So as the title says I have a completely blank slate to work with on a house that faces north west. The front gets no morning sun, very little afternoon sun, and lots of evening sun except in winter. Zone 8A.
I REALLY love hydrangeas, I just don’t think I have a viable environment for them in front of this house. Are there any shrubs that would thrive here? Trying to avoid evergreens if I can.
by corndoghut123
4 Comments
Honesty, if you want flowers in your front yard with a Northwest facing house you’ll need as much sunlight as you can get. I would highly recommend removing that tree and any others shading the front yard. Nothing will really thrive as long as it’s there. I’m in the same zone and really struggle to get flowers to grow on the northwest side of my house and I have half the shade you do.
No foundation shrubs. Maybe an island around the tree. I see H quercifolia flower in pretty shady places. Native to USA so big plus. Some Viburnums do some shade too. I think an evergreen in the mix is a good thing. Love a shade garden!
I have a dog wood on the northwest corner of my home – 7a Missouri. It’s elevated up about a foot. I’m,Ike how it frames that dude of my house and of course the beautiful spring blooms. I also grow azaleas, carex, boxwoods, touch of gold holly, black liriope in that space. As well as Jack Frost Siberian bugloss in the shade of the dogwood. All these have been pretty deer and rabbit resistant if that’s an issue in your area.
Hydrangeas need some shade, oak leaf needs a lot.
You’ve got exactly what I am striving for in my patio garden. NW facing bed but only a 6′ fence+1 story house behind and a magnolia tree to the north that I need to develop all the way to the fence line so the bed is shaded. Right now there’s too much sun March through September for the oakleaf and orchid so I built a shade structure over them despite the tree planted 5′ away.
Does the tree canopy reach the house? Have you double checked your sun exposure using a sun tracking app? Perhaps you could have oakleaf in the shadiest part and there’s enough sun for other varieties in another section. I adore oakleaf and would not mind having a shrubbery with it, some large ferns with a fringe of sedges and spring flowers.
See your state’s native plant society and look for plants that love mostly shade that tolerate the soil and water conditions here.