Japanese Plants: This part of the garden lies beneath the hanging branches of a weeping birch (Betula pendula Tristis') which is in turn shaded by the larger white ash. The choice of plants gets more limited in this environment. Shade-loving ferns, the ubiquitous japanese plants pachysandra, some shade-loving wildflowers like trillium and the violets, and the plants listed below are the best choices.
japanese plants blood grass (Imperata cylindrica rubra), 18 by 12 inches, is hardy to Zone 5 with winter protection from freezing winter winds. I solved the problem of exposure by placing the plants in front of a low wall. In the plan an uneven space with a 3-foot diameter is set aside for this grass. The reason for cultivating this grass is the color: A rich, blood-red that starts about midway on the grass blade and reaches to the tip. japanese plants blood grass is fairly new to this country, but two sources in the Appendixes keep it in stock. It has never flowered for me: I think the season just isn't long enough. |