The author of the text and photos is Dr. Regina Dębicz
Garden owners often ask what to plant in areas shaded by shrubs and fruit trees. It is also a problem for people who have plots where large deciduous trees with dense crowns or magnificent conifers grow.However, in order to answer the question posed at the beginning, many different factors must be taken into account.
First of all, before we start buying and planting plants, we need to know the habitat conditions (type, fertility, soil moisture). It will certainly always be beneficial to enrich the substrate with organic substances (peat, compost, shredded and composted bark).
You also have to choose the style of your garden, so is it supposed to be, for example, a natural garden or just one close to the natural one, or maybe a country or modern garden? And since designing a garden in a particular style is not easy at all, maybe it is better to entrust it to a specialized company?However, if we feel strong enough to do this work ourselves, it is worth taking some advice.
 |
|
Zawilec gajowy Anemone nemorosa (Photo: Fotolia.com) |
It is best to start with the simplest planting, i.e. large areas.Covering plants will be perfect for this, i.e. those that have creeping or sloping shoots.You can choose one or two species or plant several species next to each other to create an interesting and aesthetic undergrowth, the larger patches of which bring order and harmony to the garden, while being an excellent background for other plants.
The value of ground cover plants is determined by the ability to densely cover the surface of the substrate in the shortest possible time.
In shady gardens, soil covering is usually entrusted to dyes and ivy. Meanwhile, the list of plant species that fulfill this function is much longer.At the beginning, it is worth looking at the species of perennials that bloom in spring before the leaves of trees and shrubs develop, so when there is still a lot of light in the garden. carpets, Ficaria verna, winter rug Eranthis hyemalis - yellow flowers, hollow and full Corydalis cava and C. solida - white and pink flowers.
It is also worth remembering about the blue-blooming Omphalodes verna and Siberian squill Scilla sibirica - an onion plant that spreads abundantly. Various species of Viola violets bloom early, the pink-violet Pulmonaria lily of the valley, and a little later the lily of the valley Convalaria majalis, the sweet wood thyme Galium odoratum, the heart-shaped tiarella cordifolia with white flowers, and the pink-flowered sercolist bergenia Bergenia cordifolia and the Siberian Waldia yellow thirst. . The last two species have evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves, decorative all year round.
The same type of leaves, but dark green, shiny and leathery, have the henhouse Asarum europeum and the hepatica Hepatica nobilis.
 |
|
Przylaszczka pospolita Hepatica nobilis (Photo: Fotolia.com) |
One of the most valuable ground cover plants, effective throughout the growing season, is also the Geranium macrorrhisum root geranium, the leaves of which (like the thirst and the hoof plant) form a very compact and even undergrowth.In the shade of trees, other species of geraniums also feel good, such as the red and large-petaled geraniums that bloom beautifully in summer.
It is also worth getting interested in plant species from the epimedium epimedium genus and brunner Brunnera (it has delicate flowers similar to forget-me-nots) and Hosta funkas, especially when there is constant moisture in the substrate, which these species need more than previously discussed.
All the above-mentioned perennials grow best in humus-rich, neutral or alkaline soil and are recommended for planting under the canopy of deciduous trees. But what to do with fall leaves falling?Nothing to do with them, because they are perfect winter cover for perennials, and additionally, when decomposed, they enrich the soil with humus.Under tall conifers, e.g. pine trees (if they do not grow too much densely), it is mostly light all year round. These trees usually grow in acidic and relatively dry soils in summer.
Vinca periwinkles, hairy villi and giant Luzula pilosa and L.sylvatica - grass-like evergreen perennials, Lamium galeobdolon and Lamium maculatum - decorative thanks to its silvery-white foliage. They are also suitable for deciduous trees.
In such places, ferns are also indispensable, such as the common fern Polypodium vulgare forming dense evergreen carpets or Blechnum spicant - useful for smaller and wetter surfaces.Ferns are also perfect for creating undergrowth under linden, maple or oak trees.You can use for this purpose, for example, Robert Gymnocarpium robertianum, a leaf worm Phyllitis scolopendium that preserves leaves for winter, or Polystichum setiferum .
 |
|
Parzydło lasne Aruncus dioicus (Photo: Fotolia.com) |
Tall shade-loving perennials are planted in order to diversify the perennial "turfing".We plant them individually or in groups. Many of them also function as ground cover plants. Among them, the species of the genus Cimicifuga - perennials with nice leaves and slender white inflorescences, and Aruncus dioicus - a wide-growing, long-lived plant with fluffy cream-colored inflorescences deserve attention. These perennials grow best on humus and not too dry soils.
For larger plantings, the 80 cm high Polygonatum multiflorum is suitable, very decorative due to its leaves and flowers. An important place in shady gardens is also the elegant Astilbe tawulas, whose red, pink, lilac or white panicles of flowers appear, depending on the species and variety, from June to October.A necessary condition for their abundant and long flowering is to provide them with fertile , humus and moist soil.
In similar conditions, and even in deep shade, Rodgersia large-leaved rodgers grow well. Ligularia tongues like a lot of water in the substrate, which look great in larger groups on the edges of trees (in partial shade), especially near water reservoirs.
