- Dry Shade. Although you may think that shade perennial gardens would naturally conserve water (in part because there would be less evaporation than in a sunny location), the opposite is actually often true. The shade in many shade perennial gardens is what gardeners sometimes refer to as a "dry shade." There are many factors that produce dry shade issues in a shade perennial garden, but one of the top ones is root competition from trees (the same trees that are often providing the shade). Other factors leading to dry shade problems include soil composition (sandy and rocky soils, for example, tend to be dry) and slope, as well as limited rainfall amounts. If you are gardening in an area suffering from dry shade, you have two main strategies: 1) plant drought-resistant but shade-tolerant plants) or 2) water your shade perennial garden frequently when needed. When you water, it is better to water occasionally but thoroughly (ideally, make sure the top foot of soil is moist) rather than watering shallowly but frequently. This is because shallow watering will cause plants to produce shallow roots, whereas deep watering will promote deep root growth.
- Drainage Problems. Not all water problems have to do with inadequate water, however, and the inverse can easily be true as well. Most shade perennial flowers and plants do not like to have their roots wet for extended periods of time, and many will die if they find themselves in a location with poor drainage. There are some exceptions, however, so if you have a serious drainage issue in your shade perennial garden, consider planting shade-loving plants that can tolerate soil on the wet side (including ferns and hostas). However, if you still want to plant shade perennial flowers and plants that do not appreciate wet soil, you do have options. One of the best is to create raised beds. A raised bed built just a foot above a soggy location should provide an ideal growing location for most shade plants. Another option is to add drainage tiles or soil amendments to help solve the drainage problem you are facing in your shade perennial garden.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Solving Two Common Water Problems for Shade Perennial Gardens
Shade perennial gardens often have many fewer problems to deal with than their full-sun counterparts, but they do have some issues that should be considered when planning and caring for your shade garden. One of the major problems shade perennial gardens face is that of water: either too much of it - or to little.
