Shade Garden Favorites: Plants That Thrive in Partial Sun

Shade Garden

Shade Garden Basics

Not every corner of the landscape gets bright sunlight, but that doesn’t mean those spaces can’t be beautiful. A shade garden will create cool, calming retreats filled with texture, foliage color, and seasonal blooms. The key is choosing plants that are naturally adapted to lower light conditions.

Why Plant a Shade Garden?Shade Garden

    • Cool & Refreshing: Shade garden spaces are comfortable for people and plants in summer.
    • Low Maintenance: Many shade-loving plants require less watering than sun-lovers.
    • Unique Beauty: Shade gardens highlight foliage textures, variegated leaves, and subtle blooms.

Top Shade-Loving Perennials and Shrubs

Helleborus (Lenten Rose)

Among the first perennials to bloom in late winter and early spring, hellebores feature nodding flowers in shades of pink, white, purple, and green. They thrive in part to full shade and offer evergreen foliage year-round.

Hakonechloa (Japanese Forest Grass)

This graceful grass adds movement and golden-green color to shaded beds. It pairs beautifully with hostas and ferns, creating texture contrast in woodland-style gardens.

Heuchera (Coral Bells)

Known for their colorful foliage, coral bells bring deep burgundy, lime green, or silver tones to shady borders and they also produce delicate flower spikes in summer.

Hostas

The classic shade perennial, hostas come in countless sizes and leaf patterns. From giant blue-green leaves to compact variegated types, they create bold foliage statements.

Camellia (for Mild Climates)

These broadleaf evergreens bloom in fall or winter, depending on the variety. With glossy foliage and showy flowers, they brighten shaded foundations and woodland edges.

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)

A unique option for filtered-shade locations is witch hazel which provides fragrant yellow to red blooms in late winter when few other plants flower.

Design Tips for a Shade GardenShade Garden Favorites

    • Mix Textures: Pair bold hosta leaves with fine-textured ferns and grasses.
    • Add Contrast: Use variegated foliage (like hostas or heuchera) to lighten dark corners.
    • Layer Plants: Combine groundcovers, mid-sized perennials, and taller shrubs for depth.
    • Mind Moisture: Many shade plants prefer evenly moist soil—mulch helps retain it.

Final Thoughts

Shade gardens don’t have to be dark or dull. With plants like hellebores, Japanese forest grass, coral bells, and witch hazel, you can create lush, vibrant spaces full of year-round interest. The right mix of textures and colors will transform low-light areas into some of the most inviting spots of your landscape projects.

Boxwood Basics: Which Variety Should You Choose?

Boxwood Basics Variety

Boxwood Basics

Boxwoods are a cornerstone of American landscapes, prized for their evergreen foliage, adaptability, and timeless appeal. Whether you’re designing a formal hedge, adding structure to a mixed border, or creating a classic foundation planting, choosing the right boxwood variety is key to long-term success. With dozens of cultivars available, it’s important to understand the differences in size, shape, and hardiness so you can match the right plant to your landscape needs.

Why Choose Boxwoods?

Boxwoods offer year-round greenery, respond well to pruning, and can be shaped into hedges, spheres, or left natural for a softer look. Their dense foliage makes them ideal for creating structure and contrast in the garden.

Popular Boxwood Varieties

Boxwood Basics Usage Chart

Tips for Success

Site Selection: Plant in well-drained soil; avoid waterlogged areas.Boxwood Basics Variety

Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade, depending on the variety.

Pruning: Light, regular pruning keeps shape without stressing the plant.

Winter Care: Mulch roots and shield from harsh winds to prevent bronzing.

Boxwood Basics: Final Notes

The best boxwood for your project depends on your design goals. For formal hedging, ‘Suffruticosa’ or ‘Green Velvet’ are excellent. If you need an upright structure, go with ‘Green Mountain.’ For compact accents, ‘Green Gem’ is ideal. And for durability with faster growth, ‘Wintergreen’ stands out.

No matter which you choose, boxwoods provide year-round structure and elegance, making them one of the most dependable shrubs in the landscape trade. Boxwoods also provide elegant foliage that helps to increase property value.

Contact our knowledgeable team at Country Springs Wholesale Nursery and schedule a visit to see our huge selection in person.

 

How to Mulch – Proper Mulching Techniques in Landscaping

Proper Mulching Techniques

Mulching is one of the best techniques that homeowners and landscapers can use to maintain the health of their trees. This is because it’s known for its ability to make the growing environment more favorable.

However, over mulching can turn out to be one of the most severe landscaping mistakes that a homeowner or landscaper can make. It will lead to damage to saplings as well as other plants.

Therefore, you need to know how to calculate mulch. This is the main reason why using proper mulching techniques in landscaping is recommended.

Bear in mind that the proper mulching depth should range between 2 and 4 inches.

how to mulchIf applied appropriately, the mulch will assist in:

  • maintaining moisture in the soil
  • weed control
  • enhancing the structure of the soil
  • preventing certain types of plant diseases

Additionally, mulch plays a vital role in protecting plants from weed whacker damage and lawn mower blight.

Mulch also gives your planting bed a uniform and well cared for appearance. For this reason, every landscape care provider must know how to mulch.

However, excessive mulch can cause numerous complications for homeowners. For this reason, you need to determine how much mulch to buy when it comes to mulching landscape beds.

Complications resulting from excessive mulching include:mulching landscape

  • Too much moisture in the root region leading to tree stress and making the roots rot
  • Insects and tree illness issues
  • Micro-nutrient venomousness
  • A high rate of weed growth
  • Stinking planting beds that are caused by the sour mulch and anaerobic conditions
  • Creation of hiding place for rodents that eat the back and girdle of trees

Proper mulching

It’s evident that the type of mulch selected and the technique of application can be vital to the well being of your trees. Here are the tips to help you do the right thing when applying mulch.

  1. Examine the plants and soil in the zone that you intend to mulch and find out if the drainage is adequate.
  2. Determine the depth of the mulch and never add mulch if there’s already an adequate layer. Check the existing mulch to segregate any entwined layers and refresh the appearance.
  3. In case the mulch is heaped around the stems and tree trunks, pull it back multiple inches to expose the base truck and root crown of the tree.

mulching landscape beds

Proper Mulching Techniques

In most cases, organic mulches are considered to be better than inorganic mulches since they have the required properties to improve the soil. In case you choose to use organic mulch, make sure it’s well aerated and composed. Never use sour-smelling mulch.

Composted wood pieces can form excellent mulch, particularly when they contain a variety of leaves, bark, and wood. Don’t use non composted wood pieces that are heaped deep without being exposed to oxygen.

Put a 2-4 inch layer of your mulch if your site has good drainage. If there are some drainage issues, try to use a thinner layer. Never put mulch against the trunks of trees. Following these recommendations for proper mulching techniques will lead to successful plant maintenance and growth.

Xeriscape Plants – The Sustainable Landscape of the Future is Here

xeriscape plants- CSWN

Xeriscaping may be a new word for you unless you’re a landscaper, contractor or an outdoor property management company. Typically, xeriscaping is used as another word for dry landscaping, or desert landscaping.

Xeriscape is there to fill the void in the areas of the world that are too dry to have a lush, colorful garden.

However, within the context of landscaping, xeric doesn’t necessarily equal “dry”. The true definition of xeriscaping is: water efficient usage of resources.

Xeriscaping is at the very heart of sustainability. Xeriscapes consume less water and are often more attractive than other common types of landscapes. Interested? Then read on as we discuss xeriscape landscaping, xeriscape plants and xeriscape planting.

Getting Started With Xeriscape Landscaping

Xeriscaping can be applied to almost any local environment. The proper materials for xeriscaping can replace the existing materials in the environment to simulate the desert environment.

Xeriscape gardening and landscaping is ideal for gardeners living in dry conditions. A couple examples of xeriscape type gardening includes rock gardens and cacti gardens.

With a rock garden it is important to choose mostly native plants that are accustomed to living among rocks.

You aren’t limited to just those choices for your garden however. You can opt for traditional types of flowers and grass, you just have to better plan your irrigation methods.

As for your lawn, a xeriscape will typically either eliminate the lawn entirely or it will keep it as a side piece only.xeriscaping-small

Xeriscape Planting

There are many different methods for xeriscaping. One method is to group plants that require the same amount of watering together in order to conserve water. This is good for plants that do better in dry conditions because this will ensure none of them get too much water. Likewise, it will be good for plants that need more water because it will ensure that all the thirstiest plants get enough water.

Xeriscape Plants

A good choice for xeriscape plants are cacti. They don’t need much watering. There are also many different types of cacti, so you can give your desert garden a very unique look.

Another good choice for xeriscape plants are seedums. Seedums are perennials that can grow in almost any climate in the Continental US. Usually they bloom in the fall season. Other options include: vines, shrubs, ornamental grasses, and ground cover.

As the world moves towards greener living, xeriscaping will probably become the future of landscaping, so everyone should research it. Help your friends make the world more sustainable by sharing this article with them and point out the diagram below.

why-xeriscape

Summer Plant Relocation: Essential Guidelines for Success

Summer Plant Relocation

Summer isn’t the best time to undertake plant relocation. The heat and sun angle are not plant friendly. However, there are times when the only option is to perform plant relocation during the summer. You can have success with plant relocation during any season by following these easy guidelines.

Plant Relocation Guidelines

  1. Water the plants to be dug and relocated at least a day before you plan to move them. This will make certain that hydration will reach all areas of the plant prior to the start of relocation.
  2. Dig and relocate only during cloudy days or in the evening when it is cooler.
  3. Prior to digging or removing the plant from its current location, be sure to water the base liberally. This will ensure that the soil will stay with the roots when it is removed from its current location.
  4. Do not expose the roots during plant relocation to wind, heat or sun. If relocating multiple plants, only work with one plant at a time. Do not remove multiple plants from their current location at the same time.Summer Plant Relocation Watering
  5. Water the intended plant relocation hole before moving.
  6. Put the relocated plant into the hole and pour water in until reaching half way point of the hole. The water will merge the root soil and the hole soil. After soak, finish filling hole with soil.
  7. Once the plant relocation is complete, you can tamp the soil but do so lightly.
  8. After the plant relocation is in place, water the entire plant again including the leaves.
  9. Keep the plant shielded from direct sunlight. A floating row cover or leaning a board between the plant and the direction of sun will work nicely. Do this step for 3-6 days.

Be sure to check on the plant relocation site every day for 2 weeks. Relocated plants will need watering at least once every day. If the plant is wilting give it water. Keep water the plant once or twice each day until it becomes established. If the plant has less roots than top growth or is very large, it will need more water.

This may seem to be an inordinate amount of attention, but the disturbance of being relocated is stressful to plants at any season. During the summer, taking extra caution is important to allow for the transition of your relocated plants.