Page 16 - MNLGA Free State Winter 2023_WEB

CULTIVATING COMMUNICATION (Continued)
We desired a shade garden, but we had a long way to go.
We created our future shade from scratch, with 1-3 gallon
trees and shrubs. Some would look at our space and think
we overplanted (our families thought we were nuts), but
we based our number of “stems” on patterns we saw in
somewhat undisturbed woodlands.
We were energetic new gardeners, and we hated seeing
bare ground. However, planting herbaceous perennials
that required shade would have been a waste of money
at that point. So, we visited garden centers and shopped
their clearance tables regularly for inexpensive sun
perennials (sometimes within an inch of their life) to
provide some interest until our shade “arrived.”
Fast forward 10 years, and we had shade!

While we tried to mimic the natural landscape, one piece
we were lacking was the buildup of decaying leaves and
woody material. Our soil was still hard and dry. Many of
the sun species of perennials had faded and now we had
open spaces in which to plant – again!

This time, our plant selection was a bit more intentional
for the herbaceous layer. We invested in Hellebores and Rhodea japonica in fall.
Pulmonarias, plants that tolerated our rocky soil and
provided several seasons of interest. We collected Hostas Tricyrtis.sp
to serve as visual accents, which were also more tolerant
of our poor soil.

The general idea was to cover ground with large drifts
of herbaceous plants, like what would be found in the
eastern deciduous forest (prior to heavy deer graze).
Plants that worked well included:

• Helleborus sp. – both hybrids and species like Helleborus
foetidus. Not only do these plants provide winter interest
(flowers and foliage), but once established, they begin

We were energetic new gardeners,

and we hated seeing bare ground.

However, planting herbaceous

perennials that required shade

would have been a waste of money

at that point.

16 WINTER 2023 • Free State News