Astilbe blooming happily in Milly's shade garden
Our yard is quite shady and I spend a lot of time researching plants that are likely to do well. One plant that is intriguing to me is astilbe. It is a perennial that sports beautiful, showy flowers atop glossy, fern–like foliage. The fact that it blooms for quite a long time in summer is also a positive.
Unfortunately astilbe plants are supposed to like moist, shady landscapes and our shady perennial beds are located under trees and are more dry than moist. This is especially true under the huge silver maple tree in our side yard. The understory garden under the maple requires a lot of supplemental watering to keep things from drying out and I am concerned that any astilbe would be constantly struggling.
Last year however, when I visited my sister Milly in northern Wisconsin, I noticed that her astilbe were blooming nicely in the midst of a lot of other perennials. Now, last year was a dry year and I would have expected the astilbe to be struggling, but they were blooming happily amongst the hosta and other shade plants. Apparently at least some astilbe are more hardy and can tolerate at least some drought. I was greatly encouraged by Milly’s astilbe success and am planning to try a few different kinds of astilbe in my shade garden this year. I think that with supplemental watering, I should be successful as well.
Growing Tips:
- Water astilbe during dry spells.
- Apply a balanced organic fertilizer in spring.
- Every 3 to 4 years in the spring divide any overgrown clumps.
- Deadheading spent blooms will not promote continued flowering.