Green thumbs and dirty fingers.

[Kalamain]

Plants that like shade

Plants that like shade

Every now and then I may do a few posts where I theme plants together. In this one I'm going to list a few plants that can handle part sun or shade.

Most plants needs lots of light. Some really don't.
If you are in the Northern hemisphere and have a Northern aspect you will not get a lot of light (Reverse for those of you in the southern!) and so you won't be able to grow plants that need copious amounts of sun.

Here are a few you may want to think about.

PLEASE NOTE. many plants that can handle shade often have slug problems. you WILL need to think about this when planning

Partial shade

Bergenia - Elephant's Ear

Camellias (Part shade or full sun)

Hardy Geraniums - Cranesbill (Part shade or full sun)

Full Shade

Heuchera - Coral Bells (Works everywhere, prefers part shade)

Hostas (Works everywhere)

Convallaria majalis - Lily Of The Valley (Works everywhere)

Mahonia - (Works everywhere, prefers part shade)

Rhododendrons 1, 2 Works everywhere, prefers part shade)

Skimmia (prefers part shade)
Note. you need both male and female plants to get the red berries

Hypericum calycinum (Works everywhere, prefers part shade) Good for insects!
Note. This is a rampant plant and will creep.

 

[Wild_Honey_66]

Pyracantha. I'll try to get a close-up tomorrow.

The trimmings are a biatch to handle--my dad used to make me carry the branches after he'd done his once-a-year cut back. i'd wear heavy gloves, but my arms always got scratched up.

Do you see what's in the lower left-hand corner?

I didn't even notice that until I was looking at the pics after I'd downloaded them. lol

 

[Kalamain]

Pyracantha. I'll try to get a close-up tomorrow.

The trimmings are a biatch to handle--my dad used to make me carry the branches after he'd done his once-a-year cut back. i'd wear heavy gloves, but my arms always got scratched up.

Do you see what's in the lower left-hand corner?

I didn't even notice that until I was looking at the pics after I'd downloaded them. lol

We have to trim up loads of Pyracantha at work. Nobody handles it. We use loading forks and springbok rakes. That stuff will shred your hands and arms!

And in the bottom left... Do you mean the broad leaf plant? or the small ground cover plant?

 

[Wild_Honey_66]

We have to trim up loads of Pyracantha at work. Nobody handles it. We use loading forks and springbok rakes. That stuff will shred your hands and arms!

And in the bottom left... Do you mean the broad leaf plant? or the small ground cover plant?

um, yeah it shreds your arms!! and pokes right through leather gloves, too.

let's just say i'm not a big Pyracantha fan.

yes, the broad leaf plant.

I have more pics coming...too bad I forgot to clean the lens first.

 

[Wild_Honey_66]

Bougainvillea. The branches are droopy and most of the blooms have faded, but I think it's still pretty.

A close-up of the last of the blooms.

Wow, that shot is really bad! I'll redo it tomorrow.

 

[Kalamain]

Bougainvillea. The branches are droopy and most of the blooms have faded, but I think it's still pretty.

Is that the first or second flush?

You can trim them back to get a 2nd flush of flowers if done early enough (It may be a little late now)

 

[Wild_Honey_66]

Is that the first or second flush?

You can trim them back to get a 2nd flush of flowers if done early enough (It may be a little late now)

Oh! I didn't know that! *darn*

Good to know for next year, though--thanks!

Last pic--orange tree.

 

[haha_on_me]

You know nicotinoids are harmful against beneficial insects too, right?
What pests are you spraying against?

Its awesome that you can grow to crop. How much acreage do you have that you could crop that much, or will a few plants get you a good enough crop?

I target whatever attacks my tomatoes, and after spraying with my tobacco pesticide, nothing does.

Cotton and tobacco are both regulated crops, so I only grow what I will use. Last year, I put out only six tobacco plants.

 

[haha_on_me]

Oh! I didn't know that! *darn*

Good to know for next year, though--thanks!

Last pic--orange tree.

Ooo an orange tree, I only wish I could have one. I am waaay too far north for those. I have two apples, two peach, two cherry, one pear, many black walnut, and many mulberry trees. I keep a rhubarb patch, black raspberry patch, and a gooseberry bush as well.

 

[Kalamain]

Ooo an orange tree, I only wish I could have one. I am waaay too far north for those. I have two apples, two peach, two cherry, one pear, many black walnut, and many mulberry trees. I keep a rhubarb patch, black raspberry patch, and a gooseberry bush as well.

Thats some good fruit cropping!
Do you harvest enough for the winter?

Yeah... I'm seriously jealous over here!

 

[haha_on_me]

Thats some good fruit cropping!
Do you harvest enough for the winter?

Yeah... I'm seriously jealous over here!

My peach, mulberry, rhubarb, black raspberry, and black walnut trees, yes. I end up giving peaches and rhubarb away after I freeze what I want. Plus, every day they are on, I sit down and lean against one of them, and eat two peaches. My apples will provide enough this year for wintering. The cherries, pear, and gooseberry are too young for much more than a pie. I harvest rhubarb as soon as the stems get 8 inches long, and harvest until the frost lays them down for the winter. My strawberry patch should give me enough this year for a few strawberry/rhubarb cobblers, as it is only two years old.

 

[Twlightdreamer]

Want to know what's worse than Pyracantha? Barberry bushes. *groans* The live nursery I worked at got in several different varieties and.. UGH! I always ended up getting thorn tips broken off in my knuckles. The buggers hurt as much as a treated lumber splinter.

 

[haha_on_me]

Want to know what's worse than Pyracantha? Barberry bushes. *groans* The live nursery I worked at got in several different varieties and.. UGH! I always ended up getting thorn tips broken off in my knuckles. The buggers hurt as much as a treated lumber splinter.

Barberry *cringes* I refuse to plant them, the torns break off and fester under the skin.

 

[coacheric]

Roses are my passion but I've a love for every plant. Here are a few pics from my yard from the last few years.

I have a full grown Rheingold Arborvitae in my front yard. He's called Shrubbe- yes, I named him . Roses along the side of my house- hybrid teas, grandifloras, and knockouts. There's also a smoke bush, wheeping cherry, and caryopteris.

Beautiful roses

Our garden and yard were not as productive last year as years past.

 

[Kalamain]

My peach, mulberry, rhubarb, black raspberry, and black walnut trees, yes. I end up giving peaches and rhubarb away after I freeze what I want. Plus, every day they are on, I sit down and lean against one of them, and eat two peaches. My apples will provide enough this year for wintering. The cherries, pear, and gooseberry are too young for much more than a pie. I harvest rhubarb as soon as the stems get 8 inches long, and harvest until the frost lays them down for the winter. My strawberry patch should give me enough this year for a few strawberry/rhubarb cobblers, as it is only two years old.

Thats great!

Do you half cover the rhubarb so that some grows in the dark?

This year I plan to have about 10 strawberry plants in a bit of vertical gardening. I need to keep them away from the slugs and snails. Even with all the birds in my garden they still destroy my strawbs!

 

[Kalamain]

Want to know what's worse than Pyracantha? Barberry bushes. *groans* The live nursery I worked at got in several different varieties and.. UGH! I always ended up getting thorn tips broken off in my knuckles. The buggers hurt as much as a treated lumber splinter.

Blackthorn bushes..
Yeah... you can gather the berries and make Sloe Gin... but for some strange obscure reason the council I work for decided it would be a GREAT idea to plant a bundle of them...

Such an amazingly bad idea... When you mow by them you get scratched to buggery. Luckily they don't break though!

 

[haha_on_me]

Thats great!

Do you half cover the rhubarb so that some grows in the dark?

This year I plan to have about 10 strawberry plants in a bit of vertical gardening. I need to keep them away from the slugs and snails. Even with all the birds in my garden they still destroy my strawbs!

I do not cover my rhubarb, it grows like crazy as it is. I started with three roos, and have split it off to eight. They get full sun. I have three acres, and try to keep things interesting. I plant my Christmas trees every year as well.

Sounds like an interesting idea, you'll have to show me how they turn out. Mine are in my garden.

 

[Kalamain]

I do not cover my rhubarb, it grows like crazy as it is. I started with three roos, and have split it off to eight. They get full sun. I have three acres, and try to keep things interesting. I plant my Christmas trees every year as well.

Sounds like an interesting idea, you'll have to show me how they turn out. Mine are in my garden.

It will look something like this.

This is the first year I have done it like this so I have no idea if it will actually work.

But it won't cost me much to try so nothing much to lose!

We have a Scots pine in a pot that we bought when the Father in Law died. We are growing on so that it will live in a pot and get brought indoors when needed.

 

[haha_on_me]

It will look something like this.

This is the first year I have done it like this so I have no idea if it will actually work.

But it won't cost me much to try so nothing much to lose!

We have a Scots pine in a pot that we bought when the Father in Law died. We are growing on so that it will live in a pot and get brought indoors when needed.

Well I'll be, that's a neat idea of planting. Sure does nicely on someone short on space, but wants to grow their own food. I'll be interested in seeing your results.

Are you keeping the pine pruned? How often do you have to step up to a bigger pot? I bought this place in '95, and have planted spruces from the second year on.

 

[Kalamain]

Well I'll be, that's a neat idea of planting. Sure does nicely on someone short on space, but wants to grow their own food. I'll be interested in seeing your results.

Are you keeping the pine pruned? How often do you have to step up to a bigger pot? I bought this place in '95, and have planted spruces from the second year on.

So far the spruce is only in a 9" pot... Only stepped up twice. It didn't do a damn thing last year... No idea why.

I may re-pot it in spring and take a look at the roots.

Vertical gardening is really taken off over here... Especially among the inner city people. My garden isn't small, but I'm kinda limited on what I can grow because we also use the garden for sitting out in and entertaining.

 

[MeekMe]

Maybe try some shade loving plants?

First off... Phalaenopsis orchids (moth orchids)
These are amazing plants and have such amazing flowers.

Lavender should do well too. Just be careful of overwatering.

Coleus - The flowers are not the attraction here... Its the foliage that you are going to be looking at!

Saintpaulia (African violet)
Pelargonium (Geranium)
Impatiens - This one will need the most sun you can.

All of these have nice flowers and don't need too much sun. But it needs indirect sun... If its too shady a room than you may need to settle with green leaf plants.

Can you put the Bougainvillea outside at all? Maybe even on your doorstep?

I typically have low light to shade loving plants. Like I said, my husband doesn't pay attention really to what they need when he gets them (he doesn't get me plants all the time).

Nope, second floor condo. Our front door is enclosed and I don't have any balconies. I have an African violet that is doing really well. My plants never have to worry about being over watered, lol.

 

[Twlightdreamer]

Just finished trimming my roses and coreopsis back. Whew! My hands are shredded but it was worth it. And no.... I hate wearing gloves.

It was good to get out in the sunshine for a while. I'm going to miss all my plants when I move....

 

[Kalamain]

Just finished trimming my roses and coreopsis back. Whew! My hands are shredded but it was worth it. And no.... I hate wearing gloves.

It was good to get out in the sunshine for a while. I'm going to miss all my plants when I move....

The first thing I learned was 'Wear gloves' and 'Treat your wounds'.

I get a LOT of cuts and many of them get infected... So I carry a tube of antiseptic with me when I'm at work!

Its that bad at work we all get mandatory Hep A/B jabs.

 

[Kalamain]

I typically have low light to shade loving plants. Like I said, my husband doesn't pay attention really to what they need when he gets them (he doesn't get me plants all the time).

Nope, second floor condo. Our front door is enclosed and I don't have any balconies. I have an African violet that is doing really well. My plants never have to worry about being over watered, lol.

You can cheat a little and get "sunlight" bulbs for your house.

They put out light at a certain frequency that plants can absorb. Its not perfect... But it DOES help a little.

 

[Twlightdreamer]

The first thing I learned was 'Wear gloves' and 'Treat your wounds'.

I get a LOT of cuts and many of them get infected... So I carry a tube of antiseptic with me when I'm at work!

Its that bad at work we all get mandatory Hep A/B jabs.

OYE! That is rough. I find I get stuck/caught more when I wear gloves.

You can cheat a little and get "sunlight" bulbs for your house.

They put out light at a certain frequency that plants can absorb. Its not perfect... But it DOES help a little.

I use them when I start seedlings early. They don't really seem to help me much but the plants love them.