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Perennials that tolerate dry partly sunny conditions

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Looking for a perennial that’s fairly easy to care for, can grow in a dry area, partly sunny and that grows tall?

There are many plants that suit this description.

I find that the description “Part Sun” can be confusing. It’s very subjective as to what “Part Sun” is after all isn’t it? In my garden I have several areas that I could call part sun, but some are brighter than others, while some have more shade than sun. This means that when you are picking a plant that has a description of “part sun” in it’s care guidelines you might have to experiment a bit and see what does well and where.

In that vein – if the area that you’d like to plant your new perennial in has about six hours of sun that includes some noon hour sun, or if it’s sunny all afternoon you’d want to chose plants that take full sun. Some plants that fit this description would be the purple coneflower, caryopteris, hyssop or baptisia.

If the area only gets sun part of the morning, or early morning and late afternoon, or gets dappled sunlight throughout the day you’ll need to pick out a more shade tolerant plant.

Old fashioned bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis), large hostas, or Aruncus would work well in a shaded area.

All of the suggested plants should tolerate drier soil. However, you should pay attention to soil preparation prior to planting. Adding organic materials such as compost, or rotted leaves will help the soil stay moist longer. An organic mulch around the plants that is several inches deep, such as shredded cedar or orchid bark, will also help keep the soil moist.

Your local garden nursery or county extension should be able to suggest specific plants that should do well in your garden based on local conditions.






Crocosmia not blooming well

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Crocosmia is a very pretty summer flower that often bears orange or fiery red flowers on vertical stems.

I mentioned that I grow Crocosmia in a recent post and said that some of my clumps were getting quite large and crowding out other plants.

What I didn’t realize was that if the clumps get too large, enough that individual Crocosmia begin to crowd one another that their blooms will suffer.

If you find that your Crocosmia are blooming poorly do think about dividing the clump. Poor bloom and a thick stand of foliage are two indications that the Crocosmia needs rejuvenation.

In the early spring dig up the clump and divide it gently into several smaller portions.

If you examine your clumps you’ll notice that there are two different forms of roots and new growth. You’ll find that some corms have produced underground stems with roots (stolons) that are destined to send up new shoots. Detach and plant these tiny new plants on their own. The other form of growth that you’ll see is a chain of corms along a slender root. Keep these chains attached as you replant for best success.

Buying Bare root plants

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January through March is the right time of year to be looking through gardening catalogues and making orders for new bare root plants that will arrive at your home in early spring.

There are many bare-root plants to be found through retail nurseries, mail-order and online.

In this area, USDA zone 5b, or Canadian zone 6b it’s much too early to plant bareroot plants such as fruit trees, roses, raspberries, strawberries, flowering shrubs and other perennials, but if you live in a warmer zone you might be closing in on the right time period for planting.

Here we plant bare roots in April when the ground has thawed enough to dig in. Sometimes we even plant bare roots as late as early May.

One great thing about purchasing bare root plants is that they are often much less expensive than potted plants of equal size. As much as 40% to 70% less! Another bonus is that some plants are hard to find and are only available bare root.

I’ve planted several bare root Roses and other perennials and I must say that they tend to establish themselves much more quickly than potted plants.

If you go right to a nursery to purchase your bare root shrubs or trees be sure to choose plants with strong stems and good form. Look at the roots if possible and select ones with a healthy looking well formed root system.

Avoid any plants with slimy roots, or ones that look dry and withered.

Roots are often packed in wood shavings and wrapped in plastic so it can be hard to see the roots well. Try to avoid packages that have been opened or appear damaged, water-logged, or seem to be excessively dry.

When you order plants by mail check them carefully as soon as they arrive. You’ll be checking for packing errors as well as broken damaged plants. Notify the supplier immediately if you have any problem with the plants that have just arrived. The earlier you do this the better as problems can often be rectified quite fast.

Read – Planting Bare Root Plants next.

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