Part of the problem rests in that it's really fairly shady, and it's kind of dry. So I'm looking for fairly low water plants, though I suppose I can hand water.. and things that suite a short grow season for this moon garden. I can bulk it out with other stuff like hostas and ferns.
Moon Garden
-Lily of the Valley
(Convallaria)
-Fairy Wings
Epimedium
likes soil a bit loamy but will do well
-Sweet Woodruff
(Gallium odoratum)
-Hellbore
Helleborus Ivory Prince looks nice
But it needs moist, so maybe on the waterfall side?
-Polygonatum odoratum veriegatum
fragrant in the evenings
-Night Flox
-Night blooming Jasmine
-Trumpet flower
-Moon flower
-Evening Primrose
-Flowering Tobacco
-Mock Orange
-Tuberose
-Lady of the night
(too tropical?)
-Datura
Part of the problem for the other area is that I'd like to stick with native species.. so I've ordered some things. But I also need things that are super shade tolerant, because we've heavy pine cover. I'd like to add more that Rhodies, ferns hostas and salal.. and there is virtually nothing there now. I've blocked out the usable zone, and everything else gets planted up..
Shade Garden
Hosta
Fern
Mertensia
Caladium
Hydrangea
Wild Bleeding Heart
Lamium
Astilbe
Campanula
Coral bell
Wild Ginger
Rhododendrons
Salal (I've plenty to transplant)
Oregon Grape
Things coming in the spring:
Red Osier Dogwood
Indian Plum
Snowberry
Evergreen Huckleberry
Coastal Gumwood
And I've about a dozen good cedar starts about a foot to 2 feet tall, ready to go in the ground, but I fear that just adds to the shad issue. However, I have a massive tree base that looks to have been cut about 10 years ago that's hollowed with decomposition, and I think I'd like to replant the cedars inside the hollow. It doesn't appear to have died of disease or pest, so I think it likely a storm took it.. if the cedar saplings don't make it, I suppose that's not a biggie, but it looks promising. If I watch them carefully I'm thinking I can weave them..
Around the back side of the yard, and the drive we have a runoff issue, so I'm also looking into rain gardens (hence the usage of coastal gumwood as well). I've a couple spots that get some sun, but mostly shady, and it turns everything into a mud pit. I've tackled the side of the house with drainage slopes, mulch, and raised bed gardens that give me growing space, but have worked together to divert the water towards the growing things I want to thrive. I've noticed a significant difference so yay there! But there is a slope along the back fence that needs a rain gardenI think. The way the land lays it needs something..
But I'll work on ideas for that later.
Also in my searching I found this neat terrarium/mini garden site
