Home And Garden

 Searching for plants that grow in full shade is a job filled with challenges. The challenges begin with the definitions of sunlight requirements, so the relevant terms need to be discussed first, starting with the definition of full shade. The term full shade does not mean no sun. For horticultural purposes, a location is considered to be in full shade if it receives less than three hours of direct sun daily and receives filtered sun the rest of the day. Preferably, the hours of direct sun occur in the cooler hours of the morning with filtered protection from intense sun in the late afternoon. A distinction should also be made between the terms surviving and thriving. Many plants can survive in full shade, but that is not sufficient for the purposes of most gardeners. Ornamental gardens are meant to beautify a property, and a plant that underperforms (for example, by not flowering as much as it should) is not helping the garden live up to this goal. A plant that is merely survivin...

A ground cover plant is used in place of grass or to cover an area where you want to do minimal maintenance. Groundcovers also help prevent erosion and stabilize raised areas. Landscape groundcover plants are chosen because they are tough, hardy and have a low growth habit. There is a groundcover plant that is suitable for almost any site. Choosing the Right Ground Cover Plant Types As with any other plant, zone hardiness, soil and light conditions will help you determine what to use. You should also think about water requirements and trimming needs, as groundcovers are frequently used in marginal areas or places where you want a nice landscape without a lot of work. If you want to cover the sides of a steep bank in the sun, you will want different plants than someone who's planting around a tree so that the lawn mower doesn't have to get too close. A groundcover for stabilizing that sunny bank needs to grow quickly and survive a dry, hot area. The groundcover under the...