In Gretchen's Garden

Went for a hike today and found this natural container display: little wildflowers growing in the crook of the root structure of a tree.  Lovely!  I will have to go back and see if I can transplant some of this into my own containers!  Clearly, it's thriving in the shade of the tree.

I signed up for a community garden plot this spring. I had heard my community had space for this and that the plots were only given out on a seniority basis, and then whatever was left over was dueled out as first-come-first-serve. And so I religiously checked the community website all through February and March, watching for sign-ups. On the evening registration was open, I raced home and flew to the community center (luckily not getting stopped for speeding or running stop signs!) and was able to obtain one. "What luck!!!" I thought to myself, because I really only thought I would have about a 10% chance of getting one. But then again maybe nobody thinks all day about gardening like I do. (I take a moment to laugh at myself here.)

I was overjoyed, until about two weeks ago when I visited my assigned plot and found that it's on the edge of the woods...with no sunlight hitting the ground AT ALL. I couldn't believe it, and so I went back at 10am, 1pm, 3pm and then finally at 5...shade all the way around. Not even a partly-sunny corner. I am not going to lie, I was angry, bitter, and depressed for over a week.

But now I am thinking, is this yet another shade challenge?
Can vegetables be grown in full shade?

I am going to continue with this, purely for experimental purposes. And for you, my dear readers who also may be drenched in shadows of trees and buildings. There has got to be something that can be done and damnit I will find a way.

Today, I put in my cold weather veggies - snow peas, lettuce, spinach, and onions. I said a prayer over them - hey you never know what may help!! I am thinking it will take nothing short of divine intervention to work. But time will tell.

It's been awhile since I wrote an entry and I have so much to write about! The past two weekends I've made mini-jaunts out to nurseries to browse and idea-generate. I'm on the edge of my seat wanting to try hordes of beautiful plants I've seen, like a kid in a candy shop. But I know I have to take it slow before I spend oodles of money and not have the time or space for good follow through.

Today I visited my parents, who have a truly spectacular flower garden. They have a lifetime of hand-me-down plants from various places they've lived or visited, dug up, subdivided, and replanted. The result is a phenomenal collection. It's amazing, because as we walk around the garden, they tell the tales -- "Here's the Creeping Phlox we took from the hillside by the old apartment at college... And now here's the Black-eyed-Susans we got from my parent's old Johnstown house..." and so forth. So endearing!! It adds a whole new dynamic to gardening all together.

Today I dug up bits and pieces of perennials to give them a shot, based on my research of what will do well in shade, and also based on pure observation of its current environment. It's a great beginning. Here's what I have:

Lily of the Valley
Hosta
Bleeding Heart
Columbine
Blue Bells
Various Seedum
Moss
Chives
Pachysandra
Creeping Phlox

Right now everything is watered, wrapped in newspaper, and in plastic bags. (I ran out of sunlight to plant!!) I am so excited to arrange them in my planters I am almost contemplating taking a sick day from work tomorrow to work on it! :)

Well, today is Valentine's Day and since I am now spending it alone for the second year in a row (I know! Who would have thought this could happen to me?!?), I thought it might be appropriate to post a little about the plant which matches synonymously with the way I am feeling today. Well maybe I am being overly dramatic, but here it goes:


Another fantastic plant that thrives in the shade and no doubt one I plan to include this spring.

Blooms mid-Spring through mid-Summer.
Trim off the spent stalks of flowers and new ones will spring up, but leave them and seed pods will be produced.
For potting:
Fill a pot one-third to one-half of its height with a fresh, well-drained potting medium such as a mix of half loam and half peat. If transplanting the plant from outside, prune the roots if necessary up to one-half their lengths. Place the bleeding heart flower in the container, allowing the roots to spread naturally, and fill the rest of the potting medium around the roots.

It sees the more I wish for Spring, the more wintry it becomes!! This weekend we got over 20" of snow and it's taken the city two full days to climb out of it. I, on the otherhand, did not leave my apartment. It gave me a chance to work on some of the many unfinished projects I've started throughout the years. Got a lot of sewing, housecleaning, and painting done. And blogging, of course. :)

Let's not forget about other crowd-pleasers! I have a feeling I will be a big fan of Impatiens and Coleus this year. Both can easily be found outside supermarkets and garden stores. Given their many varieties, they are just what I will need to add vibrant color to my porch garden. They are very good shade plants.

Coleus

Perennial
Pinch the tips to keep the plant bushy
(I have seen gardeners who are even able to sculpt the plants into colorful topiaries!)

This plant comes in so many wonderful colors that it may be hard to narrow it down to what I wants to buy.



Impatiens

Another plant that you will see everywhere once spring arrives. These are really hardy. Just water and they thrive.
Also, another bonus is that they flower all season throughout the end of summer. If taken care of properly, you will enjoy them for many months.

In all my recent research of types of plants that might survive given my climate circumstances, this name keeps coming up again and again. We may as well start with Astilbe.

Perennial
Zone 5
Blooms May through July
Flowers in a range of red, pink, and white
Partial to full shade
Needs potting soil rich in hummus
Trim stems back after flowering