Need Help for this Bed

[JaneG]

Hi everyone! I need ideas for a bed I did a couple years ago that isn't working out the way I'd hoped.

The bed is around a maple tree (I think it's a red maple), next to the picnic table and fire pit. It's an area where we entertain and spend time so I'd like it to look nice. There is a hedge of nasty poplar trees about 25 feet away at the lot line.

Here's the problem. I made a large bed under the maple tree and filled it with hostas and a few companions. The first year it did well because the plants were new and I had amended soil when I planted, etc. It's now in it's 3rd year and it's clear the soil is WAY to dry for this bed. More than half of the hostas didn't make it to their third year. The problem is not only the maple tree, but the &#*@^ poplar who send surface roots for miles and little poplar trees pop up everywhere in the bed.

I could just move the remaining plants and let the grass grow back, except that we expanded this bed and poured a CONCRETE border last year to make mowing easier. So I'm stuck with the nicely bordered bed.

So here's what I need, recommendations for plants that will do well in DRY SHADE. I have planted daylilies and sedum on the edges that get the most sun, and I can limb up the tree to get more sun if that's the best solution. What would you do with this bed?? Nice location and border, but I don't know what to plant in it.

Here is a picture taken in May of last year when we poured the concrete border. You can see we also expanded the bed at that time.

[Chris_W]

Hi Jane,

Sorry to hear about your maple and poplar troubles. I hadn't heard that poplars had the same surface roots. I know the maples sure do

Back at the old place we had to deal with silver maple roots. We grew Lamium, Corydalis lutea, and Phlox divaricata (woodland phlox) at the base of the maple tree and they seemed to thrive. We also had some Epimedium in a similar area and it did fine as well. Sedum sounds like a good try in teh sunnier areas. Oh, and we had some groundcover Campanula in a couple spots that grew well too. Finally I've grown Kerria japonica in dry shade with root competition and it grew pretty good too.

For the hostas we actually lifted them every other year, rototilled the roots, amended and rototilled again then replanted. It was a lot of effort but it worked...

Good luck, and hopefully we'll get some more suggestions too.

[John]

I will repeat a bit of Chris' advice: Epimediums! They flourish very well in dry shade and with root competition.

Other plants that do well for me under my giant maple are:

Hakonechloa-- ornamental grass
Black Mondo Grass
Liriope-- green monkey grass, and 'Silver Dragon' var.
Campanula persicifolia alba-- white peach-leaved bellflower
Lysismachia (sp?) golden creeping jenny
Lysismachia-- goose-neck white flowered kind
Hay-scented fern
Japanese painted fern
Hepatica (with some extra care)
Tricyrtis
Ivy-- miniature-leaved kind
ginger-- hardy kinds
lily-of-the-valley-- white, pink, and variegated-leaved
Solomon's Seal
Hellebores

And certain hostas perform far better than others under these same conditions...

Hope this gives you some ideas!

John

[Annie]

Well if it were me, and I'm in the same postion as you are!
Just mulch it and plant on the outer edges. Put like birdbaths or other things like yard ornaments futher under the tree itself. Maybe stick some whiskey barrels with hostas or other shade plants in there. I use whiskey barrels, because I can't get anything to grow under the maples in my yard.

[JaneG]

Hmmmm, I've never grown epimedium, but I'll definately try that. Thanks for the list John, I have golden creeping Jenny in other areas that I could put under there to brighten it up. I passed on some lirope recently, I'll have to go back and get it. Annie, we are on the same track . . . I bought two large pots (end of season clearance) earlier this week figuring I could put containers under there!

Thanks for the ideas!

[John]

You will love the Epimedium. And Liriope looks a bit bland, but it can be rather beautiful when it blooms, even the plain green kind.

Oh, some people plant hostas in containers with most of the bottoms (of the containers) removed, and bury them in the ground, under the conditions you have-- keeps the roots of the maple from invading, and also should keep them a little more moist (the hostas) but still good drainage.

You'll be surprised what can be done with a challenging area!

[Pburgh]

What a wonderful, relaxing spot. I think big, beautiful containers filled with begonias, impatients and caladiums would look pretty. How about ferns??