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Plants for small gardens
Shade (to 1/2 day of sun)
Impatiens (Annual)
The mainstay of the shade garden.
The #1 selling bedding plant in North American beating out the long time favorites of petunias and geraniums. Constantly flowering with no deadheading needed. This has become, by far, the easiest most popular bedding plant to grow in our industry. Extremely difficult to grow from seed its best to buy them in flats in the spring. A warm loving plant that should be planted outside after the ground has warmed up. Prefers humus rich well drained soil.
Torena (Wish-Bone flower) (Annual)
Easily grown from seed.
A spot out of the hot afternoon sun is best. A short growing border plant that is also ideal in containers. A direct foliar spray of potassium is helpful. Potassium (K) is the third major element on the fertilizer packet. A heavily mulched flower bed will keep them cool. Prefers moist well drained soil. Deadheading is not necessary so that puts torena into the low maintenance category along with impatiens. Height is 4" to 12" with a 6"to 9" spread. Check out the new `summer wave' series which is fabulous for hanging over containers or a sprawling ground cover for the shade. Violet to deep purplke are now available but other colors will definitely be on the way. Torena flava is a golden yellow with a rich maroon throat and black anthers which form the wishbone.
Caladium (Bulb)
Background in almost dense shade this bulb plant is one that can be dug out of the ground in the fall (like dahlias) and replanted when the ground warms up the following spring More of a back ground plant reaching heights of 2-3 feet. Multi colored large leaves in reds,oranges,white and green make this an excellent color background plant.
Astilbe (Perennial)
Excellent bloomer in the shade from mid -spring to late summer.
Zones 4 to 8.
Plume flowers in pink,red , and white. Height 2-3 feet good background plant. Fertile soil rich in organic matter, moist ,but not soggy. Does well near a stream where the soil is moist but not waterlogged. Divide plants every four to five years whenever the flower production declines.
Viola tricolor (Johnny jump ups) (Annual)
An independent self seeder that can pop up almost anywhere.
Low growing shade plant but not for a formal border as it is hard to keep it in one place. It will readily seed itsself in almost any part of the garden. Looks like a small pansy but flowers later into the summer especially since it develops new seedlings constantly. Blue, violet, red, orange,bronze, white short 12" or below spreads about the same
Coleus(Annual)
Roots easily from cuttings can be rooted in water or vermiculite also used as a houseplant planted for its colored leaves. pinch off the bloom if it flowers or it readily goes to seed instead of continuing to grow. background plant reaching about 18"to 2 feet all types of leaf color,red to golden yellows ,bicolors, green and white and many other color combinations.
Begonias
Short less than 12" great border plant as the bedding variety non stop begonia in the bulb form makes an excellent full hanging basket red,pink,white or bicolor flowers with red or green leaves the red leafed varieties can take full sun in zone 5 both red and green leafed varieties are excellent in the shade
The mainstay of the shade garden.
The #1 selling bedding plant in North American beating out the long time favorites of petunias and geraniums. Constantly flowering with no deadheading needed. This has become, by far, the easiest most popular bedding plant to grow in our industry. Extremely difficult to grow from seed its best to buy them in flats in the spring. A warm loving plant that should be planted outside after the ground has warmed up. Prefers humus rich well drained soil.
Torena (Wish-Bone flower) (Annual)
Easily grown from seed.
A spot out of the hot afternoon sun is best. A short growing border plant that is also ideal in containers. A direct foliar spray of potassium is helpful. Potassium (K) is the third major element on the fertilizer packet. A heavily mulched flower bed will keep them cool. Prefers moist well drained soil. Deadheading is not necessary so that puts torena into the low maintenance category along with impatiens. Height is 4" to 12" with a 6"to 9" spread. Check out the new `summer wave' series which is fabulous for hanging over containers or a sprawling ground cover for the shade. Violet to deep purplke are now available but other colors will definitely be on the way. Torena flava is a golden yellow with a rich maroon throat and black anthers which form the wishbone.
Caladium (Bulb)
Background in almost dense shade this bulb plant is one that can be dug out of the ground in the fall (like dahlias) and replanted when the ground warms up the following spring More of a back ground plant reaching heights of 2-3 feet. Multi colored large leaves in reds,oranges,white and green make this an excellent color background plant.
Astilbe (Perennial)
Excellent bloomer in the shade from mid -spring to late summer.
Zones 4 to 8.
Plume flowers in pink,red , and white. Height 2-3 feet good background plant. Fertile soil rich in organic matter, moist ,but not soggy. Does well near a stream where the soil is moist but not waterlogged. Divide plants every four to five years whenever the flower production declines.
Viola tricolor (Johnny jump ups) (Annual)
An independent self seeder that can pop up almost anywhere.
Low growing shade plant but not for a formal border as it is hard to keep it in one place. It will readily seed itsself in almost any part of the garden. Looks like a small pansy but flowers later into the summer especially since it develops new seedlings constantly. Blue, violet, red, orange,bronze, white short 12" or below spreads about the same
Coleus(Annual)
Roots easily from cuttings can be rooted in water or vermiculite also used as a houseplant planted for its colored leaves. pinch off the bloom if it flowers or it readily goes to seed instead of continuing to grow. background plant reaching about 18"to 2 feet all types of leaf color,red to golden yellows ,bicolors, green and white and many other color combinations.
Begonias
Short less than 12" great border plant as the bedding variety non stop begonia in the bulb form makes an excellent full hanging basket red,pink,white or bicolor flowers with red or green leaves the red leafed varieties can take full sun in zone 5 both red and green leafed varieties are excellent in the shade
Visit The Gardening Launch Pad's own Bulb Mall for the finest Bulbs!