Monday, December 26, 2011

My Favorite Hardy Perennial Plants for NYC Shade Gardens

There are often spots in an urban garden that, for whatever reason, receive low amounts of water during  the growing season. Here is a short list of plants that are hardy enough to withstand and thrive in dry shade conditions as long as the soil is rich with organic matter and drainage is not an issue.



Athyrium niponicum               
                                                
 Berberis wilsoniae (3-4 ft.)


Mahonia aquifolium (3 ft.)


Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna (5 ft..)


  
Symphoricarpos albus (4-5 ft.)


Arum maculatum


Arum maculatum


Carex divulsa (Berkeley sedge)


Brunnera macrophylla


Dryopteris filix-mas


Galium odoratum


Helleborus foetidus

Heuchera 'Regina'


Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae


Polygonatum odoratum 'variegatum'


Polystichum acrostichoides




Monday, December 12, 2011

Recent Visit To Austin

To prepare for a new landscaping project in downtown Austin I drove down to the Far South Nursery. The overcast and cold December day could not keep me from exploring plants that I was familiar and unfamiliar with. Making a list of plants that looked good in Fall/Winter was a valuable experience. It was also a real pleasure meeting and speaking with the owner/plantsman Henry Chalmers. He's super friendly and passionate about what he does.

I look forward to seeing a fully stocked nursery when I return in the spring.




I also walked around downtown Austin to get a sense of how plants are used in local front yards.