The Best Shade Plants in Metal Raised Beds
Using metal raised garden beds to plant shade-loving plants can give you a lush corner flower bed. One metal garden bed can be planted with many different shade-loving plants, and we don't need to worry about the water stagnant and drainage. When we are choosing varieties to plant, we should imagine what they will look like in the four seasons. And when we choose a plant, we can't just look at its current state, but we should imagine what it will look like in autumn and winter.
When we face different shade plants, we should treat them with different attitudes. We don’t need to think that there is no sunshine in this place. From the heart, you feel that this place is a bad place, so the flowers and plants in this place do not look good. But to be honest, every place has its own beauty.
How to distinguish different shade gardens?
In a garden, whether it is a front yard or a backyard, it is difficult to guarantee that every corner will receive full sunlight. What's more, not every plant needs to exposure to the sun the whole day. There are also some shade-loving plants. Shade gardens are divided into the following conditions
The ground without sunlight
If the ground is surrounded by buildings or shelters, it will prevent sunlight from entering. In this situation, the sunlight cannot be received all day long, and even the scattered light is very weak. And it is more difficult to achieve flowering if hydrangeas are planted, and even if they bloom, only a few flowers will bloom.
There are scattered light plots
Such grounds usually do not have direct light, and even if there is, it can only reach a small area. Some of the reasons for this phenomenon are that the leaves block most of the direct light, some is scattered light from above because the garden is relatively open, and some is scattered light from surrounding buildings and roads. If hydrangea is planted in scattered light plots, it can bloom normally.
Short-sunny ground (with sunshine in the morning)
Short-sunny ground means that the sun shines on the ground for only a few hours out of the whole day. If the short-sunny time is in the morning, the sun is shining before 10:00 a.m., and the temperature is not too high at this time. The short-sunny ground has much better light conditions and allows for a wider variety of plants to be grown than the ground with diffused light.
Short-sunny ground (with sunshine in the afternoon)
If the short-sunny time is in the afternoon, there will be several hours of direct light from 10 a.m. to nightfall. In the summer, this high temperature and strong light environment can easily lead to dead leaves, which can even have fatal effects on plants.
Shade loving plants
After knowing how to distinguish the shade garden, it should be more clear when choosing the ground to grow different plants. Most beautiful gardens will have shade plants as decoration, and it's indispensable. There are five common shade plants shown in the garden.
Primo wild rose
Primo wild rose also called Hybrid Coral Bells. It likes light and is also shade-tolerant, so it is suitable for planting in the shade of the garden or in the garden where the light is not very good.
It is rich in color, like bright red, deep purple, bright yellow, and bright yellow, and there are deep and shallow veins on the leaves. Even for the same variety, in different seasons, temperatures, and lighting conditions, its colour will be different, with very rich changes, deeply attracting attention.
Primo wild rose has good cold hardiness and can grow well at -4°F. Primo wild rose blooms from April to June every year. Primo wild rose likes moist air. If the air is too dry, the edges of the leaves will scorch. When the air is dry, you can often spray the water on the surroundings, but do not spray directly on the leaves of the plants. Because it is easy to cause water accumulation at the centre of the leaves and cause the whole plant to rot.
Hosta
Hosta is a shade-loving plant that is extremely hardy and can be grown in the open in -4°F climates. The hosta plant can sense our temperature. The biggest feature is that when the temperature drops, its leaves begin to turn yellow, which means that winter is coming soon. At this time, we should consider how to help plants survive the winter. One way is to transplant them into metal raised beds, which will provide continuous heat to the roots in the winter.
The hosta will generally wither in November. We only need to cut off the withered leaves with scissors. No special maintenance, fertilization, or watering is required, but they can be properly provided with light so as not to delay the recovery in the coming year.
Coleus
Coleus is a shade-tolerant plant, but it cannot be planted in places with excessive shade. It is also a sun-loving plant, but it is afraid of direct sunlight. Therefore, it should be properly shaded in late spring and summer because strong light will result in burning the leaves.
In addition, coleus is also good for cold resistance. Its growth temperature is 59°F–77°F. The minimum temperature in winter should not be lower than 41°F. Because if it is too low, it will cause frostbite or slow growth.
Limelight Hydrangea
Limelight Hydrangeas are shade-loving plants. It is a short-sunny plant, prefers a semi-shade environment, and cannot accept too much strong sunlight. Usually, it should grow in a shaded place or an indoor place. It is sufficient to receive 5 hours of light a day, and do not put it directly in the sun in summer to prevent burning the leaves.
The optimum temperature for hydrangeas to grow is between 64.4°F and 82.4°F. At the same time, it also has good cold resistance. Different varieties have different cold resistance. Among them, Limelight Hydrangea has the strongest cold resistance. Hydrangeas grown in the ground will be less hardy than those grown in metal raised beds, so it is best to grow them in metal beds in the winter.
Astilbe
Astilbe is a perennial herbaceous flower. Plants bloom in the warm spring and bloom in the summer and fall. In the winter, if the temperature is above 14°F, it will be fine to raise directly in the garden beds. If the temperature is relatively low, it is best to dig it out and save it for the next year to continue planting! When Astilbe buds grow, they should not be exposed to the sun for a long time, as it will cause the flower buds to wither before they open.
Will the drainage performance be weakened without sunlight?
Without sunlight, the drainage performance will not be weakened. Another reason why some gardeners do not choose to plant in the shade may be the fear that, without sunlight, the drainage properties of the soil will be fallen off.
If it is planted directly on the ground, the drainage performance will be relatively weak, because there is no sunlight to accelerate the loss of water, which can easily cause rotten roots and yellow leaves.
But normally, gardeners will choose to use raised garden beds to improve drainage. No matter how many inches garden beds are used, they are effective in improving soil drainage and air circulation and are great for planting in shade or full sun.
Conclusion
Shade-loving plants in nature grow in forests. The fallen leaves will form natural humus. The natural humus is rich in organic nutrients, and the soil is fluffy. Natural soil can store a certain amount of water and discharge excess water, so this environment is quite excellent.
We don't have to worry about what is suitable for planting in your garden. Some plants may not bloom a lot. We should go with the trend and understand the environment, climate, and light of the place where we live, and then go pick some plants that are suitable for us to grow, because only in this way can you get more beautiful scenery.
Of course, don't waste the shade in the corners, make full use of it to create a mysterious garden. A house full of wonders in the world is a good home.
