Groucho: You cant go wrong with astilbe's and hostas. I call hostas, elephant ear plants! And so many varieties with whites and greens thru them.
No matter what type of weather you have they grow well, even up north here!

Rose: I'm on board with that!! ;)

ajtgirl: hehe Those are NO maintenance not low maintenance! hehe. I have 4 astilibe's that just go nuts every year and get bigger and bigger. They are sooo pretty!

Groucho:

Ferns, daylillies, astilbe, hosta

spicieangel:
.Do those yuccas survive the winters there?

If so you might be able to add a lot of tropicals around them

ajtgirl: I'm looking for low maintanence ;)

Rose: Wow thats interesting cause i never saw that,it could be our weather.

Foxy this is what I found out!

--The different varieties of Pelargoniums often have very unique characteristics. The red leaves could be a response to some kind of stress like sudden change in the weather (hot days and cold nights). If the plant is otherwise healthy, there is nothing in particular to be done about it, but enjoy the show.

Foxy Lady: That was my first thought. I will do a google search and see what I can find out. They look so neat in the watering cans, I have them hanging from a cast iron plant hanger in the yard.

Rose: I've never seen that happen but could it be the tin?

Geranium Q
Anyone know what would cause leaves on geranium to red? Just started happening this week. I have them planted in two big tin watering cans.

ajtgirl: my drift wood is very large and it provides a border for my yucca plants, i live in Virginia near the chesapeake bay its 1 pm and 91 right so thats an idea of our temps im looking for something simple to care for

Groucho:

Are you looking for annuals or perennials for your shady spot?  Any type of fern would be lovely although they do not flower.
 

Spicieangel:

are you going to keep them inside or outside?  What is the climate etc? Orchids can attach themselves to driftwood but need a little special care

Doris: Ha Ha good point, our's seem to be on the menu everynight and the slugs and snails dine until the sun rises. You can get some nice yellow verigated varities also.

skipinnz: Don't forget about the Hosta's, beautiful green foliage and blooms that attract butterflys and hummingbirds..:}

spicieangel: i don't know offhand, sorry - though if Ms. ajtgirl does mail order - or if You're in the New York area - She may be able to help You. if not, and Your local gardening center doesn't sell them, there's always buying online. :)

and i imagine they are something like the air plants You had as a kid, though i don't know for sure.

plaintiger: do you know where i would go to get the air plants and what is it you mean something like i had as a kid an air fern???

Dolittle and Ms. Fox: that'll work!

Dolittle: Were just getting flowers on our tomato plants our garden is behind due to the weather.

plaintiger: You can do some container gardening.

plaintiger:I don't have a veggie garden, just plant in spaces in my flower beds!!:^)

Dolittle: sounds lovely! i've been thinking about a veggie garden lately, but really got noplace to put one where i live now. :/

I already have ripe tomatoes in my garden. Am so excited...will have beans before long too!

Groucho: Well a couple of sugestions are Chatham Island forget me nots & Cyclamen. Both are low growing but have nice displays of flowers.
They also do well in colder climates with little sunlight.

skipinnz: not sure of the total square footage but it's pretty big.

I plan on part of it being used for a play area for the granddaughter. The other part a garden area and here is where I want some flowers/flowering plant and greens. It's very Pacific Northwestern, woodsy. I have tall trees in the yard and love the shade they bring.

Groucho:You could try tree fern(ponga) but they can get tall. How big an area are we talking about?

skipinnz: ah, right - tillandsia. thank you. :)

The climate is Pacific Northwest

plaintiger:tilandsia, is the plant and if the climate is tropical then Elk & Staghorn ferns could also be considered.

Groucho: I know i'm going to spell this wrong but i find impatience's do well in the shade.All living things need light but some flowers will wilt in sunlight.

spicieangel: what were those air plants we were talking about a few weeks ago, Ms. ajtgirl? think those would be apt candidates for Ms. angel's driftwood project...

Foxy Lady: Yeah, yeah. ;) I knew that. Ok, for a legitimate question: What are some of the best plants that do will in shade and partial shade (is there a difference between partial shade and partial sunlight??)

;)

Groucho:

Rose: I had posted a comment right after you posted about the Neem,that was deleted.I'll post it again .I bought the Neem but never got to use it my hubby is very funny,were now using black and red pepper .So far i gotta say the rabbits are leaveing the garden alone.

Foxy Lady: Miracle Grow doesn't work on bald heads though so it's a bit of false advertising.

i have some really wonderful fairly large pieces of driftwood.... does anyone know of some plants that may grow on it??

Foxy Lady: I did too with miracleGro.
I use a similar product now but very diluted every few weeks to the plants that are in pots as they dont get the natural minerals from the soil
NEEM. is by far the best all natrual product Ive ever used. kills bugs somehow by cutting off their air, doesnt harm birds or cats. I just neemed my hedge and have totally gotten rid of the red lily beetle by using it.
You can buy it at all good nuseries and online

WatfordFC: Rose posted a product called Neem that is safe to use.It's back a few pages.Be careful with that MiracleGro i got carried away once and burnt my plant.

skipinnz: Yes mine looked tatty as well once they had been pruned back. I will keep at it anyway, and feed them once a fortnight and jsut hope soon it will flower. Last year i had the most amazing colours from them.

WatfordFC:Sorry to hear that I can only assume they were cut back to soon. It works for us each year, but the plants do look really tatty when we prune them.

skipinnz: No i dont think so, the guy that does my garden cut it right back at the end of flowering season last year, the leaves have litle holes in them, so definately been attacked by some bugs. I have put some pellets around the base of the bush and saturated it in Miraclegro, so hopefully that will help.

skipinnz: Where i live its a very short Summer and our growing time is less than 3 months.

Foxy Lady:Other side of the world New Zealand. Though we don't get as severe a winter as you get over there. My vegie garden produces all year round, just limited a bit during winter.

skipinnz: Your into Winter where are you from.Were just getting into Summer and our veggie gardens are behind due to our weather.

Skipinnz:
You are absolutely right about the fact that one should never prune hydrangea until their blooms have died.  I prefer to wait until the following fall. The flowers buds are only produced on last years growth. To cut any hydrangea back  limits it's  potential, especially if they are newly planted.

Therefore
 Rose:P Be patient. I have seen some Easter Lilies and Mother's Day Hydrangeas turn into beautiful monstrous shrubs any gardener would be proud to own.

Rose: Well I hope your seasons don't turn upside down like ours are at present. I've got Daffs coming out and it's winter, they won't last long it's getting mighty cold at nights.

skipinnz: Thanks for that! I love the flowers on them. Very pretty and I had no idea until last year that we could even grow them here with out rough winters!
I'm going all perennial now so am learning tons about different plants from poppy to hollyhocks and even lavender. Lots of fun!

Rose:Once the flowers have gone all brown and ugly, I cut that flower stalk back to the last leaf and thats where the new growth will come away from next season

skipinnz: Thanks for the tidbit on Hydrangeas. This is year two for me trying them ( taking them from old mothers day potted plants an putting them in the ground) had beautiful purple blooms last year an just learning now about acid soil and now that affects the colour of the blooms. Ive got 4 now in my flower bed, only one is showing the start of flower buds. So when you say to cut them back ruthlessly, can you elaborate? These are only about 6 to 9 inches high in my flower beds now

nobleheart: i love the smell of lilacs myself. we have some very straggly (but very big!) ones in our side yard whose delicate bouquet saved them from my thinking they were gigantic weeds and pulling them up.

told You i'm no gardening ace!