Easy Gardener • Pat Howell
	We get outdoors again!!!

We hope you had a chance to enjoy the annual House & Garden Tour.

Both houses and gardens give us ideas for our own spaces, whether small or large. In particular, the gardens give us hope that our little patch of weedy soil can be transformed. Transformed, at the very least, into a smaller patch of weeds in amongst our beautiful vignettes; our own tiny jewel boxes that draw us back time after time by their transformative spell.

We all take notes of what we like in the gardens, even if just mental notes. Here in Takoma Park, we have sun and shade patterns that direct our efforts–frequently, more shade than sun. The kind of shade we have determines the plants that will grow, and this guides our hand.

Dappled shade; open shade; medium shade; dense shade. Egad! How confusing!

Dappled is the shade produced by large open trees such as birch; a moving pattern of sunlight and shade across the garden. A fairly bright situation, but direct sun on any given area is minimal for any length of time. This category provides the widest range of gardening possibilities, because it is hospitable to a great many shade and sun-loving plants.

Azaleas are most happy in dappled shade, as well as boxwood, false forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla), false Hinocki cypress (Chamaecyparis species), snakeroot (Cimicifuga), moneywort or creeping Charlie, creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’), as well as the annuals that are our stand-bys: impatiens and caladiums.

Open shade is created by a northern exposure; a north-facing yard for as many feet out as shade is cast by an adjoining wall, fence or building. Open shade provides good incident light, but no direct sunlight. Proximity to a south-facing wall that reflects light will greatly increase brightness in an open-shade location. Try: autumn windflowers (Anemone japonica); columbine (Aquilegia), coral bells (Heuchera), false spirea, goatsbeard, or meadowsweet (Astilbe), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Christmas rose or Lenten rose (Hellebores), daylilies (Hemerocallis), purple coneflowers and black-eyed susan (Echinacea).

Medium is the shade found in north-facing locations shaded by a structure and by trees; a situation where light is further obscured by foliage and branches. A similar situation occurs under decks and stairwells with no direct sun other than reflected light. Some hostas, lungwort (Pulmonaria), lily-turf (Liriope), bleeding-heart

(Dicentra), false Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum), and wake-robin (Trillium) should be tried. If the plants get leggy and weak-looking, try moving them to slightly more light.

Dense is the deepest shade, found in north-facing side yards, and the area under evergreen magnolias. Tall adjoining house walls, and fences too close together block all but the narrowest strips of incident light. There will be some reflected light. A Japanese boulder garden with some ferns, moss, and liriope can do wonders to spark up an area of dense shade. Maybe include a tiny water feature that creates a tantalizing sound. After all, the Japanese have been doing it for centuries. Or try: Hakone grass, a Japanese low-growing sedge; Aucuba (an attractive shrub with bright green leaves splashed with yellow; note well that yellow lights up any dark corner); barrenwort (Epimedium), Sarcococca (an evergreen shrub with lustrous dense foliage and black berries), and a reliable evergreen ground-cover, Pachysandra procumbens (far nicer than Pachysandra terminalis).

Easy Gardener would love to hear from you about your plant successes (and failures) in the shade. Leave messages at 301-270-4456. A future column will share your ideas.

Pat Howell is a Takoma Park gardener and landscape designer/garden-builder, and welcomes comments, advice, suggestions, complaints. She is available for hand-holding and answering questions through Deephaven Landscapers.