A Couple of Spring Combinations for Sun & Shade

Magic happens when perennials are planted together beautifully. 

Experienced gardeners often become adept at creating pretty pairings, but even they will tell you that creating a nice mix of plants is often more a matter of trial and error than anything else. 

I think this is because there are so many potential considerations–color, texture, size, shape, and bloom time– that even instinct and experience are sometimes not enough. You just have to experiment and try things out. In this struggle to get it right, plants will sometimes become the unwitting participants in an elaborate game of musical chairs. 

There is no shame in moving plants around until your happy. It's precisely this type of challenge that makes gardening fun and rewarding. It's exciting when something you've struggled to create looks just as nice as you hoped it would.

Todays post uses two great spring plants; Euphorbia Polychroma (full sun) and Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis (part-shade/shade) to demonstrate a few ways color can be used to match plants together.

 

Euphorbia Polychroma in Combinations for Full Sun

Design Trick: An analogous color scheme makes use of colors that are next to one another on the color wheel. Blue sits next to green and green is right beside yellow. White simply adds freshness to the mix.

The plant pairing: Cushion Spurge, Euphorbia Polychroma + Forget-me-nots + White tulips (or late daffodils/narcissus).

The Plant Profiles:

Cushion Spurge, Euphorbia Polychroma: prefers full sun and somewhat dry conditions. Normal or sandy soil is best. Cut Euphorbia Polychroma back in early summer to keep it neat and compact, but be careful to wear garden gloves as the milky-white sap the plant extrudes can be irritating to skin. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA Zones: 3-9.

Forget-me-not, Myosotis alpestris is a compact plant that reseeds itself with abandon. This biennial likes light shade, but I find it will grow just about anywhere. Mid-spring, when the plant finishes flowering, I pull out most of my Forget-me-nots and leave just a few to reseed. This may sound like a lot of work, but you can't beat Forget-me-nots as an understory for spring bulbs and flowers. Start with a cheap packet of seed and you'll have Forget-me-nots forever!

 Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire' 

In this variation, which again uses a type of Euphorbia, two closely related colors (reddish-orange and apricot) sit comfortably beside one another. 

The plant pairing: Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire'+ Geum 'Mai Tai'. The peach flowers of the Geum emphasize the burnt-orangy-red (yellow when fully open) flower-like bracts of the Euphorbia.

Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire' in the foreground with Geum 'Mai Tai'

Looking at the combination in the opposite direction from the previous image.

The Plant Profiles:

Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire' has green foliage when it first emerges from the ground. The leaves quickly turns into a mix of burgundy and green. The "flowers" are actually bright orange and yellow bracts. In fall, the deep burgundy color seems to intensify and the plant becomes magical when covered with frost crystals. Full sun and normal or sandy, dry soil. This Euphorbia also has a milky sap that is irritating to skin, so it's a good idea to wear gloves when you are doing any pruning. Height: 25-30 cm ( 10-12 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9.

Geum 'Mai Tai' forms a low mound of course green leaves. In early spring, soft apricot flowers are carried on tall branching stems. Removing faded flowers will encourage new buds. A hard pruning after the plant finishes flowering will also refresh the foliage. Divide in fall. Average garden soil and moisture conditions will work for this plant. Height: 40-45 cm (16-18 inches), Spread: 30-35 cm ( 12-14 inches). USDA zones: 5-9.

Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis in Combinations for Part-shade/Shade

Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis is an old-fashioned shade garden perennial that shines in spring. The pretty, almost fern-like foliage of Bleeding Heart appears in late April/early May and lasts well into mid-to-late-summer, when hot, dry summer conditions send the plant into dormancy. By then their fading foliage is usually hidden by other plants. The dangling heart-shaped flowers are a charming bonus and last into early June in my garden.

With its striking golden foliage and reddish stems Dicentra spectabilis, 'Gold Heart' is one of the nicest Bleeding Heart cultivars available. As you can see from the image below, 'Gold Heart' is a good-sized, bushy plant.

Dicentra spectabilis, 'Gold Heart' tucked in behind a hosta in a private garden in Mississauga, ON.

Design Trick: Mix warm colors together. Reds, oranges and yellows have an intensity and energy unmatched by cooler colors.

The plant pairing: Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis, 'Gold Heart' + any warm-colored Heuchera

One nice way to play up Gold Heart's color is to plant it with a Heuchera, another shade plant whose foliage is just as striking. Heuchera seems to be the darling of plant breeders these days, so there are an abundance of cultivars to choose from when it comes to creating a plant combination with a Bleeding Heart. I'll mention just two of the many possible options.

The mix of dark maroon Heuchera 'Cajun Fire' and 'Gold Heart' are a great example of two warm colors working in harmony. The reddish-brown foliage of Cajun Fire'  also emphasizes the Bleeding Heart's arching magenta stems.

Heuchera is a little slower to emerge in the spring, so the combination of the two plants should kick-in nicely just as the flowers of 'Gold Heart' start to fade. Heuchera is a smaller, more tightly mounded perennial than a Bleeding Heart, so plant a Heuchera to the front of a Bleeding Heart.

The Plant Profiles:

Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis, 'Gold Heart' has amazing golden foliage with reddish stems. The heart-shaped flowers are magenta. Bleeding Heart likes average to moist soil.  Part or full shade. Height: 60-90 cm (23-35 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (23-35 inches). USDA zones: 2-9.

Heuchera 'Cajun Fire' has lobed foliage that is red in spring, turns black in summer and is maroon in the fall. The bell-shaped flowers are white. Part shade. Height: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

This combination with the peachy-magenta colored foliage of Heuchera 'Marmalade' is a similar combination of warm colors.

The Plant Profile:

Heuchera 'Marmalade' has foliage that varies in color from peachy-bronze to magenta. The tall flower sprays are brownish in color. Average garden soil and moisture conditions should be fine for this perennial. Part shade. Height: 25-40 cm (10-16 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Another couple of combinations for shade using Bleeding Hearts:

Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis, 'Alba' (left) and Hosta 'Night Before Christmas' (right)

Design Trick: Another way to make a nice plant pairing is to pick a color from one plant and find a another plant with that same color. The delicate white flowers of Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis, 'Alba' works nicely with a hosta variegated with creamy white.

The plant pairing: Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis, 'Alba' + any hosta with creamy-white variegation. Here's just of the many hostas that might work:

The Plant Profiles:

Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis, 'Alba' has bright green foliage and white flowers. Height: 70-90 cm (27-35 inches), Spread: 70-90 cm (27-35 inches). Light shade to full shade. Average to moist soil. Hardy: Zones 2-9.

Hosta 'Night Before Christmas' has foliage with creamy-white centres and green margins. Pale lavender flowers appear in July or August. Part to full shade. Height: 40-45 cm (16-18 inches), Spread: 85-90 cm (33-35 inches ). USDA zones: 2-9.

Design Trick: The idea behind this combination is simple: balance a hot color (pink in this case) with a cool color (blue).

The plant pairing: Common Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis + biennial Forget-me-nots 

The Plant Profiles:

Common Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis takes a few years to come into its own, but when it does, Dicentra spectabilis forms a generous mound of fresh green foliage. You can refresh the plant after it flowers by cutting it to 6" above the ground, but even so, it will go dormant by late summer. Light to full shade. Height: 70-90 cm, Spread: 70-90 cm. Average to moist soil. USDA Zones 2-9.

Forget-me-not, Myosotis alpestris: please see the notes on Forget-me-nots at the beginning of the post.

Do you have a favourite spring plant combination? Please share it!

Made for the Shade: Solomon's Seal

Nothing causes a novice gardener anxiety like this simple five-letter-word: SHADE. In the coming months, I hope to highlight a few plants that thrive in shade. The first plant I'd like to feature is Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum.

Solomon's Seal is an ugly duckling that quickly transforms into a swan each spring. It emerges from the warming soil with a tight, serpent-like envelope of blue-green foliage.

In the gentle heat of the spring sun, Solomon's Seal thrusts forward out of the ground gradually releasing its secret stash of leaves.

Jamie DeWolf's woodland garden in Mississauga, ON

When fully open, Solomon's Seal's has left its slightly sinister serpentine appearance far behind. 

Solomon's Seal in my friend Donna's garden.

Bright green foliage alternate along the length of elegant stems that curve gently. The lance-shaped leaves remain attractive all summer long and then turn golden in fall. 

Spring raindrops bead on the surface of the leaves and sparkle like diamonds.

White bells tipped with green are a wonderful spring bonus. These flowers don't require any deadheading. They drop to the ground naturally. 

Solomon's Seal likes part-shade to full shade. It also likes organic-rich soil.

Solomon's Seal form a backdrop for hosta in this private Ontario garden.

Jamie DeWolf's garden

I find Solomon's Seal is slow to mature and requires a bit of patience. My garden is perhaps drier than it would like, so my Solomon's Seal hasn't taken off as well as it would have if conditions were more ideal. (It also doesn't help that the dogs flatten it on a regular basis!)

Eventually, Solomon's Seal will grow into a sizeable vase-shaped clump that is perfect for naturalizing in a woodland setting like the one you see above. The good news is that once established clumps of Solomon's Seal are long-lived and are relatively low-maintenance.

Private Garden, Mississauga Ontario

I wanted to show you this front garden because I think the slightly elevated placement of the clump of Solomon's Seal shows it off to perfection. (The Solomon's Seal is up near the corner of the garage in front of an Ornamental grass.)

A closeup of the previous garden

The tiny white flowers of this plant are somewhat understated and so the raised elevation makes it possible to enjoy a better view of them.

When sunlight hits the tiny flowers, they glow like a string of tiny twinkle-lights. Here are three basic varieties:

Polygonatum Biflorum is true Solomon's Seal

Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' is a variegated form that has arching reddish colored stems and foliage that is edged with creamy-white. The fragrance of the flowers is lily-like. Height: 50-60 cm (20-23 inches) Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches)

Giant Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum is one of the tallest varieties. Blue-black berries follow the flowers. Height: 90-120 cm (35-47 inches) Spread: 60-90 cm (23-35 inches).

Foamflower, Tiarella

Companion plants could include Brunnera, Heuchera, Hosta, Ferns, Hellebores and Foamflowers, and Bleeding Hearts.

Plant type: Perennial

Plant size: Depending on the cultivar this shade lover can range from 60-120 cm (23 -47 inches) and can spread to 60-90 cm (23-35 inches)

Shape: Vase-shaped

Flower: white bell-like flowers tipped with green

Bloom period: Early spring

Leaf color: Deer resistant bright green foliage

Light: Part-shade to shade

Growing Conditions: Moist, rich organic soil

Companion Plants: Hosta, Heuchera, Brunnera, Bleeding Heart, Ferns, Hellebores and Foamflower.

Divide: In early spring or early fall

USDA Zones: 3-9

Solomon's Seal is generally started by transplanting the plant's rhizomes rather than by seed. It may take several years before you would be able to make a plant division for propagation purposes. It's best to divide Solomon's Seal in early spring or early fall. 

All things considered, it's a great plant for a shady garden.

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The Year in Bloom 2013: January to June

After a time the years all start to run together, and so when I sat down to put this post together, I struggled to remember back to the beginning of the gardening season. 

That's one great thing about keeping a blog: you can look back and be reminded.

January and February

We Canadian gardeners learn to be a patient lot. Spring always comes...eventually.

March

You know winter is almost over when it's time for Canada Blooms; the big garden show in downtown Toronto. This display of poppies was my personal choice for 'Best in Show'.

April

In April I made plant markers to identify all my seedlings and enjoyed the first signs of spring in the garden.

Eranthis hyemalis

Blue scilla

May

The garden really starts to come into its own in May. My lilacs have underperformed in recent years, but this spring they made up for it and the branches were covered with flowers.

French Hybrid Lilac 'Paul Tririon' on the left and a common lilac on the right.

Manchurian Lilac 'Miss Kim'

Though I crush the woody stems with a hammer, lilacs never last long enough in a vase.

June

June is the month where my peonies and roses are at their best, but there are also lots of other flowers in bloom. 

Gas Plant, Dictamnus albus, Salvia 'Caradonna' and a common spirea in the background.

Gas Plant, Dictamnus albus

Self-seeded Columbine growing in front of the white picket fence.

Self-seeded Rocket, Hesperis matronalis with a pink Beauty Bush in the distance.

More of the 2013 gardening year in review in the next post.