AAR

[sharon w.]

I've never plated ferns, any particular type for our climate? Begonias and geraniums sound do-able, for me. Thanks for the suggestions, Sharon![/quote]

You would be surprised by the number of various ferns there are! They add a neat dash to any shade spot...........I would ask at your local gardening center - they should know what is available to you in your area. I do know that even in my zone (5 I think) that they sometimes don't make it through the winter, but I just buy a couple of new ones for the season. Sharon

[Donna Lea Simpson]

I agree with those folks saying regular impatiens now seem to need some sun to thrive... what's up with that? It used to be that you could put them in deep shade and they'd thrive, but now they just dwindle away if they don't at least have a couple of hours of sun!

And squirrels in the containers... don't they drive you nuts, pardon the pun? You can carefully plant your expensive annuals, and they'll be ripped out in no time.

The answer, my friends, is blood bone meal... sprinkle some on/in the containers after planting and the squirrels will stay away. You have to re-apply it after rain, and after a while, but it works, especially when you want to give your plants some time to get established.
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[xina]

But I was actually talking about regular old Impatiens........they used to grow 2-3 feet high with no sun.........now they don't..............they actually need some sun and still don't get as large as they used to. Don't know what's been done to them but it's a shame because it limits the choices for shade. [/quote]

Wow...2-3 ft? Did they get "leggy" when they were so tall? I like to pinch mine down. They look bad for about a week, then they fill in and the plant gets more "round" and full than tall and thin. Also, they love fertilizer lightly every time you water. I forget though and am in a hurry, but one season I was very good about it and the plants (in containers) were beautiful.

[xina]

And squirrels in the containers... don't they drive you nuts, pardon the pun? You can carefully plant your expensive annuals, and they'll be ripped out in no time.

The answer, my friends, is blood bone meal... sprinkle some on/in the containers after planting and the squirrels will stay away. You have to re-apply it after rain, and after a while, but it works, especially when you want to give your plants some time to get established.[/quote]


I will try that Donna. Last year was the first year it happened, so I didn't realize what was going on until it was too late. This year...I'll be armed. Those pesky squirrels.

[sharon w.]

I do have a problem with squirrels with the container by the front door. I noticed that it wasn't doing well and looked to find most of the plants unearthed. I think they were using the container as a hiding place for nuts and berries...or whatever they were hiding.[/quote]

If you sprinkle some pepper ( any kind but the hotter the better) all around the soil, the squirrels will stay away from the pot........had the same thing happening in my containers and it works pretty well! Sharon

[Tee]

Never heard that about pepper, but it's worth a try since most everyone has it in-house. I'll also try the bone meal, but I like being able to use stuff I have on hand first. I love watching those squirrels, but not when they're invading my pots. They even jump from the glider to my hanging pots on the patio cover. I see the pots swinging away; and as cute as they look in them, I'm ready to clobber them at that point.

[xina]

Tee, I think red pepper would work best not just black pepper.
A cute story about the squirrels. A few days after Valentines Day I had to throw away some chocolate hearts wrapped in red foil...Beagle broke into them. I look out the window the next morning and see a giant squirrel (they are all huge around here) running across the yard with a red heart clenched in his jaw. The squirrel had gotten into the garbage and found his treasure....a late valentine to his sweetheart apparently. nah!

[Tee]

What a neat story, xina. Those squirrels can be a laugh a minute. Our lab loves to chase them to the fence. Once she got one by the tail, but it slipped away (thank goodness). It's going to be a fun summer, I can guess. With her around, none of the squirrels who attempt to come into our yard will be overweight at all.

I'm keeping in mind the suggestion of red pepper around the tubs and also the blood bone meal. Anything is worth a try because they can ruin flowers really fast by climbing into the containers. Thanks.

[xina]

[quote="Tee"]What a neat story, xina. Those squirrels can be a laugh a minute. Our lab loves to chase them to the fence. Once she got one by the tail, but it slipped away (thank goodness). It's going to be a fun summer, I can guess. With her around, none of the squirrels who attempt to come into our yard will be overweight at all.


Does she know the word "squirrel" yet Tee? I can say the word and our Beagle jumps up and looks out the window. The sheltie...he used to , but by now...he's onto me and knows the trick.
When our sheltie was younger he would madly chase squirrels and would get right up to them, then be so surprised that he could catch them if he wanted to...he'd skid to a stop. Now he's older and makes an attempt, but it's mostly barking and slow running. The beagle, on the other hand would just keep running. He's rarely off a leash at home. He gets a lot of time outside, but I have to be with him. He gets to run free at our cabin though and does love that. Sounds like you're having fun with you dog Tee!

[Tee]

xina, I am having so much fun with her. She still drives us crazy with some of her quirks, which I imagine come from having roamed free for so long on her own. But she's getting better. I can run the vacuum without her losing it now. She just goes to a different room. She's still a terror on the leash, though. We haven't done any formal training with her, but maybe we should. She is such a fast runner, so she's having a hard time walking civilly when leashed. But I love her. I can't imagine life without her now.

She'll sit on the arm of the couch against the window (just like a cat) and watch outside for quite a long time. It's as though she's saying, "That's my world out there--I want to be in it." It'll be a long time before we can let her out without a leash, very unlike our other lab, who never left our side, ever. Aren't dogs wonderful? It sounds as though you love yours just as much.

[xina]

She'll sit on the arm of the couch against the window (just like a cat) and watch outside for quite a long time. It's as though she's saying, "That's my world out there--I want to be in it." It'll be a long time before we can let her out without a leash, very unlike our other lab, who never left our side, ever. Aren't dogs wonderful? It sounds as though you love yours just as much.[/quote]

Tee, Our Beagle sits like that on the back of the couch staring out the window. Since both windows (he does this on 2 couches...I have the back covered with a blanket because he's a Shed Machine) look out into the woods he's got built in entertainment. The squirrels, the deer an occasional raccoon! My shelties never sat on the back of the couch. And you are right about "like a cat". Friends that are over and see this think he's just like a cat in that way.
Yes...I do love my puppies. They are great fun.

[EllenB]

Have you tried astilbe? The foliage is fern-like and the flowers are upright, airy things - pink, red, and white. They love shade (must be kept watered) and grow in the ground or in pots. They're perennial in the ground (at least here in Zone 6b) and bloom right around now. Pretty!

One other comment on New Guinea impatiens: I use them a lot and find they grow great as long as I plant them in enriched, loose soil and keep them watered. The nice thing is at the end of the season, you can dig them, cut off most of the foliage, and keep them in a slatted box (like the plastic flats from the garden center) in the garage/basement over the winter and then re-plant them next spring (well after the last frost), so the cost is only a one-time cost.
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[Marcella]

Sorry for replying so late, hope your gardens hasn't been filled yet. Underneath a tree is always a problem as it is not only shady but also dry-

Pachysandra does well in any location and has great leaves.

Vinca major or Vinca minor can be used as well, and sometimes you get flowers for most of the year.

As said, Geraniums do well. Try e.g. Geranium macrorrhizum 'Ingwersen's Variety'.

And for something completely different, how about a Helleborus foetidus?

Ivy (Hedera) is great growing horizontally in such a spot as well.

Have fun with your planting. And don't worry about mistakes - if it doesn't work, just replant it somewhere else... best of course before it's 100% dead!

Marcella
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[Margaret]

Thanks for the input everyone! Under the maple tree I went with a pretty standard selection...pansies, impatients (regular kind) and hostas. All doing very well with very little maintenance so far. I may get a little more adventerous next year. I also did several containers of wave petunias--again kinda standard--but so darn pretty. Mixed it up a little with geraniums, ivy, sweet potato vine etc. Now I just have to keep up with the almost daily watering.

[xina]