|
Shade GardensA Pathfinderby Jane Kalkbrenner, Librarian |
 |
There are many shade loving plants that can provide color and variety to your shade garden. Even the ever popular hosta, the shade garden staple, can add color to your garden depending on its leaf color. Listed below are books, websites and magazines that will help you get started.
Encyclopedias
Books
Magazines
Databases
Websites
Local Resources
Associations
Related Pathfinders
The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas
Grenfell, Diana. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 2004
Arranged alphabetically by leaf color, each entry includes information on the size, color of flower, and special needs or features of individual hostas. Information on propagation and cultivation is also found here. Illustrated.
When searching the OCPL catalog, the subject headings listed below retrieve the most titles.
Gardening in the Shade
Shade Tolerant Plants
Shade Trees
Woodland Gardening
In browsing the library shelves, look at the books in the Dewey Decimal Number 635.954 for shade gardening titles.
Books
Favorite Shade Plants
Harris, Marjorie. Toronto: HarperCollins, 1994
A listing of shade loving plants with detailed descriptions including information on planting and maintaining individual plants. Each plant description includes a color photograph.
Ferns for American Gardens
Mickel, John T. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 2003
As the title indicates, this book is devoted entirely to ferns. Individual entries are arranged alphabetically by the fern’s scientific name (there is a list of ferns by their common name with the corresponding scientific name to help with lookups) and include information on frond size, zone where it does best, ease of growing and a short description of the fern. Photographs are used to illustrate the work however not all ferns have accompanying photos.
A Garden in the Shade
Cramer, Harriet. New York: Friedman/Fairbox 2000
Plentiful yet concise information on hardiness, shade preference, size, landscape use, and maintenance needs of individual plants is accompanied by excellent color photographs of the flowers, shrubs, and leaves of the trees described. There is also general gardening information covering planning, planting, and maintaining a shade garden plus pest control.
Hostas
Barrett, Rosemary. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books, 2004
This book is devoted entirely to hostas, the mainstay of any shade garden. Individual chapters discuss cultivating, propagating, and landscaping by leaf color and with or without containers. There is a very short section giving brief textual descriptions of the varieties of hostas. There are very few illustrations.
Making the Most of Shade
Hodgson, Larry. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2005
Broken into two parts, this title gives information on designing and maintaining a shade garden with a listing of plants that do well in the shade. Information on specific plants includes size of plant and color and season of bloom. Each plant description includes a color photograph.
Shady Retreats: 20 Plans for Colorful, Private Spaces in Your Backyard
Ellis, Barbara W. North Adams, Massachusetts: Storey Books, 2003
This titles gives basic layouts for garden areas and a list of plants by type - perennials, annuals, shrubs, small trees, and vines. Brief plant descriptions are included. The strength of this book is in the examples of garden design.
Step-By-Step Shade Gardens
Taylor, Patricia. Des Moines, Iowa: Better Homes and Gardens, 1995
The information in this title leans heavily towards a discussion on shade gardening with sections on planting, arrangement, maintenance and propagation. There is a very limited section that provides cursory information on shade plants with an illustration of each plant described. This title gives basic “how to” not “what to plant” information.
The Onondaga County Public Library subscribes to many gardening journals.
Titles include but are not limited to:
American Gardener
Better Homes and Gardens
Flower and Garden Magazine
Country Living
Search the OCPL catalog, using the following subject headings to see list of titles owned by OCPL and their location.
Gardening - Periodicals
Horticulture - Periodicals
Landscape Gardening - Periodicals
For articles about shade gardening, see OCPL’s Online Databases. Here you can access magazine and journal articles, newspapers, and reference books 24 hours a day using your OCPL library card and PIN.
For in-library use of the online databases, please see a librarian.
Gardening Places.com
GardeningPlaces.com is an online directory that lists many gardening web sites by category. Categories include: equipment, flowers, gardens, greenhouses, heat zone, nurseries, publications, seeds, products and more. The site is international.
Gardening in the Shade, Explore MU Extension
This site defines what constitutes shade gardens including how to judge the varying degrees of shade and how the amount of shade will change what can be successfully grown. A listing of plants is included with very basic, brief information.
Fernlea
Fernlea.com gives basic information about a variety of plants. Plants are arranged by category with shade plants having its own listing.
Michigan Bulb
The Michigan Bulb site provides “Plant Digger”, a method of selecting plants by category, flower color, sun/shade requirement, and zone. Users enter the required information and the site responds with the names of plants that meet their gardening specifics.
Flower Gardening Made Easy
This web site gives basic information on shade gardening and lists links to other shade gardening sites
Stadler Nurseries
The Stadler Nursery site includes an archive of Garden Journal articles (accessed by clicking on the "gardening tips" button) as well as information on watering, mulching, perennials, trees, shrubs and more.
The Post-Standard
PO Box 4915
Syracuse, NY 13221
ATTN: Carol Bradford
e-mail: features@syracuse.com
Local gardener, Carol Bradford, writes a gardening column based on questions received from her readers every Saturday in the POST-STANDARD and every Sunday in the STARS magazine. She has gardened for many years in the Central New York areas and has a vast knowledge of “what works and what doesn’t”.
Federated Garden Clubs of New York State
In going to this web site and clicking on "District Six", you get a listing of garden clubs located in Onondaga County with an email link to the District Director for contact information.
Gardening - Internet Public Library
A pathfinder compiled by the Internet Public Library listing web sites of Internet resources, associations, and online discussion groups. Books are listed too.
You will need to check the OCPL catalog, to see if they are available in our library system. If not, you may choose to Interlibrary Loan the title. Contact your local public library for more information.