Collaboration: With Alexandra of The Middle-Sized Garden - 8 brilliant flowering plants for shade!

This week on The Horti-Culturalists a very special two part collaboration with Alexandra of ‪@TheMiddlesizedGarden‬ who was in Australia and dropped by to talk all things wonderful flowering plants for shade! And over on The Middle-Sized Garden Alexandra will be talking to Stephen about what to plant in shade and understanding the different types of shade, so two brilliant videos for you to explore about this often tricky part of the garden! When you've finished ours head over to Alexandra's channel to watch her video with Stephen here: • Shade gardening succes...
The plants we cover in this video are:
Hydrangea quercifolia - Oakleaf Hydrangea
Lilium
Astilbe
Cyclamen hederifolium
Hosta
Fuchsia magellanica
Fuchsia boliviana
Clivia miniata
Plectranthus
Iris foetidissima
Trimezia northiana - The Walking Iris
We've made a full length video about Hostas here: • Plant profile: how to ...
And a 12 month review of all the Cyclamen species in Stephen's collection here: • How to grow species Cy...
And a comprehensive video about Fuchsia care here: • How to grow Fuchsias w...
And you can watch all our other collaboration videos here: • COLLABORATIONS

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Lovely video, thank you for inviting me onto the channel again!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Our pleasure! Regards Stephen

[@jcking6785]

Even if I cannot grow many of the plants found in Australia, I enjoy your videos immensely!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Glad you like them! Regards Stephen

[@slaturwinters1828]

12:10 They already have, the 'Halcyon' 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' 'Blue Whale' 'Canadian Blue' etc. Did you notice the trend? Theyre all blue, because they secrete a thin layer of wax that makes the plant less appealing to pests. If you plant it in direct sunlight that layer melts and the leaf looks green and shiny. Another phenomenal video guys thank you!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Great input and thanks. Stephen

[@jcking6785]

Very informative video. I loved Stephen’s explanation of the correct Latin pronunciation!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Glad you liked it! Regards Stephen

[@diegonegreb3948]

In the US, it’s the hydrangea arborescens that is referred to as a smooth hydrangea - not the oak leaf/quercifolia. Funnily enough (as Stephen Ryan would say) I’ve yet to hear anyone actually refer to Arborescens as “smooth hydrangea”. LoL If anything, you might hear the name Annabelle which was a popular cultivar back in the day. Both are native to the US and I grow quite a few varieties. Cheers!

[@mellfraze8112]

Glad to see someone already explained oakleaf vs arborescens (aka "smooth") hydrangeas

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes, I realised about ten minutes later that I'd got it wrong!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@Aculturalsavagefromaustralia]

Watched Alexandra’s video a lot. Nice to see her here.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

We always enjoy doing something with Alexandra when she is here in Australia. Regards Stephen

[@kurthartle5473]

Absolutely informative and immensely delightful!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@galecunningham1250]

Very interesting and delightful exploration of flowering shade plants. Most of these plants I was able to grow in my garden in Southern California. I especially love the fuchsia as the hummingbirds always fed on their nectar. The hydrangea quercifolia is wonderfully beautiful. I'll hop over to Alexandra's channel now and take a look at Matthew's later. Thanks so much to all three of you for keeping your eyes on the beauty!!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

A pleasure. Glad you enjoyed our efforts. Regards Stephen

[@paulinecrispin121]

Hi. Loved both videos with you and Alexandra. I appreciated the biblical/lily comment 😊. I am inspired to get an Oak leaf Hydrangea for here in not so sunny UK. 😎

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@adriandunn2301]

Hi ... Carol from Melbourne here. I love this episode, and fuchsias are my favourite plants. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@LeeJahn-ih9xu]

Fantastic content, thank you , always watch Alexandra too, fascinating info on the Lillies

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@zeahlessley6108]

Another interesting though far more prickly plant for the Fuschia lovers, especially those in North America, is Ribes speciosum! This native gooseberry produces a ton of small pendant bright red flowers and may be better suited for some applications than a Fuschia would be. I would suggest avoiding areas where a very prickly plant may not be the best idea, but it's lovely elevated above the walkway.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

A lovely thing indeed although I find it better in the sun than shade. Regards Stephen

[@dorothylaplante7243]

That was a great Segway to this video. Thank you all for your wealth of wisdom.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Our pleasure! Regards Stephen

[@suepercy8390]

Alexandra asks very intelligent questions. I really enjoyed this thanks

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Well I hope we had intelligent answers to her questions! Regards Stephen

[@bitethesun]

Great info 👏👏👏😍😍

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Glad you think so! Regards Stephen

[@Cassieskins21]

Popping over from Alexandra's channel👍👍

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for joinig us!

[@DebbieCollison]

My hostas do very well in gravel next to the house. They are in almost total shade and the gravel stops slugs from getting at them.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Well done. Regards Stephen

[@LivingwithBIGdogs]

We used to pull the flowers and pretend we were suckling honey out the Fushsia flowers when we were kids.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

The Fuchsia is one of those plants that inevitably brings back childhood memories. Regards Stephen

[@jucjuc314]

Astilbes are used as a cut flower at least as far as I know in market bouquets. 🤗Matthew you could get into Cut Flower gardening so we can have some Cut flower content on your channel too?? 😄😍 That would be awesome, for some of us enthusiasts at least 😄 Love your collabs with Alexandra! I just came back from Melbourne not long ago and I suspect we have been there at the same time, that's something special to me. 🤗 Greetings, Judit

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Cut flowers are yet another topic we could cover at some time. Regards Stephen

[@jucjuc314]

@@thehorti-culturalists That would be amazing! Sure there are gardeners there who integrated cut flowers into their traditional flower beds, so there is something to cut and something to look at. I didn't see a video like that on KZbin from Australia, it is a niche! 😄🤗 Thank you for your answer, happy gardening!

[@TimurDavletshin]

True gardener's eye pleasure!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@sarahmarti141]

I have really beautiful yellow clivia and even one with variegated foliage. I’m in Los Angeles zone 10.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Very nice! Regards Stephen

[@penelopehammerton2907]

Thank you all for a great video 👏👏🧑‍🌾

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Our pleasure! Regards Stephen

[@interesante80]

Great video! *Smooth and oakleaf hydrangeas (in U.S.) are different.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

It was an Alexandra Campbell slip of the tongue as the same applies here and in the UK. Regards Stephen

[@paulinecrispin121]

Hi. Loved both videos 😊😊😊

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@lesliekendall5668]

A shade plant that I recently found that has exotic looking flowers (which I love) is the Bottlebrush buckeye.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

A fabulous plant if you have the room for it to show itself off. Regards Stephen

[@emanuelad3534]

So Alexandra went to Australia?👍

[@jucjuc314]

Yes she did. They did 2 other collabs in the years past while she was in Australia, videos are up. 🤗

[@emanuelad3534]

Nice

[@thehorti-culturalists]

She did indeed - we've made a few videos with her here!

[@kerryjean2223]

I would like me some Astilbe plants. I'm now excited to see my dormant Cyclamen I planted after your Cyclamen video. My sister gave me a largish Cyclamen almost two years ago in May. I put it in a pot and it currently has two flowers. All my Fushias in pots have carked, I have one in the ground doing beautifully. I'm looking forward to a thick leaved Hosta, I hope it will be blue foliage. I've had orange and hot pink dwarf Nasturtiums and now seedlings are popping up, i hope they turn out the same.

[@kerryjean2223]

Adelaide South Australia

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching - sounds wonderful!

[@sokchan9372]

❤❤❤❤

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@rebeccawalsh4304]

Lovely to find you through Alexandra’s channel, especially as I’m based in Melbourne! I have a very tricky area that is on the south side of my two storey house. In winter it gets full shade, but in summer, there’s an area that gets morning sun, but also another area that gets full afternoon sun for 2-3 hours. I’d be very grateful for any suggestions? ☺️

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Certainly Clivia should work in the morning sun spot or native Correa in the afternoon sun aspect. Regards Stephen

[@rebeccawalsh4304]

Thanks so much Stephen - very much appreciated 💕 Now to get my hands on a yellow / cream clivia….

[@roselewis24]

I need to try an astilbe. Why do I have so much trouble with hydrangeas though? They rarely survive in my garden are they fussy about soil type or do they just not like Ballarat? I also plant heuchera in my shade garden the leaves are beautiful but I like the flowers too.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Hydrangeas should grow well in Ballarat given semi shade and well watered soil. Heuchera are great although many of the newer forms tend to be short lived. Regards Stephen

[@journeyofgreen3958]

Hello from the United States! Love your channel! Question: I have had no sucess growing the Kramer's Red Heather (a.k.a, Kramer's Rote Heath) in the new USDA Zone 7a (was 6b). Is there a trick to these? For context, I have tried these outdoors in amended soil (reduced PH a bit and added some small gravel in with the soil and compost). Currently sitting at a 100% fail rate 0 of 6 have survived. Tried different versions of mimicking what I think the soil in the Scottish Highlands is like, but I'm just not getting it right.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Not really good with the zone thing as we don’t have one here in Australia but from what I can work out it may not be cold enough in winter and is it a bit summer humid, also something the heather would dislike. Regards Stephen

[@journeyofgreen3958]

@@thehorti-culturalists Thank you for the reply! I think I'll have to give up on these. Have a great week!

[@lesliekendall5668]

In the US I always heard it, and use the pronunciation, dahl-ia.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Every country has its own ways to pronounce plant names. I’m glad we don’t have the same thing with spelling! Regards Stephen

[@dianecotton9531]

Hi guys. I live in Oberon, NSW & l have a question. Do you know if Cistus silver pink is short lived? They look gorgeous when in flower so I have planted a number & a couple have just become sickly looking & died. However, they were only a few years old, but it has been a quite humid summer here this year. Perhaps Cistus would be a topic for a video? Always great info in your videos. Thanks.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

You have almost answered your own question as these are in fact usually fairly short lived and being Mediterranean dislike humidity. Regards Stephen

[@dianecotton9531]

@@thehorti-culturalists Thankyou

[@jomassey4207]

Why hasn't my 7 yr old, dwarf linden tree ever flowered? Do i have a male tree and will never get flowers? It gets plenty of sun and water but disappointed, as the flowers are such a heavenly scent. Also my neon pink bottlebrush had many of its leaves curl up in winter. I couldnt see any caterpillars or pests. I tried to remove as many as i could. Summer, they've come right again. Was I watering it too much, during winter? Its in a perfect full sun position but only just a young bush. Thanks, gardener, Jo from New Zealand.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Lindens don't require male female but do require patience. Regards Stephen

[@peterjurd2090]

For Monday shorts: would it be possible to grow successfully in or around Sydney Chimonanthus Praecox ?

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Worth a try, but remember they can take years to flower. Regards Stephen

[@psanjuro]

Do you HAVE to cut hardy fuchsias hard back? I read they only flower on this year’s growth? I have a Fuchsia David that easily survived winter in my Belgium garden and that’s leafing out right now. Do I cut it back?

[@thehorti-culturalists]

You certainly should cut it back once you are sure the risk of frost is over. Regards Stephen

[@psanjuro]

Thanks Stephen!

[@teslaandhumanity7383]

Rolf Harris 😂 double .

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Me or Matthew? Certainly not Alexandra! Regards Stephen

[@suepercy8390]

Reinga reinga not rangiora

[@thehorti-culturalists]

oops dam common names, I often get them wrong, perhaps I should stop using them all together! Regards Stephen

[@cindyrae2605]

...then the poker plant would be KNIPHOF--ia...

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Yes. Regards Stephen

[@gaywizard2000]

I love Alexandra and her channel! Is there some B roll of the gin cocktail party that i imagine afterwards???

[@thehorti-culturalists]

It was fun! Thanks for watching!