Perennial Shade Plant Suggestions Needed

[catjac1975]

Starting to collect stuff to plant. YOU know how it is--you get excited and just buy! I bought one package of 10 purple gladiolas (for the south and sunny bed next to the house), and one package of 30 white gladiolas. I bought these Beautiful purple ones (10/package) at an FS store, whose owner was rethinking the $3.99 price tag after I bought them. ALL are Big bulbs, like 1 1/2"-2" wide and feel very good. NONE has tried to sprout yet. I've been studying up and read this:
http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/g-40-gladiolus-planting-guide.aspx
"Many growers plant glads at two-week intervals to extend the blooming season."
Since they are iffy to live through out zone 5 to 5 1/2 winters, I'll take the advice of planting them 6 inches deep and we'll toss a coin.
Our last frost date here is about mid-April.
Any thoughts as to when to plant?

There are hardy gladiolas but what you bought are probably not hardy.. I would plant a week a part at most. For me the season is just long enough to get them to bloom. If your season is longer you can extend the planting. Leave them in the soil until the first hard frost is predicted then lift, dry and store until next season.

 

[Nyboy]

Let us know when you want plants to start arriving for daughters garden. My bleeding heart are about 3 inches tall.

 

[Carol Dee]

Oh! I better go look for mine under all the leaves we never cleared last fall!

 

[ducks4you]

I'm about to start on the yard this week! I'll be there on Tuesday so that the gravel guys can deliver. There is mud in front of the cement in front of their garage AND mud where you can park in front.
First thing will be picking up ALL of the sticks in the yard. I did that yesterday at my place. We have established pine trees on the north side of the house and the winter winds PLUS the 50 mph gusts that we had a few days ago brought down a lot of debris. DH and I burned it all. REMARKABLE how far they blew.
I had my DD buy me a dozen paper lawn and leaf bags to fill, plus I have empty 50 pound grain bags that I can fill and reuse. I think that there are a lot more to pick up than I thought, BUT, it needs to look nice and leaving them doesn't seem right. YOU know, preparation is key.
I did buy a new spade:
https://www.menards.com/main/outdoo...s-drain-spade/p-1444445286630.htm?cm_vc=PDPZ1
I ran my old one of these over with my tiller, trying to finish tilling in the dark a couple of years ago.
It had a wooden staff, which probably saved me the tiller. I am giving my DD's the receipts and then they can take ME shopping to pay me back. They bought me a jug of Burgandy for the spade.
This week they are buying me a replacement bottom sheet for my Queen sized bed. Don't need a whole set, because the fitted sheet got a hole. I am using what is left of it to sew some pillow cases.
I also bought two 4' x 8' white plastic lattice panels. They look like this:
https://e2x3s6i4.ssl.hwcdn.net/main/items/media/MASTE004/ProductLarge/1124517.jpg
The wooden ones were really cheap and thin and costs about $12.00/panel, AND we would have had to paint them. Theses were $19.00/panel and require no maintainance. I did a dead reckoning measurement with my arm span, finger span (I'm a pianist and my span is 8 1/2 inches) and an estimate of the rest and came up with (5'4"=64 inches), so (64 x 3) + 8 1/2 + 3 = ~ 17 feet. I think we'll attach it about 8 inches up from the ground and either put them 4 inches apart or measure the distance and divide all inches over 16 feet ( 5'4" + 5'4" + 5'4" = 15' + 1' = 16 ft) by 3 and leave that amount in the middle and on the sides. They assured me that I can drill through the plastic to attach. The garage has those old shingle sidings and looks a lot like this:
http://images.meredith.com/diy/images/2009/02/p_SCN_092_05.jpg
I'm considering also looking for some kind of screws that have a sort of hook to screw in at some of the openings.
If you ship me any plants, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know how much it costs you to ship. I would like to either write you a check to cover OR send you the equivalent in postage stamps, your choice.

 

[thistlebloom]

Are you ready for plants now Ducks?
PM me your address and I can send them when you have time for planting.

 

[Nyboy]

Your bed sheets don't match

 

[ducks4you]

Your bed sheets don't match

HA, HA!!! Actually, I've done this before. My mother gave me 5 sets of sheets and the fitted sheet on one set wore out quickly. I took a pillowcase to the store and got a solid sheet that matched pretty well to the pattern. These are a very pale, slate blue with a ribbon, blue on blue pattern. I cut some of the material around the hole and I have it in my purse. I'll try to match it as closely as possible.
When I get this set back in use, I'll be back to 11 sets of sheets, and I rotate them. Every set gets used about 5-6x/year, so they last longer.
I'll be making matching pillow cases. DH uses 3 pillows at night, so we have 4 pillows on the bed, and mine is oversized. It will be really nice to have an entire set of pillowcases that match all of the pillows. Now, if I could just get my Serger back from my DD!!!

 

[Nyboy]

 

[Nyboy]

Are you ready for plants now Ducks?
PM me your address and I can send them when you have time for planting.

Ditto

 

[thistlebloom]

Your bed sheets don't match

Gee NYboy, don't you close your eyes when you sleep?
I turn off the lights and close my eyes, so I can't see the sheets anyway...

I had a client that ironed her sheets ..........please tell me you don't do that.