NPA Open Gardens

Primula in the Duryee Garden

Today I saw 2 fun gardens: a happy day. I found them in the Northwest Perennial Alliance Open Gardens Directory. Both were shade gardens. The Duryee garden showed its 50 years’ development. Garden beds were carpeted with plants. There were many ferns & woodland perennials, very lovely in combination.

Podophyllum in the Fishman Garden

The Fishman garden featured Hosta & other woodland perennials. Each plant was perfectly beautiful. This relatively new garden needed more groundcover, which could only enhance the spectacular show of Paris, Podophyllum & Arisaema.

Paris in the Fishman Garden

Join the Northwest Perennial Alliance through their website. There are gardens open every weekend from May to September in King, Snohomish, Island, Kitsap, Pierce & Thurston Counties. The annual membership fee is minimal.

Dry Shade

It can be difficult to find plants that will grow well in dry shade. Most shade plants prefer moisture. Plants that tolerate dry shade often grow better in part sun. Most of the plants listed below do better in light or partial shade than in deep shade.

It is always wise to plan for dry shade to limit supplemental water use. But it is more realistic to water sparingly during summer than to expect shade plants to do entirely without water. Many of the plants listed below are Washington native plants.

Gaultheria shallon, Mahonia & Vaccinium ovatum are native shrubs that do well in dry shade with no supplemental water. Helleborus x hybridus, Maianthemum dilatatum & Polystichum munitum are plants that grow well in shade with little supplemental water.

Helleborus x sternii

Plant List
Shrubs
Aucuba japonica
Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’ (Strawberry Tree)
Berberis darwinii (Barberry)
Buxus (Box)
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ (Dwarf Hinoki Cypress)
Corylus (Hazel)
Elaeagnus pungens (Silverberry)
Euonymus fortunei
Garrya issaquahensis (Silk Tassel)
Gaultheria shallon (Salal)
Ilex cornuta (Chinese Holly)
Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)
Ligustrum japonicum (Privet)
Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape)
Mahonia nervosa
Mahonia repens
Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo)
Osmanthus delavayi
Paeonia delavayi (Tree Peony)
Paeonia lutea (Tree Peony)
Philadelphus lewisii (Mock Orange)
Prunus ilicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry)
Rhamnus californica (Coffeeberry)
Rhaphiolepis umbellata (Yeddo Hawthorne)
Sarcococca ruscifolia (Sweet Box)
Skimmia japonica
Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry)
Viburnum davidii

Achlys triphylla

Perennials
Achlys triphylla (Vanilla Leaf)
Anemone x hybrida (Japanese Anemone)
Campanula latifolia (Bellflower)
Corydalis lutea
Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Heart)
Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)
Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ (Woodspurge)
Francoa ramosa (Maiden’s Wreath)
Francoa sonchifolia
Geranium himalayense (Cranesbill)
Geranium macrorrhizum
Geranium pratense
Helleborus argutifolius (Corsican Hellebore)
Helleborus lividus
Helleborus x hybridus
Helleborus x sternii
Heuchera americana
Heuchera micrantha
Hosta sieboldiana
Iris foetidissima
Iris douglasiana
Liriope muscari (Lily Turf)
Luzula sylvatica (Woodrush)
Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)
Narcissus jonquilla (Jonquil)
Paeonia peregrina (Peony)
Polygonatum commutatum (Solomon’s Seal)
Polygonatum odoratum
Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern)
Smilacina racemosa (False Solomon’s Seal)
Smilacina stellata
Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ears)
Tellima grandiflora (Fringe Cup)
Tolmiea menziesii (Piggyback Plant)
Trillium ovatum (Wakerobin)
Vancouveria hexandra

Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegata'

Groundcovers & Trailers
Aegopodium podagraria (Bishop’s Weed)
Ajuga reptans (Carpet Bugle)
Campanula poscharskyana (Serbian Bellflower)
Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)
Galium odoratum (Sweet Woodruff)
Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley)
Microbiota decussata (Carpet Cypress)
Sedum forsterianum
Sedum spathulifolium
Vinca minor (Dwarf Periwinkle)

Essential Perennials for Shade

I believe that almost anyone would be happy with a perennial garden which included all the plants listed below. These plants are reliable, easy & beautiful. They provide a range of color, height & texture. Bloom starts early in Spring & lasts until Summer. You will need to keep snails & slugs from disfiguring the large leaves of Hosta & Ligularia. Put them in a plastic bag & throw it in the trash. Do not allow shady perennials to dry out completely in summer. These all tolerate some dryness.

Erythronium oregonum

Aconitum (Monkshood)
Ajuga reptans (Carpet Bugle)
Anemone x hybrida (Japanese Anemone)
Aruncus (Goatsbeard)
Asarum (Wild Ginger)
Astilbe (Ostrich Plume)
Cimicifuga (Bugbane)
Corydalis
Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)
Epimedium (Bishop’s Hat)
Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily)
Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)
Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten Rose)
Hepatica americana (Liverwort)
Heuchera americana
Hosta (Plantain Lily)
Lamium maculatum
Ligularia
Polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal)
Primula vulgaris (Primrose)
Sedum forsterianum
Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup)
Trillium ovatum (Wakerobin)

Peony Shade Garden (Cascadia Garden)

This most-pleasing garden began with a pink single Tree Peony in 1997. Enchanted by the large delicate flowers, I added 4 between 2001 & 2006. By the spring of 2007 there was enough shade to plant a variety of woodland perennials. After a colorful display of red & orange Fall foliage, evergreen & early-blooming perennials are clearly visible until late Spring.

Paeonia suffruticosa, Tellima grandiflora,
Heuchera americana & Dicentra formosa

Plant List

Shrubs
Paeonia suffruticosa: pink single
Paeonia suffruticosa: pink double
Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Taiyo’
Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Yoshinogawa’
Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Zi Er Giao’

Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ &
Heuchera americana ‘Plum Pudding’

Perennials
Aruncus aesthusifolius (Dwarf Goat’s Beard)
Astilbe simplicifolia ‘Sprite’ (Ostrich Plume)
Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese Painted Fern)
Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern)
Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Hillside Black Beauty’ (Bugbane)
Corydalis cava
Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Heart)
Epimedium pinnatum colchicum
Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ (Purple Wood Spurge)
Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ (Cranesbill)
Geranium phaeum (Mourning Widow)
Hacquetia epipactis
Hakonechloa macra ‘Albo Striata’ (Japanese Forest Grass)
Helleborus lividus (Hellebore)
Hepatica americana (Liverwort)
Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’
Heuchera americana ‘Bronze Beacon’
Heuchera americana ‘Green Spice’
Heuchera americana ‘Plum Pudding’
Heuchera americana ‘Velvet Night’
Hosta sieboldiana ‘Kabitan’
Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ (Solomon’s Seal)
Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern)
Primula x juliana ‘Wanda’ (Primrose)
Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup)
Tradescantia virginiana ‘Blue and Gold’ (Spiderwort)
Trillium chloropetalum (Giant Trillium)
Trillium cuneatum (Bloody Butcher)
Trillium luteum (Yellow Toadshade)
Trillium sessile (Toadshade)

Trillium chloropetalum

Groundcovers
Asarum caudatum (Wild Ginger)
Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)
Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley)
Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel)