Lori Williams, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener Since 2016
This is a dry shade garden story of happy accidents, fortunate timing due to 100+ degree temps, and purely unexpected research wrapped in a beautiful day at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms.
After more seasons than I’d like to admit there is part of my yard that has silently been waiting for attention for many years. It’s fully dry shade, anchored with a lovely oak tree that has reliably made this space look pretty good despite lacking design and plantings, and receiving water only for the tree’s sake. Lackluster turf is more grayish than green and sparse to say the least. Hello Sad Spot, it’s finally time for your makeover.
With these hot temps I’ve retreated inside and have been pouring over xeric plant guides, watched the uber helpful presentation ‘Dry Shade Planning and Planting’ by Amy Lentz of Boulder County Extension, and investigated various garden designs and plant suggestions offered by the fine folks at Plant Select, Denver Water, and our very own CSU Extension.
The added bonus was finding myself immersed in a treasure trove of design and plant specimens at Denver Botanical Gardens Chatfield Farms a few weeks ago. Dry shade garden inspiration abounds!
A clear pattern of attack is laid out for not only dry shade but any new garden spot:
- plan ahead
- improve the soil
- limit turf
- efficient irrigation
- select plants
- mulch
- maintain
Plan ahead…hmmm…plan ahead….me? Oh but it’s a heat wave and due to travel plans and work obligations I’m doing research for a garden spot that I won’t be able to implement or plant until early fall. That sounds like I’m planning ahead!
Step one? Check! I even have time to have my soil tested. And I’ll have time to actually amend the soil. This is going great! Look at me, planning ahead. It’s a new and different approach but I think I like it.
Next, I literally trip over one of the oak’s roots while collecting dusty soil samples and find myself looking at something that wasn’t half scorched turf but rather a mixture of barren and fruiting strawberries with yellow and pink blossoms. They were as dusty as the grass, but they’ve voluntarily planted themselves in this neglected space. Brazen little things! Congratulations, guys – you’ve just won the ‘Right Plant, Right Place’ award. Based on your gumption I decided on the spot that strawberries are the ground cover of choice.
I’ve spent time on cool mornings removing the patchy grass with my hori hori, providing more space for the strawberry tendrils to reach out and set roots. It’s delightful to see them take hold.
Thankfully, we have a sprinkler system, but the heads are all wrong (have been forever) for this area and I’ve been hose watering this dry shade zone instead for years. Once I fully determine the plants’ placement and they are well established, soaker hoses will replace the sprinkler heads to water the new guys more effectively. I’ll stick to the garden hose with my ancient frog eyed sprinkler during the establishment phase.
One of my best-ever gifts from Mom was Denver Water’s series of xeriscape books. They developed the whole xeric gardening concept to begin with, so Colorado-proud of them. Highly recommended reading!
Mulch selection is still a bit up in the air, but I am a diehard fan and believer. I feel like mulch is kind of the reward topper-offer at the end of newly planted garden spaces. It really makes things pop and look fully finished while stealthily helping manage weeds and providing moisture retention in the garden. Win Win Win!
As mentioned earlier, I happily found myself at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farm recently. I was expecting a lovely visit of course, involving a great stroll while surrounded by beauty. Perfect! Embarrassingly, I think I’ve only been to the arboretum for holiday lights during the winter.
This visit turned into Christmas in July as I opened my eyes and mind and phone camera – a dry shade plant selection opportunity extraordinaire! Lenten rose? Bergenia cordifolia? Siberian Bugloss? Now I only need to ‘weed’ through approximately 47 plants to select the 3-5 for my make over garden. But as I’m planning ahead, ahem, I have time.
Additional sources:
Denver Gardeners 