So, I'm redoing another foundation planting bed.

[Denninmi]

It's ugly now. I tried some things in years past that didn't work out, including my original fig trees that were killed off totally last winter by voles (not a big deal, I started a number of new ones from cuttings a few years back in another spot).

So, I have this "L" shaped area on the southeast and east end of a house. Up against the east wall, I have three pink species roses (Sweetbriar, Apple, and Dog) on lattice trellises. Those do well and are going to stay. I have a few daylily plants that will stay. The only other thing now in the east part of the bed is some mint and lamiastrum, which are GOING BYE BYE for sure.

In the south part of the bed, I have a dwarf weeping spruce, a Wine and Roses weigelia, some hostas, some Autumn Joy sedum, one nice clump of variegated ribbon grass, and a weed problem with persistent Japanese thistle (Cirsium japonicum). The south part actually is shaded in the afternoon by a Freeman maple located to the southwest of the bed, so it gets less sun than the east part of the bed.

This is now one UGLY area now, not much color or interest except for a few short bursts.

I have been gathering a few things to put in there -- got lucky and found some good things on the Lowe's clearance tables -- some variegated boxwoods, some China Girl and Blue Princess Holly (and I got one Blue Prince for pollination), a Pinkie Winkie hydrangea.

What I need to do is come up with some COLOR in there for the summer. I may be better off just leaving some blank spots and planting annuals.

Any thoughts on anything interesting for partial shade, Zone 6, that would be good for such an area, either shrubs or perennials?

[Curmudgeoness]

1. I have quite a bit of shade, so have had to find things that work there.

Asiatic day lilies do well. I have a bleeding heart that works, although that only blooms in the spring and dies back in summer. A Pieris japonica (Mountain Fire) bush does well. Coral bells bloom in summer and are happy there. Astilbe likes it.

As to annuals, I have found that coleus and begonias grow well in the shadier areas.

But I have to ask---how do you intend to get rid of the mint and lamiastrum? I have lots of lamiastrum that I have no problem with (yet) although it is growing in all the wrong places. But mint has overtaken a whole area of garden and I have dug and dug and it keeps coming back stronger than ever. I would love to know a way to get rid of it.

[Denninmi]

2. It's not that hard.

Dig out the bulk of it, and then hit the stragglers with glyphosate.

Yes, sorry, I'm one of those people, I do use Roundup. Because it works.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. So dig it out, and every time a piece comes back up

you spray it with Roundup? I don't use chemicals, usually, but this might be an occasion where it is needed. From my understanding of it, Roundup breaks down quickly and does not stay in the environment. Although I worry that I would have to use a lot of it...seems that if you leave a millimeter of root, a new plant pops up. If you say it works, I will consider it. I have a mess that I have just given up on after years of digging, layering newspaper, dumping mulch and leaves on it....and it comes back healthier all the time. Ugh.

[Denninmi]

4. Yup, that's what I do.

Generally, it only takes one or two applications to kill it.

Part of my "makeover" will be putting down landscape fabric and/or black plastic and then a mulch layer on top, so I don't anticipate that much mint making a comeback, mainly around the edges and against the foundation where it can push through past the edge of the barrier layer.

[BlueToTheBone]

7. try a strong solution of vinegar and water.

The alkalinity will kill the mint.

[Curmudgeoness]

8. Question.

On the foilage, on soaked into the ground? If into the ground, would it do damage to things with roots that grow out like shrubs?

[BlueToTheBone]

9. on the foliage. Do it on an early still morning

so that dew and the vinegar get soaked up into the stem. Maybe even twilight. Try not to soak things you love.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. Thanks. There is nothing that I love left.

The mint has taken total control over the garden (along with creeping myrtle and honeysuckle). Everything else has been choked out years ago, even with my attempts to protect and save them....except for the bushes.

[BlueToTheBone]

11. Well, have a ball!

Spray, spray, spray. You can get one of those gallon sprayers for less than $10 or so.

[Tsiyu]

5. The thing about most perennials, which you already know

cuz you grow so many so well, is that they bloom such a short time.

Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia? sp? ) will sometimes do okay in partial shade but gets tall, so does beebalm (monarda) and they have to be deadheaded to keep giving color.

Scabiosa (pincushion flower) can take a little shade, and most lobelias love the shade but they want to stay pretty wet. Echinacea and blanketflower also will sometimes flower for a long period but get leggy.

There are some new Drift roses - groundcover -for small spaces but they would probably want more sun.

That's all I can think of besides annuals - or gardenias, which don't add a lot of color. Or some of the reblooming hydrangeas. Or some canna, but that's another tall one.

[blue neen]

6. I saw some beautiful hypericum varieties at the nursery this week.

There are some really interesting variations now on good old St. John's Wort! One in particular had variegated leaves and was stunning!