Washington and Oregon Shade Garden Plants

For those who have very shady gardens and yards it's very hard to find good plants that can offer some color over the blooming season. The plain fact is, though, that shade gardening can be some of the most beautiful types possible. In shady gardens the "architecture" and hue of the plants is of utmost importance. Beds that offer interesting shapes and deep hues provide intensely satisfying vistas for gardeners. One of the most popular shade plants is the hosta. These hardy plants are easy to care for, only requiring a bit of fertilizer occasionally. While hostas do bloom, and some of them have very lovely flowers, it is the leaves that provide the greatest overall beauty. Hostas come in a range of some very deep, almost black, to deep blues and greens, to light chartreuse. Some have very rounded leaves, some have pointed leaves; some are tiny and some are very large. Taking advantage of this wide range in shape and color can allow gardeners to create astoundingly beautiful beds that give pleasure all during the growing season. There are a few nurseries in the Northeast that specialize in providing hostas that will provide a large range of features. Some other nurseries offer other varieties of shade-loving plants for woodland gardens. Ferns and heucheras come readily to mind. These plants, as well as some woodland floral specimens can compliment a hosta collection and round out any woodland garden.

http://www.sebrightgardens.com/
Seabright Gardens
7185 Lakeside Dr. NE
Salam, OR 97305
503-463-9615
sebrightgardens@aol.com
Sebright purports to be the premier grower of hostas in the Northwest. They're open April 20-October 12, from 10-5 pm. For other times, visitors are requested to call ahead and make a special appointment to view the gardens. They have hundreds of hosta varieties on the web site, all arranged by alphabetical listing, so that's the only complaint with the site. I wish they had listed their plants according to shape and/or color or, at the least, by price ranges. As it is, clicking on any of the letters will take visitors to a huge range of shapes and colors that may just be perfect for their needs. This nursery cut off their international orders Sept. 26, 2006. Sebright is located just adjacent to their Iris garden. It would be well worth visiting the Iris nursery for those who may have some sunny spots that would be welcoming to these perennials: www.mid-americagarden.com

http://www.northwestgardennursery.com/plants.html
Northwest Garden Nursery sells plants to the general public directly from their sales office. This is not a mail order business. Visitors can come browse the nursery and see all sorts of woodland plants that are suitable for shade gardens in many regions of the country. The plants I viewed are very unusual and many are probably not stocked by local garden centers countrywide. For instance, The Arisaema varieties are simply stunning and would be a superb foil to any hostas, ferns or heucheras in a shade garden. The O'Byrnes have a large number of flowering plants that can add floral color to any shady or woodland area. Call them for additional information
Ernie & Marietta O'Byrne
86813 Central Road, Eugene, OR 97402-9284
541-935-3915

http://www.terranovanurseries.com
P.O. Box 23938
Tigard, OR 97281-3938
800-215-9450 (sales)
Terra Nova Nurseries has a wide variety of plants suitable for all sorts of planting and soil conditions. I was especially impressed with the great range of Heucheras and Heucherellas that they have available. These plants, like hostas, do produce bloom, but it is their hues and shapes that offer the most striking impression in a garden setting of dappled sun or fairly deep shade. The range of shape and plant color is really astounding. Terra Nova's Athyreum (fern) collections are interesting too. I have never seen two of their choices anywhere else. Keep in mind that this is a wholesale nursery and that their plants are not available to the public. However, it's well worth a visit just to look over what they have available and then consult your local nursery to see if they can order it or inquire by phone or to inquire about where they have shipped their plants in the general area.