Thursday, 22 August 2013

Using Woodland Plants Where Grass Does Not Grow

By Gene Bush


For those gardeners facing a struggle on how to fill shady areas, choosing the appropriate woodland plants is key. In order to know what will thrive in parts of a yard, it is necessary to do a little research. Knowing where a plant comes from and what the normal conditions for it to thrive would be certainly helps.

When something is sold as a house plant, this often means that it originates from jungles with a humid climate. Planted in a shady area outside, it may do well enough during the summer months, but it will not survive winter. Some of them will even wilt if the summer sun gets too hot.

Two lovely varieties which are more likely to come back each year are Hosta and ferns. Hosta are very ornamental, having large flowering stalks that come in a variety of colors. There are dripping heart ferns which are great for extreme shade, though they do tend to die back during the winter.

Many flowers which are sold as hanging potted varieties for a porch are flowers which will also do well in shady areas. Impatiens are commonly seen hanging, and these as well as African violets can survive with very minimal sun. However, these will have to be planted each year.

Vegetables and large bright flowers frequently desire the sunnier parts of the yard. In those areas that have less nutritious soils, and lie in direct sun, there are many herbs such as rosemary that thrive excellently in such a zone. It never hurts to landscape a yard based on how the sun moves during the day.

For those who wish to do minimal work from year to year, choosing woodland plants indigenous to where they live is a great idea. It is necessary to research any plant chosen to ensure that poisonous varieties are not placed where pets can eat them. With a little research, an low-maintenance garden can thrive in any environment.




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