what grows in my back shade garden: 2010 reflections and 2011 planning

My back shade garden is directly outside my kitchen window - the picture above was taken from the kitchen sink.  In other words I've been staring at this view a lot lately and I can't help scheming and planning what I'm going to do to change/improve it for next year.  Here's a look at it in 2010, including what is blooming when:

Above: tulips and bergenia add early seaon colour and don't mind the snow! I love my bergenia patch for its low maintenance, early colour and leaf texture!

Above: closer to the garage is deeper, drier shade (background in the top left photo) and there is not a lot happening yet in May.  But fritillaria is already blooming there and this year I planted some forget-me-nots so I'm working on more bloom in this area next year.  I also have some chionodoxa in the area and should plant more.

Above: by mid-June, much more is happening in the back shade garden.  The bergenia is still blooming (did I mention I love bergenia?), the ferns are up, plus tulips, snowdrop anemone, and leopard's bane are blooming.  The bare patch in the bottom right of the photo is a pathway that I don't even bother to mulch anymore because the kids are always running up and down, keeping the weeds down for me!

Above: June in the back shade garden also include bleeding heart and dwarf bearded irises blooming.  I added the hopscotch stepping stones to the lawn this year and the kids love 'em (so do I!)  And I bet you can't even see the chair in the corner of the top left photo above, can you?  I'm thinking of painting that chair green this year to help it stand out.

 

Above (two photos): the light in this area of the garden in the late afternoons can be magical!  Both these photos were taken in July.

 Above: more photos from July.  Lots of texture plus irises, columbine, goat's beard and ornamental grasses (calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' and festuca glauca) in bloom.

 
Above: The back shade garden in August.  Ligularia, astilbes, hostas, heucheras and ornamental grasses are in bloom.  This month I added a variegated dogwood to the right of the birdbath for even more foliage interest.  You can see I also painted the trim and I really need to paint that electrical meter on the right hand side of the garage wall (it keeps sticking out of these pictures like a sore thumb!)  I also tried growing a clematis tangutica on that trellis but it didn't make it - that spot is super dry and 100% dark shade, being between two large trees and on the north side of the garage.  So instead I'm planning to spray paint a decorative metal scroll a fun, bright colour and hang it on that trellis to dress things up in that area year-round!  And phew, doesn't the brown and white trim look so much better than that gawd-awful yellow?

Above: close-ups in August.

 
Above: by the end of September, the mountain ash tree, cotoneaster shrubs, and hostas and bergenia are showing plenty of beautiful fall colour!

Above: close-ups in September.

Above: in October I've started cutting stuff back and mulching with leaves, but the ornamental grasses and bergenia still look great and the virburnum lentago (nannyberry) and viburnum trilobum (dwarf american cranberry) 'Bailey Compact' shrubs are still adding fall colour.  They were new last year and will get bigger and put on a better show in the future.

Above: nannyberry and cranberry fall foliage.

Above: the back shade garden in early November.

So, to summarize my to-do list for this garden in 2011:

• paint the electrical meter box
• paint the chair in the back corner green
• paint a decoration to hang on the trellis since nothing will actually grow there
• plant plenty of early blooming bulbs next fall

To see what this garden looked like last year, click here.

If you would like an urban paradise that rejoices the eye and refreshes the spirit, view My Services for consultation details.

Comments

[Calgary web designer Steve Mullins]

Beatiful shots! Some of those look like your garden belongs on Vancouver island, not Calgary. Great work!

[Janice Miller-Young]

Thanks Steve!  Thats one of the nicest thing you can say to a Calgary gardener! 
Yes, you can have beautiful gardens in Calgary, the only problem is that the growing season is so much shorter and condensed!  But for me, whose full-time work is fairly seasonal (busiest in the fall/winter), and who tends to garden like theres no tomorrow during the growing season, the long break is a good thing!  Although I typically dont feel that way in April/May...
Cheers,
Janice

[Vanessa Weiss]

Janice:
Your pictures and comments are inspirational. I am a High River gardener and CHS member and I happened to google your blog twice this week when desperate for garden ideas. (I have exhausted my 10-year collection of gardening magazines and the local library.) Are you actually a garden coach or is that just your blog name?
Vanessa Weiss

[Janice Miller-Young]

Hi Vanessa,
Thanks for saying hello! I too am desperate for green garden photos at this time of year!
This is also a good indication I need to revise my website - there is a link to My Services on the left so yes, I am actually a coach not just a blogger.
Cheers,
Janice

[Annette Le Faive]

Hello,

My name is Annette, and first I'd like to compliment you on your wonderful, colourful gardening blog!

I have been spending the last few spring/summer on the PNW coast - now I'm staying in Calgary, and am focusing on working more on my gardens (most of which are wild....)

I was reading your blog of January 2011 - my back Shade Garden - the 1st 4some of photos includes on the bottom left something that looks like a chocolate lily - could you please tell me what it is? I am encouraged to see by this blog that ferns grow here! I must try this! :)

[Calgary Garden Coach]

Thanks Annette!
That would be fritillaria meleagris (checkered lily). It is a spring-blooming bulb that can be planted in fall. It does OK in my dry, shady site and has come back for several years now, but hasn't multiplied so I think I may plant some more this fall too!
Cheers,
Janice