Mulching the Shade Garden

As you know if you've followed me in my shady yard, Norway maples hang over the yard. Not my trees but they've allowed me to embrace shade. The problem with Norway maples is that they have shallow roots and my yard is evidence of this. Some are visible on the surface of the soil. In the past I thought of sawing them out but with better thought knew that wasn't a good idea. Roots anchor trees. Cut enough and the tree might fall. Not a good idea. So, I thought of pavers which I'd love but would have to do the work. I  the thought of gravel which I love but cleaning all the falling leaves and branches that shed would be a problem with gravel mixed all in. Mulch wins. A nice texture mulch would be nice but haven't yet seen the texture in nurseries I'd like. Until then, brown much this year. Yes some gets raked up with leaves in the fall but mulching the ground is the best I can do for now to keep the soil less dry in summer and give it some protection so the soil doesn't leech away. I read an article recently that mulching flower beds is not recommended because it may make the soil in the flower bed too acidic. Organic mulching is recommended. I'll add some of the leaf mold I've made over the years to the flower beds and leave the wood mulch for the ground. Over the years I've learned that shade provides a beautiful serene respite in the mist of summer heat. Along with the chorus of song birds and shade loving plants, shrubs, perennials, and annuals, it's beautiful. Working on improving it every season. Each year is a canvas. 

I need about 5 more bags. The uncovered area under the bench is not covered. It fills in every season with beautiful green moss. I'd love to move a small patch in the hope that it would cover that whole area. Several types of moss grow in the yard. I feel lucky.

Put down 2 bags and need about 5 more.

Going to clean up those 2 pots for hydrangea from last season.

Pakera Obovata. What a name. Nice to have daisy like blooms that'll do well in shade.

Brought my elephant ear to the yard from the sun porch. Wasn't doing well with our extreme weather different every day. It's felt like summer for the past 2 days. 

I have to read whether little lime hydrangea can be pruned now or if pruning will cut off the future blooms if it'll bloom again. This was the first year I got a hydrangea to survive over winter in a container. Now to see if it'll bloom. I love hydrangeas. Found out they bloom on new wood so tomorrow a good pruning. It will hopefully stimulate even more growth and lots of buds for blooms.

I'll miss phlox when it's bloom time is done for the season. The foliage stays green. Hopefully Sun King will take over and shad it out. Bergenia recently planted looks to have grown some already and I'm thankful snails and slugs haven't eaten my foxglove. Received 2 more in the mail yesterday. They are tiny and Gilbert H. Wild and Son should be ashamed. First they didn't send the 3 ordered and when they sent the other 2 they didn't look good. I sent them an e-mail and pictures of the conditions of the seedlings and poor packaging. And the brunnera is just beautiful. Hope the 2 seedlings I planted this spring will eventually look like this.

Ferns, vinca, and dicentra in the cedar planter. The planter is over due to be coated for protection.

My raspberry that I cut all the way down in the fall. Probably no berries but it's never given me many in shade.

Will mulch this area next.

Thought I planted lettuce seeds but looks like something else. Growing nicely in dappled shade.

A job for another say. Wiping down the containers, planting something in the other 2, and scraping and painting my railing.

Another hydrangea that survived on the porch, actually have 2.

Need to clean this up and throw out broken clay pots.

Replanted today. Pansies removed. Lets see how this does. Begonia, vinca, pink impatiens, and nasturtium.

I like the shorter amaryllis.

To prune or not to prune.

Will  work on this flower bed another day. It used to get more sun, hence the peony that hasn't bloomed since the maples shaded it out.