What Worked and What Didn't at the Northern Michigan Garden - Sept 2024

[@hylandgundy2698]

Dry shade...I have mostly dry shade with Oak, Fir, Birch & Maple Trees. I mulch my beds & amend the soil with compost. My successes include: Spirea, Hydrangea, Weigela, Lenten Rose, Hosta, Solomon Seal, Tiger Lilly, Huchera and For-Get-Me-Nots. I also have Nine Bark, Service Berry and Viburnum but these struggle a little.

[@gardencrossings]

I am loving all these suggestions! Thank you

[@s.g.8745]

Hi Heidi, Thank you for your garden update! These are some of my favorites for the dry shade: Cyclamen, Vinca, Lamium, Geranium nodosum, Epimedium, Polygonatum, Polystichum setiferum, Ophiopogon japonicus 'Minor', Luzula nivea. Greetings from Europe, Stef

[@gardencrossings]

Thanks for watching from Europe!

[@judyingram-kh1vm]

Your flower garden's is so very beautiful. Lots of food for hummingbirds and butterflies. Thank you for sharing this with us ❤

[@gardencrossings]

Thanks for visiting

[@kaystinebrink1220]

Thanks for this program. It is nice to see how the gardens have held up.

[@gardencrossings]

thanks for walking through the garden with me

[@aalejardin]

Darn those deer! The ajuga tapestry was such a great idea. Pulmonaria and hellebores have done well for me in dry shade, plus a variety of ferns: lady fern, marginal wood fern, christmas fern. I have dry shade in my wooded ravine and I plant a lot of native carex there also tough native plants like chrysogonum, packera and native heucheras. I am in Zone 7 NY but all of those plants are pretty hardy.

[@gardencrossings]

Thank you for the helpful information

[@claytoncomeaux414]

Sword ferns love our dry shade.😊

[@gardencrossings]

I will have to check them out! Thx

[@MichaelRusso-k9j]

Hi Heidi: You have a beautiful view of your lake and all of your gardening endeavors as you look out from your cottage. I like your hanging basket of diplademia that are gorgeous and the different wall heights add interest to your gardens. That is a good question about what grows in dry shade as all of the plants in my garden need some sun but good to keep learning so will look into your question and see what information I can find and will let you know unless you beat me to it! Thanks, for your video!

[@gardencrossings]

There have been some great suggestions in the comments, check them out.

[@ladawn603]

Hello Heidi, your plants are gorgeous 😍, I must add that your choice of colors on the cottage and the furniture is soooo fun!! It's all so beautiful all together ❤️ 😍

[@gardencrossings]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@anthonyfrisk449]

The plants I have in my dry shade gardens that do well include hellebore and diervilla. Even some of my hostas hold their own in dry shade.

[@gardencrossings]

Good ideas. I could incorporate some shrubs in.

[@JeffreyWallk]

The key is enabling each plant its time to shine while balancing the deer’s time to eat!

[@gardencrossings]

Very true!

[@aeronadams9855]

Thanks for the tour! My favorite plant for dry shade is the perennial geranium macrorrhizum (Bevan's variety). Deer and rabbits don’t bother it, beautiful foliage throughout the season and magenta blooms in the spring. It’s indestructible, spreads as a ground cover, but is easily controlled. I’ve also had luck with hellebore, pulmonaria, and epimedium.

[@gardencrossings]

Thanks for sharing!

[@rhondaschenk5727]

It’s all looking beautiful Heidi! Thanks for sharing.

[@gardencrossings]

Thanks for watching

[@OakParkGardener]

Adding Sunpatiens to my shopping list for next year! What other annuals don't need a lot of fertilizer when they're planted in-ground?

[@gardencrossings]

Sunpatiens are a favorite and seem to do the best

[@angelaengler2387]

Hi Heidi and Rod, your vacation home and garden are beautiful, an absolute dream! Your hard work has certainly paid off😍

[@gardencrossings]

Thank you. I have to give Rod all the credit

[@maryannbride710]

Dry shade - my favorite is hellebore. Also, I put some bearded iris in my dry shade bed mostly because it was time to divide and I didn’t have anywhere else to put it. I was surprised to see they bloomed and thrived!

[@gardencrossings]

Hellebore seems to be a theme for dry shade. I am going to have tp plant a few more. The dumb deer have eaten some of them even though they are deer resistant.

[@linakhoury6623]

Hi Heidi 🌺 . Every thing looks so pretty in your garden it is full of pretty flowers in fall . I lovet . Have a great day . 🌺🌻🌺

[@gardencrossings]

🦋🌼🦋

[@zoreslavazinczenko1060]

How about "All Gold" Hakone grass on the slope in place of the ajuga tapestry? It'll spread, some, and you'll have a pop of color, plus deer-resistance.

[@gardencrossings]

That is an idea and the color would look nice. I do have that in this area so it may be a nice addition to this space.

[@maureentaylor1769]

Hi Heidi! Your cottage gardens are so beautiful! Have you thought about planting low growing shrubs along the steep side of the wall? I think the deer would leave them alone long enough to get them established.🤞🏼

[@gardencrossings]

I really should look at shrub options. I just loved the look of the ajuga

[@rosewolfe614]

My lemony lace did really good this year and we had about 2 months of draught . I didn't water them at all. Also I had some kind of double bagonia that did really good with very little watering. We don't have any deer but tones of rabbits. They didn't bother the bagonia at all.

[@rosewolfe614]

Neat Hershey PA

[@maricelaaguirre8486]

❤ love it 😍

[@gardencrossings]

Thanks for watching.

[@paulamaher1633]

Here in small town Iowa I don't have deer pressure but the rabbits. Ugh! They have decimated my phlox. I was told by a local landscaper to place cups of milorganite around my garden area. He claims rabbits won't like the smell . Have you heard of anyone using this as a rabbit deterrent?

[@gardencrossings]

Yes i have heard of this before, The daylily society uses it to keep deer out of the daylilies.

[@8helenjhouston8]

Farfugium - do very well in dry shade zone 8 NC.

[@gardencrossings]

I am going to have to look that up

[@myyardofflowers]

Happy New Year 🎆 Your channel is so informative and helpful. I just started a KZbin channel I’m in 9B much cooler than Sacramento area cooler known as the Tri-Valley area. We’re in constant fix it and clean up. We’re looking forward to your 2025 seasons and watching your creative ideas in the garden.

[@gardencrossings]

Thanks for following along!

[@richbishop7896]

Brunnera has done the best for me under the dry shade of my maple trees. Rabbits don't like it either. I like the red and white together. Bonny zone 5b Canada

[@gardencrossings]

Great early spring bloomer.

[@jenniferhooks2454]

I love the red and white sunpatiens. They look so pretty up against the blue cottage. You are right about the white flowers making the red ones pop. The blue salvia looks great with the red and white sunpatiens. I feel your pain about losing plants to deer and rabbits. The deer ate every bloom and bud off my hardy hibiscus. The rabbits ate my rudbeckia. The deer ate my vermillionaire and my sunpatiens, plus my autumn joy sedum. Deer and rabbits both chewed up my huechera. I gave up on day lilies since the deer ate the buds and blooms. Rabbits also like creeping phlox. So far, the critters have left my wicked hot coleus and yellow lantana alone. They also don't eat dusty miller. The critters' taste does seem to change from season to season. They will eat plants in my yard, but not eat the same plant in the neighbor's yard. It's frustrating!

[@gardencrossings]

Also frustrating is when typical deer resistant plants are eaten up.

[@ncallick4226]

Hey Heidi, I'll have to second/third the recommendation for Epimediums for dry shade. But you need to research which varieties are clumping and not spreading. Dealers choice. Also Cast Iron plants and Aucuba handle dry shade.

[@gardencrossings]

Thank you for the recommendations!

[@myragooden8667]

My favorite plant for dry shade in Georgia zone 8a is the Gold dust Acuba.

[@gardencrossings]

I am going to have to check it out. That is new to me.

[@josweatt898]

So beautiful , I would never want to leave.

[@gardencrossings]

Sometimes it is hard to go home.

[@kellyroo3]

I live in Tennessee (zone 7b…though I plant for 7a) and hellebores are my absolute favorite perennial for my dry shade bed. I think the only “downside” for you is that you don’t visit your home during the winter months. It might still be worth trying since rabbits and deer usually leave them alone.

[@gardencrossings]

That is a very good point. Although it would still be worth trying

[@j.c.linden]

Epimedium, and baptisa surprisingly enough.

[@gardencrossings]

Good suggestions.

[@barbaramccann7944]

The weeds seem to love fall; I just used my flame weeder on some bare spots of the garden, tidied it up quickly.

[@gardencrossings]

I just saw one of those this past weekend. They look cool

[@giniemitchell4913]

I have found Epimedium to be a great ground cover. Mine have yellow blooms in the spring.

[@gardencrossings]

I will have to look into that

[@deannahaworth7666]

I have some good suggestions on deer resistant plants : there are 2 native plants that would give you the blue / purple : Dittony ( cunila origanoides ) and Blue Sage ( salvia azurea ) the salvia is a nice late blooming native that is gorgeous and such a wonderful pollinator magnet . I have grown both of these plants for several year and the deer leave both alone

[@gardencrossings]

I have never heard of Dittony before, i will look it up

[@deannahaworth7666]

@@gardencrossings it's great , it smells like oregano and in the winter it produces "frost flowers"

[@deannahaworth7666]

@@gardencrossings I spelled it wrong the correct spelling is dittany

[@AuntBecky1]

Hi Heidi! What is that purple and green box just after you showed the milkweed and dill?

[@nindyhunt]

I vote red and white alternating

[@gardencrossings]

Great minds think alike

[@AS-lm9xm]

Thank you for sharing. The garden is beautiful. oh I have weeds too that I have to deal with, but when I put down mulch, it helped for a little but they came back. So any suggestions would be great.

[@gardencrossings]

We do need to get a fresh layer of mulch, that will help! We also use Preen and that can help as well.

[@kellymichalec9126]

Good morning Heidi! I love cottage garden tours, it looks so peaceful there. A nice place to get away! Deer, gaaah, I’m wondering and from this video, they don’t like the sunpatience, did they eat any of them? I may have to turn to those next summer. This was a bad year for them in my yard. As a kid we used to pile in the car and look for deer, now I look at them and growl, ha!

[@gardencrossings]

The Sunpatiens have done well. BUT they are not considered deer resistant. You can also spray them with Bobbix to protect them. It is worth it.

[@kellymichalec9126]

@@gardencrossings I just got some so I’ll give it a try, thank you!

[@kimc1748]

The side of the cottage where you had a juga growing in the dear ate it and you're wondering about some plants for dry shade. I believe some native plants come to mind. Ladies mantle. Vinca or periwinkle. Pachysandra. Maybe you could do an arrangement a combination with all of them. Hope this is helpful for that area where you're trying to grow the ajuga to help with I want to say like erosion cuz there's a slope .

[@gardencrossings]

Those are good suggestions

[@mariasmith6438]

hardy geraniums ('biokovo' and 'karmina' ) work for me in my zone 7b garden - they are also deer resistant.

[@gardencrossings]

I will have to look into those.

[@lindahall1971]

Hi there!! I know you love pink girl !! So why not try pink and white sun patiens?? I got a pink one this season and will do a big drift next year with white ❤ love your place ty!!!

[@gardencrossings]

I am a pink girl❤ That would look nice

[@tg_ny]

Just was wondering what the bluish colored butterfly bush is behind you. Give hardy cyclamen a try on that shaded slope. Also, I have lily of the valley in a shaded dry area and it is pretty happy. I dont think the deer or rabbits will bother it. You can get them with white or pink flowers.

[@gardencrossings]

That beauty is the Pugster Blue Butterfly bush.

[@tg_ny]

@@gardencrossings thanks! Will keep my eye out for one!

[@ncflowergirl1446]

Can you use pachysandra on that hillside? I have ajuga the roots don’t go down very far. So far the deer haven’t messed with mine. Live in the south zero shade. Maybe you could do a rain barrel system to water the dry side.

[@gardencrossings]

I could but I am not looking for something that agressive

[@shannonatkinson5515]

Lamium

[@gardencrossings]

Good suggestion