Wednesday, April 30, 2008
I ordered two pounds of this* shade wildflower mix last night.
Thinking about it last night, I realized that on my walks in woods I can collect some wild seeds, if I'm careful not to take more than a few. Also, there are plenty of non-seed things that I can collect and disperse, like mosses and ferns. It's not terribly moist in that section of the yard, but when it rains, that's where the under surface runoff goes, so it might work. Moss and ferns do grow among the trees on the other side of the yard where it's even drier.
I hesitate to dig up someone else's daylilies for the sunny bank, but with patience they'll grow from seed and I won't hesitate to collect seedheads wherever I find them.
Wisteria also grows wild around here, and I'd love to have some grow up the trees on the sunnier edge. Cuttings will root. I have clematis in the front flower bed that wants to spread, and some cuttings of that could also be trained up the more-exposed trees.
To spread the ferns, all I need to do is collect some fronds with mature spore packets on the underside, and beat them on the ground.
To spread the mosses, I have a recipe I found somewhere. You pull up some moss (whether it's sporing at the time or not), tap off the soil, and run it through a blender with buttermilk, then spray the mixture on the ground.
All I have to do is throw a trowel and some bags in the car, and remember to take them with me when I go for a walk.
With a little patience, this could work.
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* The only reasonably priced shade seed mix I could find: Chinese forget me not, Bachelor button dwarf, Sweet William, Coreopsis, Rocket Larkspur, Baby’s breath, Baby Blue Eyes, Sweet Alyssum, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Five Spot, Candytuft, Corn Poppy, Clarkia, Spurred Snapdragon, Foxglove, Garden Columbine.
This mix is designed to grow in "hard to establish" shady areas. It is approximately 55% annual and 45% perennial. With enough sun, the annuals will reseed themselves.
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3 comments:
Ajuga! Aka Bugleweed. Pretty glossy leaves, bright blue flowers. Also, violets and wild strawberries.
I looked up ajuga, and that looks good for around the trees in the grassed areas. Several trees are too close to mow between, and I was looking for a tough groundcover. Ajuga and vinca look likely.
(Actually I really like english ivy, but for some reason it doesn't do well on this ridge. Nobody in the neighborhood has had much success with it.)
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