Lawn Care - Lawn Care Maintenance Tips

Planting Perennials- Part 1

April 26th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

Just because your gardening area is covered with shade, that doesn’t mean that you cannot plant beautiful perennials. There are hundreds of these shade-loving flowers that you can grow to beautify your landscape. In fact, many of these plants absolutely thrive on shade. And even if you live in an area where the summers are long, you can still enjoy your perennials so long as the weather stays in generally cool temperatures.

There is a very large list of perennials that you can choose from to grow in your shade garden. Some of these plants can grow with little sunlight, others may need a bit more. And some perennials must thrive in total shade, with almost zero sunlight. Although there are recommendations as to what atmosphere is best to grow them in, please use the following list to perennials as a guide only. You must experiment for yourself by trying out different plants in your garden areas.

1. Pigsqueak: This plant is known as “Bergenia Cordifolia” and is more abundant in the state of Colorado than anywhere else. If you have not heard of the term pigsqueak, it is probably because this plant is typically referred to as “bergenia”, which is its botanical name. The term pigsqueak is used because when you pinch one of the moistened leaves from this plant between your fingertips, it will create a squeal-like sound that mimics the same yelp an actual pig makes.

Pigsqueak plants have extremely thick, shining leaves. During the early parts of spring, they display flower spikes that are pink in color. During the wintertime, the evergreen foliage becomes red in color. Although pigsqueak can grow with some sunlight, it definitely prefers shady areas and temperatures.

You may use most any soil when planting this perennial, but be careful not to overdo the fertilizer. If you use too much fertilizer than the plant becomes flimsy. And as far as what insect dangers to look out for and protecting the Pigsqueak, do your best ward off slugs, as they are attracted to this plant and can do a lot of damage.

2. Lady’s Mantle: This plant is known as “Alchemilla Mollis” and thrives in overcast weather. Although it can grow in direct sunlight, the leaves are extremely sensitive to scorching from over-exposure of sun. It was named Lady’s Mantle because each leaf from this plant has the look of a pleated cape.

The Lady’s Mantle has a yellow color to it and will bloom between spring and towards the end of the summer. They also make a great bouquet when cut. The lowest temperature that this plant can exist in and still survive is approximately -30 degrees Fahrenheit. You will find that the Lady’s Mantle does well in wetland areas with moist soil.