Calling all Gardeners!

[Geila]

I need help finding flowering plants for a tricky spot. Here is the criteria:

1. Can be grown in a container.
2. Flowers in summer.
3. Takes hot dry SHADE (most heat-loving plants need sun).

Any ideas?

[herbgeek]

New Guinea impatiens. I have them in pots in the front of my house where it only gets late afternoon sun. It takes the heat ok, but you do need to keep them watered.

[Gardnr]

Bleeding hearts. Hostas are my preferred hot shade plants.

[Geila]

I'll check out the impatiens. Do they really need to be watered several times a day during hot weather? Realistically, I'd probably water a few times per week - maybe once a day at most.

I've never grown bleeding hearts, I'll see if I can find them here. I've tried hostas before - love them - but they never survive the snails. How do you keep the snails from eating them all up?

[Geila]

For further context, this is for an area surrounded by lots of green, that's why I'm looking for flowers even though I do love foliage plants, especially chartreuse and maroon/red/purple foliage. The surrounding greenery is provided by golden bamboo, lemon trees, camellias, a small tree with lime green leaves and scented flowers, palm trees (queen and date palm), and a green shrub with white flowers that hummingbirds love.

I've created a seating area and I want to put an arrangement of flowering containers next to it as a focal point where you can sit and enjoy the flowers close up. Next to the seating area, but slightly secluded, will be a small mediation area and I want to put some flower there as well. I already have some lovely small-scale statuary and garden art for the meditation area, but I think some flowers will soften it up.

[iris lilies]

Bleeding hearts bloom only once a year, they bloom in the spring. In California I don’t even know if you can grow them, or if they would have a second bloom, don’t now.


I guess if you have a severe snail problem I would not plant hostas. Or, you can try treating with diatomaceous earth but I don’t know how effective that is really.


We had new guinea impatiens in pots and you definitely have to water them once a day but I don’t know about multiple times a day, that seems excessive.Regular impatiens do well in shade and produce lovely bright flowers and yes they do need watered once a day especially if they’re in a pot.


Coleus develop good color in shade. They are not flowers but they’re certainly colorful. If you don’t know coleus there are hundreds of varieties With striking colors and patterns of leaves.

Around here coleus and impatiens are the go to plants for color in shady places.

[herbgeek]

I water the impatient every couple of days but they are in a big pot. More soil volume retains more moisture. You could also use those crystals that release water slowly.

I don't see visible signs of stress on the New Guinea impatiens the way I do on the regular ones, which just sort of wilt.

[iris lilies]

I water the impatient every couple of days but they are in a big pot. More soil volume retains more moisture. You could also use those crystals that release water slowly.

I don't see visible signs of stress on the New Guinea impatiens the way I do on the regular ones, which just sort of wilt.
Agreed, New Guinea
Impatiens are intended for more sunny places than the regular ones, and their moisture reqirements likely less stringent. They are better looking plants over all than ithe traditional impatiens, when small anyway.

But that said, I love my front garden full of bright red regular impatiens. I will have to water them every few days during hot dry times But that’s OK, they are so easy to grow otherwise and they provide a constant bloom.

[Geila]

Thanks - I will seek out the New Guinea impatiens and try those out first. I do like the pops of strong color, they seem to be profuse bloomers. If that doesn't work out, or I can't find any in stock right now, I'll try some coleus. That looks like a gorgeous plant.

Does anyone grow begonias? I've seen them grown quite a bit here in the coastal areas, there's even an annual begonia festival, but I'm further inland. I've always thought they prefer a cool wet climate but I just read that they might be okay with heat and drier soil. I'm wondering if they that might work. The last few days we've been in the 100's; our summers seem to be getting hotter. I'm in the USDA Hardiness Zone 9b, and Sunset's Western Climate Zone 15.

[Gardnr]

Does anyone grow begonias? I've seen them grown quite a bit here in the coastal areas, there's even an annual begonia festival, but I'm further inland. I've always thought they prefer a cool wet climate but I just read that they might be okay with heat and drier soil. I'm wondering if they that might work. The last few days we've been in the 100's; our summers seem to be getting hotter. I'm in the USDA Hardiness Zone 9b, and Sunset's Western Climate Zone 15.

Tuberous begonias need moisture and stable at that. Wax begonias are more forgiving-I honestly don't care for this cultivar.

[rosarugosa]

I am growing some tuberous begonias in pots, but I'm in New England and we're having a cool and rainy season, so I don't think my gardening experiences will be too relevant to yours, Geila. I agree with Gardnr that wax begonias are unappealing.
I second the recommendation for coleus, so many beautiful cultivars. Unfortunately, groundhogs really love coleus as well.

[Teacher Terry]

Being in the West I water my flowers every day. Otherwise they die.

[Geila]

TT - are your flowers in full sun? How high do your temps get?

I have potted geraniums in full sun and I water them about 3x per week, but they are super hardy and seem to thrive in the heat. I'm trying to find the shade equivalent to them, but not having much luck. :) I'm looking forward to trying out the New Guinea impatiens now that the heat wave is temporarily over.

Further reading has revealed that the begonias can tolerate drier soil, but not dry air, so they are a no-go. I used to have some beautiful hydrangeas but even in full shade with daily watering they spent the whole summer wilted and slumped over. My backyard is southwest exposure.

[Teacher Terry]

Yes full sun. We get in low 90’s and low humidity.

[razz]

My local garden centre has this info on its website:
Hostas: These large and leafy foliage plants, also known as plantain lilies, make a fabulous groundcover and are great for filling in gaps in the shady corners of your garden. Their variegated green leaves with cream coloured streaks are quite eye-catching, and when conditions are right, they may often surprise you with a blossom or two emerging from a long upright stem.

Hydrangeas: Something about the big colourful clusters of hydrangea blossoms remains to be timeless yet trendy. These shade-loving shrubs produce showy flowers in all different shades of pink, purple, blue, white, and green. A fun fact you may not know about hydrangeas is their colour can actually be changed from pink to blue! By adjusting your soil’s pH and raising the acidity with the addition of some limestone, your hydrangea’s bubblegum pink petals will gradually change to a cool robin’s egg blue tone.



Christmas Fern: Textured, voluminous fern leaves are a striking addition to any garden, adding a little interest and drama without competing with some of your showier blooms. While not necessarily an invasive plant, they do tend to spread and expand, so every once in a while, you may need to trim it back or divide it at the root.

Bleeding Hearts: This colourful flowering shrub has quite an exotic, tropical feel, but is still able to withstand our cold Canadian winters. Its elongated, curved stems sport rows of dangling heart-shaped blossoms in vibrant shades of pink and red.



Shade Loving Annuals
If you’re a fan of container gardening and want to add some pops of colour throughout your space, these annual flowers are spectacular options. While they need to be re-planted each year, they’re vigorous growers during the summer months, so they’re sure to turn heads and grab people’s attention when put on display.

Begonias: With their large, dramatic blossoms available in so many fabulous colours, begonias continue to be a staple in shade gardens. For a totally on-trend flower that’s bright and exciting, opt for a vivid coral variety! Pantone’s 2019 Colour of the Year is “Living Coral,” a bold pinkish-orange shade that pairs beautifully with shades or green, gold, pink, and turquoise,

Impatiens: These low-maintenance blooms don’t just tolerate the shade, they prefer it! New Guinea impatiens are a highly sought-after variety, as they’re much more resistant to mildew than traditional impatiens.

Lobelia: Partial, dappled shade with tiny pockets of sunlight is the ideal location for this pastel petaled groundcover plant, so if you’ve got some overhanging tree branches in your yard that tend to sway in the wind, you’ve got a perfect spot for some lobelia.

Sweet Alyssum: This plant has so much to offer a shady garden! Its fragrance is simply intoxicating, it continually blooms well into the fall, and its crisp white blossoms add a lovely, ethereal glow to your landscape.

[Geila]

Sorry for the late update! I picked up a bunch of New Guinea impatiens and a coleus and they are all doing great. They were drying out pretty quickly before I potted them up in bigger containers and now I can go with watering them every other day or so. They look so pretty that I don't mind going out to water them frequently. One of my goals is to spend time in the garden every day so this helps with that.

It's funny, I thought I had all shade in that area but it turns out it gets a couple of hours of afternoon sun. At first the impatiens were wilting, before I potted them up, and I was worried. But now they look fantastic. I mass planted them a bit - 6 plants in a small area and they really pop. I'm used to buying in quantities of one and they look so much better massed. I'll try to take a pic and post, although my cheap tracfone takes terrible photos. I also picked up a mandevilla to test it out and it's doing pretty well too. And surprisingly, one of my geraniums is blooming nicely on just a couple of hours of sunlight. I placed it there temporarily just for some color and it's doing okay. I suspect after this bloom cycle finishes I'll need to move it to full sun for it to set some new buds.

Thanks everyone for the advice!