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Suggestions for tough North-facing area
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Posted by mccordmw z5bMO (My Page) on Mon, Apr 14, 08 at 9:31
| Hello,
I'm seeking plant advice for a really tough area I've been trying to get established for several years now.
I have a garden strip that is 25' long and 4' deep. It's on the North-facing side of my house. This strip is near the bottom of a small slope, so it gets saturated with water during the rainy St. Louis spring and fall seasons. The strip only gets about 3-4 hours of sun. However, the sun it does get is from about 2-5 pm, so it's blistering hot.
Plants that tolerate such limited sun tend to get scorched by that hot afternoon sun. Plants that can take that hot afternoon sun tend to want longer duration of sunlight, so they get leggy and flop over with just 3-4 hours of light.
I've tried tons of different plants in that area with no luck. The only exception is daylillies - which I'm not very fond of. Other than that, everything else has died off and been taken over by weeds.
Anyone else have plants as tough as daylillies that might grow in this area?
Thanks,
mm |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Suggestions for tough North-facing area
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| On the north side of my house, west end (hot afternoon sun), I planted a hydrangea 'Annabelle' and it has done great there. It's right by a down spout and gets a lot of water at times, but doesn't seem to mind at all. They're in bloom for a long time and are not hurt by cold winters/late frosts like big leaf hydrangeas since blooms come from new growth. |
RE: Suggestions for tough North-facing area
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| I had dropped some Malva seeds on the North side of my house and it gets even less than yours. They didn't hardly bloom, but talk about pretty, full foilage!!! I actually liked them better than the hostas I had!! |
RE: Suggestions for tough North-facing area
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| Hmmm, not sure what you've tried so here are some suggestions of plants I've had luck with: goatsbeard, common columbine, meadowrue, ferns, common phlox, azalea or wintercreeper? |
RE: Suggestions for tough North-facing area
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| Mccord, I'm in almost the exact same situation as you. Of the variety of plants I've tried, the most successful is lirope. It borders the strip (mine is actually a curved bed) and they absolutely love it and are going on a good 7 years old. Behind them is the "dead zone". I have tried several different ground covers. Currently there is sweet woodruff which is giving a spotty performance and some ajuga, which stays cowering (but thick) in the solidly shady sections. This year I was thinking of trying nicotiania as I heard it's one of those sun-loving flowers that does pretty well in partial shade. I wanted to put in linum perrenne (blue flax) but am afraid it needs more sun than it'll get. Behind the dead zone are two azalea bushes, one of which is half dead despite it getting plenty of water and almost total shade. Next year I think I will pop them out and try something else, maybe a pink cletha. |
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