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I am looking for suggestions as to what i should put in that long flower bed along the fence. Any flower or shrubs ( i saw a shrub that had pink flowers on it today) suggestions would be great. The area extends out about 3ft and is already cultivated and has mulch down...
Are you sure that's right? 12 hrs would be VERY sunny and with the trees there and the fact that you said before that you thought it was mostly shady it doesn't seem like 12 hrs makes sense.
What you need to consider is how much sun you'll have once the leaves are there--that's the more important consideration. If you plant things that need full sun and then all the leaves come in and the area's in shade all but a couple hours they won't be very happy. Sorry but nobody can really recommend plants until the sun/shade situation is figured out, that's a huge factor in figuring out what will do well there.
I agree with ecrane. We'd love to help you but really need to know more precisely how much sun you get. We don't want to recommend certain plants, have you go to all the time, expense, and work putting them in, then have them fail to thrive because the sunlight is wrong for them. It will be worth your while to observe how much sun you get after the trees leaf out. It sounds like your going to need plants that can do well in either shade or semi-shade.
The others are right. You need to find out how much sun this area gets in the summer.
I think you should also consider making the front of the bed less straight; curve it gently out and then in again to break up the straight lines it now has.
I do think you would enjoy spring bulbs in that area, which would give you color starting in February, since you're in zone 7a. Start with snow crocus, follow them with Dutch hycrid crocus, then a variety of narcissus and daffodils and then a variety of tulips. You could then plant things that would hide the dying foliage of the bulbs.
If the trees shade the bed in the summer, you have a wonderful array of shade plants you can use. The pink shrub you saw was probably an azalea at this time of year, and it would appreciate some summer shade. You could also plant some small understory trees like redbud and dogwood. IF it's shady in the summer, you can consider daylilies, , gooseneck loosetrife, columbine, astilbe, Japanese toad lily, perennial geraniums, and any number of other perennials. Find a book on shade gardening at the library and look at the pictures. See what YOU like, and try and find perennials that bloom over different times during the spring, summer, and fall so that you have a constantly changing palatte to look at.
(Someone mentioned clematis, and you should know that while they like their roots shaded, they like to grow into the sun. A sweet autumn clematis would be gorgeous in the fall!)
I know you want to start RIGHT NOW, but you will be happier if you sit back and think about what you want without rushing out and buying just anything. You can't put the bulbs in until the fall, and you can spend this spring planning what you want for the bed. Don't get to feeling desperate. You have all the time in the world.
I am in OK too. daylilies do great, and daffodils that I have. depends on do you want flowers? or more along shrubs? alot of poeple plant azaleas here. I didnt like them myslef- needed too much water, and didnt look that great when flowers were spent. If its alot of shade- inmy last house before we moved I had a ring of huge Hostas that wel under large oak tree. I had 3 different varities, which gave foliage some vairity, and they bloomed tall lavender spike, and white spikes. I loved my Hosta's, they did not need alot of fussing. and you could plant bulbs, like daylilies , tulips, around them. I think the idea of bumping th bed out to give it some curve would be great! and that will give you pockets to plants flowers inbetween shrubs and/or hosta's. For something very quick and easy for Now, you could put some annuals, some marigolds and begonias, grasses, make it look pretty for now, until you can see thru this summer how much full sun there will be, and how much shade. your local garden center will have plenty right now, and I would pick part sun/part shade plants till you can observe the area a little longer, and not alot of money invested .
