Hello My wife and I turned a nasty section of lawn that is under our tree into an island lined with large pebbles and filled with good soil. I am wondering what plants can we plant under a tree (an evergreen/pine needles) and does not have too much exposure to rain ( we can water if we have to I guess) and not a whole ton of light either. We need something that is really durable low maintenance - I don't know too much about plants so Im looking for help Thanks
Torenia is a good low light plant, but will require watering. It is almost a foolproof plant and comes in blue, purple and white, rose and white, white, and yellow. There is also a new plant out this year, Brazilian Fireworks, that is said to be good in shade. I grew some from seed this year, but they are a slow grower. I haven't seen them in the nurseries yet. Impatiens is another good low light plant, but will require watering also.
Here are a few websites with shade loving plants and herbs that you may find useful for planting out underneath your trees. http://www.botanic.org/Shade1.pdf http://birding.about.com/library/blhummershade2.htm http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/pf_herbs/ ... 66,00.html
In my part of the world, Azaleas are a favorite for planting under pines. They thrive in the acidified soil, and once they are established, they really don't require extra watering. The evergreen varieties give year-round interest. Oh, and welcome to the GardenStew. :-D
