From Sunshine to Full Shade: 6 Foolproof Plants for a Cape Cod Landscape

full-sun-shade-cape-cod-landscapeWhether it’s the way your home is positioned or the presence of mature trees and tall hedges, it’s likely that your yard is a combination of full sun, part shade and shade locations. When it comes to placing flowering plants, you can’t fight Mother Nature. Put a flowering plant that craves sunshine in a shaded area and you’ll end up with slow growth and few, if any, blossoms. Set a plant which requires shade in a sunny location and it may fare well through the spring, but by July you’ll have singed leaves and a half-dead plant on your hands.

Here are six suggestions; two for each area. All are perennials and require virtually no care.

Full Sun

  • Gayfeather (Liatris): If your idea of a perfect plant is one which thrives in dry, infertile soil, you’ll love gayfeathers. Once it’s been in the ground for a season, it requires virtually no water beyond rainfall – overwatering gayfeather is about the only way to kill it – and needs no fertilizing. Its feather-like blooms give it its name (it’s also commonly known as blazing star and colic root), as does its glossy leaves. Typically found in shades of purple, but also available in pinks and white, gayfeather loves relentless sunshine and being ignored. It will spread over time and a mature plant can yield flower spikes up to five feet tall.
  • Cape Cod Roses: There are actually several varieties of what are commonly dubbed “Cape Cod roses” in our area. Call them whatever you want, rosa rugosa, rambling roses, etc., but it’s tough not love these tough roses that grow like weeds all over Cape Cod. Given a trellis, they’ll climb and create graceful arches. Left on their own, they’ll spread out as low shrubs. Plant them in full sun and water periodically through the first year and then just let them be. Pruning can be painful – they’re thorny – but will yield a bushier plant and more blooms.

Partial Shade

  • Daylilies: Another perennial that requires little care once it’s established, daylilies come in endless varieties. Shown here is the Stella d’Oro, one of the most popular for gardening on Cape Cod. Consider how often you see them in roadside median beds along Cape roads and you’ll get an idea of just how much abuse they can take. Full sunshine, and water for the first year, will give you bright golden flowers midsummer. Deadheading spent blooms will prolong the flowering period.
  • Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana): Easy to grow from seeds or purchased as seedlings at a local nursery, spider flowers require some sun, well-drained soil and not much else. Tall, spiny foliage topped with a large intricate bloom make these a great option to add texture and beauty to a Cape Cod landscape. They are prolific ‘re-seeders’ and will rapidly spread year after year. Give them room to do their thing or transplant new plants to other areas of your yard.

Shade

  • Hostas: If you have a spot in the yard where nothing but moss ever seems to grow, you have a perfect place for hostas. Because there are so many varieties available, as seen in this photo, you can create something visually striking with nothing but hostas. Low plants with broad leaves ranging from pale green to almost blue, as well as variegated varieties, make hostas attractive in the garden all season long. A long stem will produce a small white or pale purple flower in midsummer. Once established, hostas will spread. Splitting the plants every couple of years will encourage growth. Share the new plants with a neighbor or start another hosta garden!
  • Lilies of the Valley: We started to say that lily of the valley is the most fragrant plant ever, but then we remembered lilacs. Like lilacs, lily of the valley is a spring bloomer and it also produces an intoxicatingly-sweet scent. Give them a bit of care their first year – just a little water and keep the bed free of weeds – and you’ll end up with a lifetime of flowers. They spread like, well, wildflowers; make sure you give them enough room or simply mow any unwanted spread regularly to keep them in check.