One of the most challenging tasks for any homeowner is finding those perfect plants for the shade garden or north side of the house. Whenever teaching home landscape design classes I am always bombarded with requests to suggest a few plants that are not only attractive but will flourish in shady areas and woodland sites.

Here come those fabulous Brunnera to the rescue. They tend to form 12 inch to 18 inch high mounds that are 18 inches 24 inches wide with baby blue to lavender forget-me-not type flowers occurring in late spring to early summer and lasting up to four weeks. They typically have heart shaped shaped leaves, some with yellow margins, some with silver spots and still others with silverfish overlays. They all have one thing in common, they are attractive not only when blooming but all season long. They are capable of making a statement as an accent plant or as a solid groundcover, and best of all they handle a lot of shade. I have grown them under our Jack Pines and along the north side of our foundation with equal success. Best of all the leaves hold well into the late fall. We have a Jack Frost Brunnera against our foundation that still exhibited gorgeous foliage two weeks after the leaves from the adjacent hostas had frozen back for the year.

Brunnera tend to be very forgiving and are generally rated for zones 3 - 8. They will not tolerate too much sun or heat, however, so protect them. These plants prefer soils that have good drainage. One of the things that I always recommend with most plantings is what I refer to as a $100 hole for a $10 plant. By this I mean that the best time to influence the health and long term vigor of a plant is at the time of planting. A good rule of thumb is to dig your planting hole at least twice as wide as the plant rootball itself, and preferably three times as wide. I always then backfill around the plant with a mix of 1/3 native soil, 1/3 good quality screened topsoil, and 1/3 organic matter such as sphagnum peat moss. I employ this same procedure with the Brunnera I plant.

Following are four of my favorite Brunnera varieities:

1. Brunnera macrophylla ‘Hadspen Cream’ has heart shaped shaped leaves with green centers flanked by irregular yellow margins. It is absolutely beautiful and brightens the foggiest, shadiest day.
2. .Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ is one that I have specified for several years as a groundcover par excellence. It has strong green leaf veins and a wonderful silverfish overlay. Get ready for the compliments from your guests.
3. Brunnera macrophylla ‘Langtrees’ has numerous irregular white to silver spots between the veins on the outer half of the leaves.
4. Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’ has heart shaped leaves that cup downward and are a rather solid silver in color. I have ordered 25 for my own gardens for this coming spring.

All of the Brunnera mix well with other shade tolerant plants. I always like to see them planted in clusters of 3, 5, 7 and so forth. Many times I will specify the Jack Frost massed in front of Krossa Regal or Blue Angel Hostas. The size and color contrast makes for a striking bed. Dress the bed up with some Lamium maculatum ‘Purple Dragon’ or ‘Pink Pewter’ creeping in front for an added treat.

Brunnera are also terrific for setting off a bed of Taunton Yew used as a backdrop. I also like to mix in an occasional Fanal or Etna Astilbe for a splash of red for contrast and to accentuate the unusual foliage of the Brunnera.

Finally, the most breathtaking shade bed I have ever seen was the simplest. It was a mass planting of Jack Frost Brunnera acting as the groundcover beneath three wonderful five stem clump Whitespire birches. There were a few very large character boulders imbedded for additional accent.

Whatever you choose for your shade bed, just don’t overlook those incredible Brunnera. Those challenges and frustrations created by the shade will simply melt away as your success rate soars. Happy landscaping!

Donna Evans is co-owner of Gizmo Creations LLC, a landscape design and website design company located just north of Brainerd, Minnesota. Gizmo Creations designs landscapes for homeowners, commercial buildings and landscape contractors throughout the country. Gizmo Creations has numerous sample plans and photos of landscapes on their website at http://www.gizmocreations.com.

Do you ever dream about what your yard could look like some day? As you look through garden catalogs filled with beautiful trees, shrubs, flowers and pictures of beautifully landscaped yards–complete with ponds and garden sculptures–the choices seem endless. Before ordering hundreds of plants or giving up because you cannot decide what you really want, here are a few things to consider.

A common issue in landscaping is creating a peaceful, private environment. While fencing can provide immediate privacy, consider a buffer strip of shrubbery between your yard and the one next door. Many shrubs will grow quickly–within a couple of years–and act as a screen while providing habitat for a variety of birds. Consider planting native shrubs because they are usually well adapted to local conditions and may provide the best habitat for local wildlife. Other considerations: whether the plants have special characteristics such as flowers or fruits, how large they will eventually become, and how much maintenance they require to remain healthy and in scale with your yard. Check with a local nursery or garden center for recommended species.

If you always thought it would be fun to have a pond, try it. With the variety of materials now on the market, anyone can have a garden pond, regardless of the size of the yard. If you have a lot of space, you can build one right in the ground. You can purchase a pre-formed mold or dig a hole and line it with a plastic pond liner. A simple type of pond consists of a plastic lined barrel or tub. Just add water, plants, a pump, and even fish–and you have a pond for your patio. Be sure to consider sources of electricity if you intend to add a pump. Also, make sure you use caution and take security measures if small children have access to your yard and the pond. Another factor to consider is maintenance. A pond can require a lot of effort to keep it clear of algae, leaves, and debris.

If you do not want to spend your weekends maintaining a yard, turn part of it into a wildflower garden. Depending on where you live, this could be a prairie, desert landscape, or alpine garden. Check on local zoning ordinances. Some communities have not yet recognized the value of native landscaping and may consider this a nuisance area. If you want a more maintained yard, consider ground covers instead of grass and use mulch to control weeds in foundation plantings and flower beds.

When selecting plants, make sure they are adapted to your area. Consider both the minimum and maximum temperatures, amount of moisture, amount of sunlight, and soil characteristics. Ask yourself: Do you want an annual that will need replanting every year or a perennial that comes up year after year? Do you want cut flowers for inside your home or to give to friends?

Consider native plants. They are usually better adapted to local conditions and need little maintenance. Be cautious about introducing exotic species such as purple loosestrife that will become invasive and is prohibited in many states.

Above all, choose what you like. There is an enormous variety of plants that will provide food and shelter to a wide variety of wildlife. With a little planning, you and the local wildlife can both enjoy the yard of your dreams.

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Many ways can be used to accentuate the beauty of your house, and make your backyard more attractive. In your yard design, having a nice patio, a pool or even toys for the kids is great. But having a tree is often overlooked. We will develop ten uses for a tree in your backyard.

1. Create a shade spot in your backyard
2. Create a wind barrier on your property
3. Use tree as an edge fence
4. Hang your self an hamac under your shade spot
5. Have fresh fruit at reach in your backyard
6. Create a scent with a fragrant fruit tree
7. Use a small tree as bonsai and patio tree
8. Add colors to an existing flower arrangement
9. Have a tree house or a swing rope for the kids
10. Hang a bird feeder and attract beautiful bird species

As you see, this is a small list of utilities for a tree in your backyard. Other then those, planting a tree helps the environment by cleaning the air. It will also embelishing your neighborhood and give the surrounding properties, including your home, an increase in value.

There are many ways of acquiring a tree. You can sow a seed, either collected yourself or bougth. Many online website specialize in seeds, especially tree seeds. You could also buy a juvenile tree from a garden center or take a cutting of a tree you like, given it is an appropriate time of the year. You can always hope a neighbors tree will drop a seed in fall and next spring a tree will arise like magic.