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Installing a rain garden --semi-shade to deep shade, zone 7b.
Have read the various plant lists and ready to plant but wondered if you all have some suggestions for rain garden plants that you love. Pollinators a plus.
Out of that list of plants I've had the following in my 7b Memphis yard, with an AC drain pipe that drained directly next to my foundation leaving a very wet patch of soil in the summer:
Baptisia, pretty, but big and gangly, mine definitely needed to hide behind something to cover their knobby knees
Joe Pye weed, not the prettiest or most colorful, but a good mid height plant and not at all fussy
Turtle heads, love the wet, not my favorite as they are sort of stiff looking, lol
Cardinal flower, love them, lots of types to choose from
Columbine, beautiful delicate flowers, but never had much luck getting them established
Blue flag iris, pretty, good for adding height
Thanks, I found this very interesting. Love false indigo. Mine is purple but it also comes in yellow. My soil is too rich so it's floppy like peonies so it needs support.
Cardinal flower and blue mist flower are both nice choices. Ferns will do well too. Consider adding some native shrubs as well...spicebush and red chokeberry would work well for your conditions and great for pollinators when they flower.
I'd skip the hostas...everyone has them. Be creative.
I am in the same zone and my entire yard is semi-shade to deep shade. My biggest difficulty is the deer. I have to spray most of my landscaping with repellent every so often or they will eat everything down to the nubs. But.. I thought I could mention some of the plants that I have that are doing well in the shade (not sure about the rain part).
I've only been here close to a yr so it's a work in progress and these are the ones that are looking nice thus far.
Fushia (doing great with beautiful pink/purple blossoms)
Begonias (several types - they get some spattering of sunlight at times)
Kangaroo fern (love it)
Asparagus fern
Elephant ears
heuchera
Hostas (even if everyone has them, there's a reason)
Fantasy Perilla
some smaller variegated grasses
Various Coleus
Mahonia (soft caress)
Columbine
ajuga
Dianthus
Creeping Jenny
(as much as I can't stand them but have a few, Nandinas suck up a lot of water)
I am in the same zone and my entire yard is semi-shade to deep shade. My biggest difficulty is the deer. I have to spray most of my landscaping with repellent every so often or they will eat everything down to the nubs. But.. I thought I could mention some of the plants that I have that are doing well in the shade (not sure about the rain part).
I've only been here close to a yr so it's a work in progress and these are the ones that are looking nice thus far.
Fushia (doing great with beautiful pink/purple blossoms)
Begonias (several types - they get some spattering of sunlight at times)
Kangaroo fern (love it)
Asparagus fern
Elephant ears
heuchera
Hostas (even if everyone has them, there's a reason)
Fantasy Perilla
some smaller variegated grasses
Various Coleus
Mahonia (soft caress)
Columbine
ajuga
Dianthus
Creeping Jenny
(as much as I can't stand them but have a few, Nandinas suck up a lot of water)
Thanks. I've never heard of Fantasy Perilla before. Will track it down.
Moved some dirt around a year ago and have elephant ears popping up everywhere. Supposedly, they are zone 9-11 but they come back every year in 7b.
I'll check out Kangaroo fern.
Voles eat my hostess. I now plant them in hardwire cages. What pain.
I'm loving caladiums as annuals. Just getting started with burgundy glow ajugas.
Cardinal flower and blue mist flower are both nice choices. Ferns will do well too. Consider adding some native shrubs as well...spicebush and red chokeberry would work well for your conditions and great for pollinators when they flower.
I'd skip the hostas...everyone has them. Be creative.
I'll look for Spicebush. Read that Swallowtail caterpillars love them.
Will check out Cardinal flower and blue mist flower.
Thanks.
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