Spend more on good plants, less on pine needles
Q: My property has large, part- to full-shaded natural areas with pine needle mulch. I want to increase the color in winter and reduce the need for mulch. Blue Rug juniper will not grow in the shaded areas. Ajuga is one option I’m thinking about. What do you think?
A: I think more money should be spent on good plants that will enhance shady areas permanently and less on pine needles that require regular replenishment.
A natural area, planted in an array of good shrubs and perennials, can be truly beautiful. This is azalea season and there is plenty to choose from in the garden centers. You might look at the shorter satsuki azaleas, which bloom in May, grow 2 to 3 feet tall and spread 3 to 4 feet. They look very good as ground covers. Two popular choices are Gumpo White and Gumpo Pink. These are evergreen azaleas that look very nice all year.
For winter color, you could add pansies, Lenten roses and some of the winter-flowering crocuses.
Add a selection of hardy ferns and hostas for spring through summer beauty. The effect will be cool and refreshing and a lot more interesting than looking at pine needles. I do think you should keep the pine needles you have as a natural-looking floor for your new garden.
You could also add wonderful plants like lily of the valley, and even some woodland wild flowers. All of the things I’ve mentioned make good companions and look very natural when combined.
As cost is always a concern, I encourage you to start with small plants and nurture them with water in dry weather. Lenten roses and hardy ferns grow rapidly from small plants. Not planting the entire area at one time will also give you a chance to discover all the beauties out there. I think you will find shade gardening a grand experience.
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Q: Last year, I planted three peonies in a mostly shaded area under a dogwood tree. Next, I planted three hydrangeas in an area with afternoon sun. Clever, huh? I’d like to switch them now but I don’t know if that is a good idea. Is it?
A: Of course it’s a good idea. And you are just in time to get this done before hot weather hits. It may not have been clever to plant peonies in the shade and hydrangeas in hot afternoon sun. But it is clever to recognize the error quickly and take steps to fix it. I cannot tell you how often people call to tell me about peonies that never bloomed after years in the same shady spot. Or, of hydrangeas that wilted in the July heat.
It would have been better to make this switch earlier this year, but you didn’t, and there is no progress in keeping them where they are. So do it. This weekend.
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Q: I read a tip somewhere that combines two things I loathe: slugs and sweet gum balls. Have you ever tried putting those prickly balls in a flowerbed to keep out the slugs? It sounds like a perfect solution. Using beer to trap the critters is disgusting. I hate having to deal with the slug carcasses. What do you think of sweet gum balls as deterrents?
A: Over the years, many people have told me success stories of using sweet gum balls as deterrents to slugs, which prefer to slide along smooth surfaces. I do not use them myself because I have no sweet gum tree as a source. (I’m stuck with the messy beer remedy, but it does work, especially on the young slugs.)
If I did have a source, I would use them in my pansy beds and lettuce pots, two places slugs seem to always head for first. But keep in mind that the sweet gum balls are just a deterrent; they apparently do not kill the slugs, which will move on to smoother pastures, continuing to reproduce and raising the population of these little beasts.
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Q: One side of our house has very poor drainage, and cutting the grass within days of a rain is like mowing through a swamp. All we have planted in the area is a dying leyland cypress tree. The area does get some good sun during the day, but the cypress may be blocking it. The area is only about 10 feet wide by 30 feet long. Can you recommend any type of plants for this area?
A: The first thing I would do is take down the dying leyland cypress tree. That will not solve the problem of water standing for days after rainfall. That is not good. Plants alone are not your only remedy.
You could plant a garden of Siberian, Japanese irises and the yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus), lobelias, Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire), Clethra alnifolia, fothergilla, dahoon and inkberry hollies, carex and even cattails. Provided the area doesn’t get hit by hot afternoon sun, astilbes would work. You could also raise the pathway and keep your feet dry by the addition of a stretch of pavers. Raised beds are also an option.
However, you will still have a soggy situation right next to your house.
Before making a decision about replanting this area and depending on plants to solve your problem (without really solving it), take another step.
Consult a drainage professional. One solution may simply be installing perforated drainage pipe or other engineered method that lends itself to the situation. Such pipe was put around the inside perimeter of the crawl space of my house many years ago and has kept it perfectly dry ever since.
With the problem fixed, you can turn that area into a much more varied garden, including vegetables and a great range of shrubs, perennials and annuals that will be of full use regardless of the weather.