What a little heat can do!

This summer's weather has been peculiar. Working in the cooler temps has been absolutely comfortable and I am grateful for this weather trend. However, the plants in containers haven't responded the way they usually do.

Here is my backyard as an example.

The plant material in the ground is unchanged (except for blooming). Yet, within 2 + 1/2 weeks, my containers have burst into a growth spurt. I use granular blood and bone meal when mixing my potting soil before planting and every week a bath of compost tea. All of July and early August it was a slow go. Two weeks of hotter, dryer conditions and presto.

Making most of the heat and enjoying its perks.

Perennial Plants For Shade - Part 4

More shade loving choices:

1. Vinca minor - Evergreen Ground Cover. Excellent for adding texture, sheen and coverage. Can be invasive if left un-manicured.

In May, dainty star-shaped, blue flowers emerge with new foliage.

Vinca minor "Illumination" - variegation is quite vibrant, but slow to grow.

2. Ligularia stenocephala "The Rocket" - great for moist soil conditions. This plant needs adequate spacing as well, but there are dwarfer, more compact varieties of Ligularias...

....such as: Ligularia dentata "Osiris Fantaisie" - bronze foliage in spring and early summer, paling to green. Lovely yellow daisy flowers in late August. If you have slug problems, this is slug bate (as you can see).

I do like its contrasting foliage in spring and the daisy flowers. They help bring colour continuity to the garden by flowering along side my Rudbeckia.

3. Heuchera villosa "Caramel" - So many choices of Heuchera are out there. I love this "Caramel" variety of Coral Bells for its contrasting colour and red leaf undersides. Stands out from a distance. White pinnacle flowers in July.

Shades from brown, to red, to plain green - there is a Heuchera or Heucherella for any garden. Here, bronze foliage, with burgundy pinnacle flowers make a great selection against lime green and blue hostas. So many cultivars to choose from.

4. Echinacea purpurea "Magnus" - ok, this plant is so versatile. It grows in full sun to shade. In shade, the flowers last longer, but the coneflower is slightly smaller and the colour is not as vivid. Yet, bees love this plant and so do I. I find the newer introduced cultivars require more sun. The original 'Magnus', does quite well.

5. Euonymus fortunei "Emerald Gaiety"  Whether you grow this as a shrub or climber, it tolerates a lot of shade. Here, I am training it as a vine. Again, many cultivars are available in shades of green and gold variegation - all evergreen.

Growing along a trellis....

...or used as ground cover. This cultivar is called, Coloratus Winter Creeper. Purple/Bronze winter foliage.

6. Ajuga repens "Chocolate"  Great ground cover with blue flowers in Spring. Several other cultivars available too!

Still more to follow.

Here are the other three posts prior to this one: Part One, Part Two and Part Three.

Stumped - Possible Tradescantia?

Stumped on this fella. Nestled near a fence-line, in complete shade. Tiny, singular flower bloom on the tip and look like a face if you have my imagination. Stands about 8 inches off the ground. Lily like foliage.  Me thinks it belongs to the Tradescantia family, but it's only a hunch. Any ideas???

With one last internet search, I found it. It's a Commelina communis. First time I've ever seen one. Flowers apparently last for one day. Glad I caught this before it completely wilted.

Update - Overseeding Turf with White Clover

Here's an update of our patchy turf situation this spring (click here for the original post).

Just delighted with the results.

The White Clover is doing well. The sidewalk edges are green and lush, when for years, dog urine and salt damage left burned edges - grass never took.

All the patches have grown in with clover. Clover flowers have bloomed and with mowing, have been sheered back to green again.

The clover is actually much greener than the grass right now, given the last two weeks have had little rain.

It's even stronger and outgrowing the few spots of quack-grass.

All in all, we're truly happy with the results.