Shady secrets; Northern exposure: from deep gloom to glory - Garden

Sunset, Nov, 2002 by Sharon Cohoon

Cindy McNatt, garden and home design staff writer for a West Coast newspaper, relishes a gardening challenge. So when she moved into her current home, the first planting area she tackled was the north side of her house. As gardeners who have faced this situation know, the north side of a house is especially difficult to landscape, as it's in deep gloom all winter yet can face harsh late after- noon sun in summer. Most of us settle for plant survival in these spots--a lawn or a juniper hedge, for example. But McNatt wanted glory "I knew][ couldn't rely on flowers to create interest," she says, "so I concentrated on foliage color and texture instead."

McNatt used many shades and shapes of green leaves. But she also added a strong splash of burgundy, primarily from 'Gulf Stream' heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) in the background and fat-leafed Iesine berbstii (bloodleaf) in midborder. (In the mountains, where these plants are too frost tender to survive, substitute plants such as red-leaf Japanese barberry or purple smoke tree.) For brightness, McNatt brought in golden Japanese sweet flag (Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'), the grass at the border's edge, as well as lime-green zonal geraniums in pots. Splashes of silver--lamb's ears and bulbous oat grass--add further light. The few flowers coordinate with leaf accent colors. The burgundy flower spikes belong to two species of Persicaria, and the big poufs of lime green are garden hydrangea (H. macrophylla).

Conquering this northern exposure has been immensely satisfying, says McNatt. "Over time, the border has become richer--more layered and textured," she says. "Now it's my favorite section of the garden."

RELATED ARTICLE: Spice-up strategy for shade

When a big, shady space needs a face-lift, remove overgrown or scraggly plants so you can make a fresh start. Add shrubs and perennials whose foliage brightens or punctuates all-green plantings. Most shade-tolerant plants will grow in part shade--the sort typically cast by a house wall, a solid fence, or a high hedge.

* Mix in plants with variegated foliage. They add visual texture and definition. Choices include winter daphne (D. odora 'Marginata'), lily-of-the-valley shrub (Pieris japonica 'Variegata'), and Weigela 'Variegata'.

* Brighten dark corners with lime or gold foliage. Plants such as Japanese sweet flag (Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'), Hinoki false cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Lutea'), Gold Coast juniper (Juniperus chinensis 'Aurea'), and some hostas give the illusion that rays of sunshine are penetrating the gloom.

* Add bronze or chocolate-red for punch. Shrubs such as Japanese barberry and dwarf red-leaf plum (Prunus x cistena) and perennials like carpet bugle (Ajuga reptans) and Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' add visual punch among all-green foliage.

* Weave in some blues. They add subtle shadings beside green foliage. Choices include blue fescue (Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' or F.g. 'Siskiyou Blue') and many hostas.