Shade garden under Hemlocks?

[Simon Matthews]

Can I grow a shade garden under a row of 3 hemlock trees? if so what do I need to consider?

 

[Esther Knapicius]

If you do a search, you will find threads started with list of shade plants etc.

 

[LIcenter]

First you need to find shade lovers that like an acid environment. It's not all that easy to grow plants under evergreens.

 

[Beth_B]

I have hosta, Japanese ferns and a couple other perennials I can't recall the name of
planted within the drip line of a pine tree. The bed gets filled with discarded needles and pine cones but the plants seem happy. They've been there for five years.
Photo showing the pine tree branch.

 

[LIcenter]

I have hosta, Japanese ferns and a couple other perennials I can't recall the name of
planted within the drip line of a pine tree. The bed gets filled with discarded needles and pine cones but the plants seem happy. They've been there for five years.
Photo showing the pine tree branch.

View attachment 14694

Both will do nicely in acidic soil. I think a good ground cover could be vinca minor also.

 

[Marck]

Can I grow a shade garden under a row of 3 hemlock trees? if so what do I need to consider?

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

It would have been good to post posted a few photos from the proposed site. Tou location or climate parameters would also have been very helpful.

Would the three Hemocks (Tsuga sp.) provide the only shade that this garden will be receiving? This is not stated, but assuming the shade is light partial, or dappled, many plants could be grown beneath the trees.

The issue of soil acidity was brought up. Some plants require acidic soil, other cannot abide it, but many more will tolerate it, especially with mounding and amendment. The mere presence of the Hemlocks alone does not promise that the soil is highly acidic, though it might be so.