| Low light is not the only problem facing the gardener | | | | with a magnificent cloud of white. There is really |
| with mature shade trees. Tree roots take up space | | | | nothing to rival it when it is well grown and in its |
| in the top soil and they rob the surrounding earth of | | | | glory. |
| water and nutrients, creating a gardener's nightmare | | | | There are several striking shade plants that are |
| of dry, infertile shade. | | | | shallow rooted and will settle into a dry, shady area. |
| By choosing the right plants, you can still grow a | | | | Plant hostas, variegated Solomon's seal, heucheras, |
| garden in dry shade. Mulches of straw, bark, or leaf | | | | tiarellas, and hellebores in drifts, spreading the |
| litter are not the only option above the roots. By | | | | flowerbed from under the Silverbell tree to the next |
| choosing mixes of shade-loving perennials and | | | | tree in your landscape. The foliage of autumn fern |
| under-story trees, you can fashion a free-form | | | | (Dryopteris erythrosora), and bear's breeches |
| flowerbed. | | | | (Acanthus) contrast with each other nicely in the |
| One such under-story tree, which enjoys partial | | | | shade. |
| shady conditions, is the Carolina Silverbell, Halesia | | | | Japanese painted fern, Athyrium niponicum, has to be |
| Carolina. It is an uncommon tree, native to much of | | | | the easiest fern to grow in any garden, zone 5 or |
| the Eastern and Southern states. It is rare to see it | | | | warmer. Try it in all colors. It hybridizes easily. You |
| in garden landscapes. Why such a beautiful tree has | | | | might come up with a brand new foliage color like the |
| escaped attention is a mystery. | | | | South Carolina gardener who found 'Ursula's Red.' You |
| Maybe in our rush for instant landscapes, we don't | | | | would be hard-pressed to rival those on the market, |
| find the Silverbell showy enough. Silverbell flowers are | | | | like the Japanese Painted Ferns 'Burgundy Lace,' |
| delicate. They dangle from the branches of the | | | | 'Silver Falls,' and 'Apple Court.' They all thrive on the |
| previous year's growth. A flowering dogwood | | | | shady side. |
| growing nearby a young silverbell tree can | | | | Less common but worth finding are epimediums, |
| overshadow the delicate flowers of the Silverbell. | | | | daphne, sweet box (Sarcococca), sweet shrub |
| However, wait until the Silverbell grows up. | | | | (Clethra), and cinnamon fern. Use shades of green |
| Dogwoods, with their large flat bracts of white or | | | | under trees in your garden to create a cool and |
| pink, are much showier in the landscape and open | | | | inviting landscape, even in the heat of summer. |
| their blossoms at about the same time and in the | | | | Lamium 'White Nancy' will travel through beds of bold, |
| same conditions as the Silverbell. Dogwoods are for | | | | white and green leaved caladiums. Swaths of annual |
| the public side of your garden. They show off from | | | | impatiens can provide color. A hellebore community |
| a distance. | | | | grows larger each year from seedlings self-sown in |
| The Silverbell should be near a patio or deck, | | | | the patch. Wild gingers (Asarum) grow low to the |
| wherever you can get up close and personal to | | | | ground, multiplying by rhizomes. Even the large leaves |
| enjoy the glorious show. Its mature height is | | | | of elephant ears can adapt to the dry shade. A |
| between 20 and 40 feet. It will take some sun, but | | | | shade garden will cover up the brown mulch with |
| prefers at least part shade and needs moist, acid soil. | | | | tints of foliage in green, white, or red and pale or |
| Plant your Silverbell near, but not under, a tree. It is a | | | | bright flowers. Fall is the perfect time to plant trees, |
| quick developer and swings blossoms when it is very | | | | shrubs, and perennials. Watering them their first year |
| young. The flowers become pale green seed capsules | | | | will relieve transplant stress and help them settle into |
| in fall. It even has beautiful bark for the winter | | | | their new home. A garden can grow in the shade, |
| landscape. As it matures, it will wake up springtime | | | | gloriously. |