what should I plant?

[wcladymacbeth]

I want to plant some stuff along the side of my house. I want something that will look nice, but that I won't have to mess with a whole lot. I would prefer some things that flower, and that look nice throughout the summer. But I am open to any idea. Should be something that does ok in shade. Sunlight gets back there part of the day but not the whole day.

I would appreciate any advice! I'm so bad with plants.

 

[Renee750il]

Hostas and astilbe are pretty much fool proof (I should know, lol), great in the shade and can cope with partial sun.

If you want a large bush, try hydrangeas.

 

[wcladymacbeth]

thanks, I'll have to see if we have those here. I've never heard of them. Ooh, I like hydrangeas though. I could plant that right next to my porch.

 

[Renee750il]

Oh, and you can plant early spring bulbs also because they'll come up and bloom before the hostas and astilbe break through the ground, or the hydrangea leafs out

 

[Snark]

Hostas and astilbe are pretty much fool proof

Guess I'm the fool... I tend to have a brown thumb but most of my hostas have stuck around. Only one packed its little bags and left (it was there one day and gone the next - no hole, no chewed stalks, no leaves, ground looked like I'd never planted anything in that spot - darn thing didn't even leave a note. )

The hummingbirds around here like hostas, too, so that's an added bonus. We also have toad lilies, which are fall bloomers, and are rather pretty.

 

[crazy_paws]

I'll suggest azaleas. I planted some in front of my house, and there are several color varieties.

 

[wcladymacbeth]

Yay! Thanks guys. I'll definitely look into those things. I just pulled weeds today and realized all the little bushes that I would've kept are now dead - they got dug up when I got my basement waterproofed. So now I have tons of room to plant stuff

 

[Renee750il]

You need acidic soil for azaleas, and they need to be fed. Also, I'm not sure how they'd stand the Columbus winter.

Crazypaws, where are you in NC? I went to high school in Wilmington

 

[crazy_paws]

I suppose that shows how well I know plants, lol. Azaleas tend to do really well around here without any maintenance though. My grandmother has one that's 31 yrs old.

I'm near Hickory, NC. I'm more toward the mountains. I really want to take the whole crew to the beach this summer though. If I can find a hotel/motel crazy enough to let 3 small dogs stay .

 

[Snark]

I suppose that shows how well I know plants, lol. Azaleas tend to do really well around here without any maintenance though. My grandmother has one that's 31 yrs old.

I'm near Hickory, NC. I'm more toward the mountains. I really want to take the whole crew to the beach this summer though. If I can find a hotel/motel crazy enough to let 3 small dogs stay .

Azaleas might do okay if they're planted next to the house... There's a house near my mother (St. Louis) that has a hedgerow of azaleas - it's absolutely gorgeous in the spring. Sadly, our family has never had much luck with them...

We drive past Hickory on the way to the beach (near Morehead City). Have you googled hotels/motels around Atlantic Beach? Or, maybe look for a dog club (obedience, agility, etc) in the coastal areas - if they hold trials, shows, etc., they would know of hotels/motels that accept multiple dogs...

 

[crazy_paws]

That's a very good idea! Thank you, I'll do that.

 

[Renee750il]

Try the Surfside area, too. It's not as frequented as the Atlantic or Myrtle Beach areas.

 

[Snark]

If you try to go in the 'off' season (before June and after September), prices are usually lower and there are less tourists...

 

[eddieq]

We have azaleas all over the place around here. I have one planted next to my house. Blooms every spring. Stays green through the summer/fall and doesn't really brown during the winter. I don't think that Columbus winters are significantly more harsh than PA Lehigh Valley winters. Mine gets buried under a ton of snow and gets salt tossed on it when we are doing the walk.

As for feeding it, we drop some miracle grow acid formula on it in the spring and in the fall and my wife trims it back in the late fall. That's about the only maintenance we do on it.

 

[eddieq]

Oh, and one more thing - wait a couple more weeks before you plant. One of the members of my church is a professional landscaper and he always talks about how people run out the first nice weekend in April and plant hundreds of dollars worth of flowers and shrubs only to have them get frosted over when we have a late cold snap. He always recommends waiting until at least Mother's Day.

 

[Renee750il]

If you try to go in the 'off' season (before June and after September), prices are usually lower and there are less tourists...

Fewer sand fleas, too

 

[milos_mommy]

I thought impatiens right away, they do well in shade. But they're totally different than the other suggestions. Hostas would do alright but around here they hardly ever flower.

 

[FoxyWench]

hostas! they multiple like rabbits and will fill beds nicely, i love varigated and blue leafed verieties.
Astibile is also awesome and comes in all the colors of the rainbow, reds and pinks are my faves but white and light purples look great in shaded garens because they almost glow, especially when surrounded by silver/blue tinted foliage like the blue leafed hosta.
Coral Bells are also great for primarily shaded plots, they have pretty leaves n greens and burgandies with a relay cool shape, and shoot up tall flower spikes with pink, red or white tiny flowers all over that hang slightly and look like bells!
Ferns, look for species good for your planting zone though as they can be tender...
Bleeding Hearts, there sooo pretty!!!
Japanese Anemone, very pretty little pink/white flowers
lupine is very cool but it doesnt like to be moved, get small and give them plenty of room cause by their second season they dont want to be moved!
meadow rue, very pretty flower tops that look almost like theyve been spray painted in a mist onto the plant.
fox glove is also nix but its a bi anual, you have to let it go to seed as each only lasts 2 years

all those work in zone 6, most are hardy to zone 4 or 5, i belive your a 5/6 borderline state...?

 

[Renee750il]

Oh, coffee grounds are good for acid loving plants like azaleas and rhododendrons.