees, at least get it past the tree dripline where most of the roots are located. If that’s not possible, it might be better to plant in containers beneath the trees to prevent tree roots from invading the root zone of your vegetables.

Cherry tomatoes grown in partial shade are slower to ripen- Be patient

Shade tolerant vegetables for your brightest spots – the partial shade areas – include beans, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, summer squash and early maturing tomatoes like Early Girl, Stupice, San Francisco Fog, Isis Candy as well as other cherry tomatoes. Corn and peppers will be lankier and bear later and only modesty in partial shade.

Root crops and leafy plants can tolerate more shade than fruiting crops. Beets, carrots, potatoes, celery and turnip will grow quite happily in partial shade. So will shallots and bunching onions, cilantro, garlic, chives, kale, leeks, parsley, oregano, cilantro and thyme. Leafy plants can tolerate partial to light shade because their leaves grow larger to absorb the sunlight the plants need. In very light shade areas concentrate on leafy green like Swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes and tarragon.

Shade can be decidedly helpful to some crops. Leafy greens will be more tender and succulent, without the bitterness they tend to acquire when conditions are too hot. A combination of a bit of afternoon shade and an abundance of moisture will help cut-and-come-again crops like broccoli, lettuce, cabbage and celery stay in good condition longer in hot weather.

Whatever plants you grow in your shady garden, be sure not to crowd them. Plants tend to sprawl there and if placed too close together they will compete for available light. Place your vegetables plants wherever they will get the most light even if it means putting different crops in separate places. A small harvest is still better than no harvest at all. Your vegetables may take a bit longer to mature without full sun so be patient.

The Mountain Gardener's Weblog