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Suggestions for this area?

Posted by kestrel_3 (My Page) on
Wed, Jun 3, 09 at 21:51

Hi,

Our house has a patch of bluebells planted by the previous owner. I'm looking for ideas for something to plant in with them so there are flowers after the bluebells go dormant.

I'm thinking of getting some bulbs this fall to mix in there too but I need ideas for something for this summer too. Now that the bluebells are dying back it looks very bare. There are a few ferns there too but I want something(s) with flowers.

We're on the edge between zone 3 and 4. This area gets sun in the morning and then a little bit of dappled sun later in the afternoon.

Thanks!


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Suggestions for this area?

It sounds like this is a shady area. There are not too many perennials that do well in the shade and those that do are short season bloomers. You could try daylilies or plant annuals like impatiens or begonia


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RE: Suggestions for this area?

I love bluebells. Don't know what kind of soil PH you have (acid, alkaline) or if it's clay, sandy, etc., but some flowering perennials that may work in this spot are:

Goatsbeard (Aruncus Dioicus) Very tall, white flowers

Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis) and other Columbine

Purple joe pye (Eupatorium purpureum) Keep moist

Alumroot (Heuchera) Various kinds; mostly a foliage plant, gets tiny flowers on stalks, attractive & interesting leaves

Foamflower (Tiarella) Flowers in spring

Wild geranium/Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum)

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)

Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana): Purple flowers, and there is also a variety called "Miss Manners" that has white flowers. Purple one spreads aggressively. Blooms late in the summer.

Astilbe (Various varieties) feathery flower clusters on branch-like spikes. Blooms in June in Zone 6.

Various varieties of violets

Some daylilies (Hemerocallis) may work in this spot--you can try an inexpensive one and see if it handles the shade or not.

Some of the above perennials bloom in spring at the same time as your bluebells, which I'm assuming are "Virginia" bluebells (Mertensia virginica), but some bloom later in the season.

Happy gardening!


 
 

 

 


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