40 Plant Woodland Semi-Shade Garden

Not all plants are tolerant of the environment under conifers (pine, spruce, fir, etc.). The number one reason plants struggle under pine trees is the lack of water. Evergreens have deep roots which can take up a great deal of water.  Because of this, new plantings under pine trees will benefit from extra watering in their first year.

The 40 Plant Garden for Partial Shade is designed for medium/consistent soil moisture, and average fertility.

Which plants in this garden will grow in a pine-y environment?

– YES. These would be just fine:
Columbine
Jack in the Pulpit
Wild Geranium
Sky Blue Aster

– MAYBE. these could survive with enough water and light, but it is not the best setting for them.
Blue False Indigo
White False Indigo
Brown Eyed Susan
Shootingstar
Purple Coneflower
Ohio Spiderwort

– NO. These plants need regular, consistent moisture.
Foamflower
Culver's Root

See our list for more information: Plants that grow around pines.

Any of our Pre-planned Gardens can be succesfully planted in either spring or fall.

The Woodland Shade Gardens includes a few ephemeral species (which are shipped as bare root stock). We often recommend planting bare root stock ephemerals in the fall, as it allows you to see their spring emergence and progress. Planting in the spring is also perfectly fine, but the ephemerals may not show much top growth when the root stock is planted in late spring, and will then become dormant for the summer.

When planting in fall, we recommend having the plants in the ground at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes (soil temps below 40 degrees). This is bit of a guess, as it is difficult to know when that will occur in a given year, but base your estimate on the average fall-winter in your area. There's no harm in planting earlier than that. 

Read our article Tips for Planting in Fall for more information on fall planting.

As a rule, we don't allow plant substitutions to be made in any of the Pre-Planned Gardens. If you are looking for more customization, our 32 and 16-Plant Custom Kits let you mix-and-match plants, with a wide variety of choices, for a great price.

Yes. The plants in this garden will withstand frost in the spring. Newly transplanted plants may experience frost damage to the leaves, but the plant & roots remain alive (viable). If the frost or cold temperatures persist the plants can take some time to recover, but should continue to grow with warmer weather.
If the plant foliage is damaged by frost (often it turns black or brown), remove the blackened or damaged foliage.  New growth will slowly appear-most plants taking a few weeks to do so.

Most of the plants in our pre-planned gardens are hardy to zone 4, and only a few species are hardy to zone 5. Once the plants are established they are unlikely to be phased by seasonal weather.

Many of the plants in the semi-shade garden will not be able to tolerate the environment beneath pine trees. The Garden is comprised of plants that thrive in an oak savanna, or edge of hardwood forest environment.

This list of plants that grow under pines may be helpful.

Yes, we provide a planting plant (layout) with each of our preplanned gardens. The layout plan that is visible in the product image gallery is included in the shipment, along with the plants. You can follow our planting plan, or feel free to get creative with your own arrangement!