Bear's breech is acting strange
Q: I have two questions about the bear's breech in my garden. It seems to be an evergreen perennial in our climate in that the leaves last through the winter. Should I prune off the older leaves in early spring to give it a fresh start? Also, I notice that each plant sends up a flower stalk every other year. Is this normal, or does it have something to do with the fact that my plants are in a very shady area?
A: Bear's breech, or Acanthus mollis, are evergreen in a not-so-cold winter, and they look much better if you cut away last year's leaves as the fresh ones emerge in spring. Your second question is tougher; I don't know why they wouldn't bloom every year. Maybe you've inadvertently cut off the small, new flower stalks when you trim back the leaves? If the shade is too deep, Acanthus will leaf out but not bloom, but that doesn't explain why they'd flower alternate years.
Q: I am a resident in a complex in South King County. Behind one of the buildings we have a space that is shaded all day by either the building or a large maple tree. No grass grows there, and it becomes a mud pie when it rains. Is there an option we could check out? I hope you can help me.
A: Shade-loving groundcovers and small shrubs sound like the answer to your problem. I think you'll find the dry soil beneath the maple more of a challenge than the shade. Whatever you plant beneath the tree will need plenty of supplemental water the first couple of years until well-established. Be sure to improve the soil with compost, and mulch the new plants to conserve moisture. Installing a drip-irrigation system, or putting down plenty of soaker hoses is a good idea so that the tree roots don't out-compete the new plantings.
Not every landscape problem needs to be solved with plants. Consider creating a shady retreat beneath the tree. A gravel terrace with a couple of comfortable chairs or a bench swing would lure people into the garden in warm weather. You could plant around the terrace for a lush look, yet have far fewer plants to care for than if you plant the entire area.
You might plant a grouping of Aucuba japonica 'Variegata,' an evergreen shrub with leaves splashed in bright yellow so it shows up well in shadowy spots. Other shrubs for shade include Skimmia japonica with bright red berries, and Fatsia japonica with huge, glossy, exotic-looking foliage. If you're prepared to provide plenty of water, hydrangeas and hostas would both be beautiful and add flowers to the scene.
Closer to the ground, hardy geraniums such as 'Johnson's Blue,' hellebores for winter bloom, ferns, and the chartreuse-flowering Euphorbia amygdaloides robbiae are all good choices for groundcovers that will fill in happily despite shady conditions.
Q: I live on the west side of Whidbey Island and have probably some of the toughest weather for gardening. Considering there are 270 miles of waterfront on Whidbey, I am sure many people would be interested in some advice on seaside gardening.
A: Rugosa roses are the first answer to any seaside-gardening question, and now that there are dwarf varieties to choose from, you don't need acres to accommodate these handsome, tough and fragrant shrubs. A hedge of rugosas creates an ideal windbreak to protect less wind-tolerant plantings.
Another good hedge plant is the evergreen shrub Escallonia rubra that doesn't spot in salt spray. Rock roses (Cistus species) have woolly foliage and pretty summer flowers. Perennials for seaside gardens include euphorbias, Corsican hellebores, Shasta daisies, lavender, thyme, rosemary, yarrow and blue fescue.
"Native Plants in the Coastal Garden," by April Pettinger and Brenda Costanzo (Timber Press, revised and updated, 2002) is a great source of information on shoreline plant communities. The "Sunset Western Garden Book" (Sunset Publishing, 2001) includes a lengthy list of plants for seacoast gardens.
Valerie Easton also writes about Plant Life in Sunday's Pacific Northwest Magazine. Write to her at P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111 or e-mail planttalk@seattletimes.com with your questions. Sorry, no personal replies.