Turning a Problem into an Opportunity
When I travel around the country, I am most asked about deer evils. The second most talked about issue is dealing with dry shade. In Planting the Dry Shade Garden, my guest, author Graham Rice, takes on this daunting problem. Rice trained in horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. He is the author of over 20 books including the American Horticultural Society’s Encyclopedia of Perennials.
“Dry shade is the most inhospitable part of any garden. Faced with what seems to be a lost cause, some gardeners simply admit defeat and use the area for the woodpile or the tool shed. But there is no reason why dry shady areas cannot be as attractive as the landscaping in the other areas of your property,” he writes.
I like the section of the book where he rates trees – from those with the most dense cover and shallow moisture-sucking roots to those that do not have those characteristics. I think it is the first time anyone has approached dry shade from the angle of developing a garden spot designed to have filtered light.
The book profiles more than 130 plants. For more information on Rice and his latest book: Planting the Dry Shade Garden
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I recently read your article, ‘Easy Indoor Gardens’, in AARP’s The Magazine. It was hands down the best, most helpful article I’ve ever read, describing, step by step, how to keep them healthy! Thank you.