Have trouble spots in your PNW garden? Here’s what you should plant there

Warmer nights are finally here, so coleus, impatiens, begonia and marigolds can go out into the garden. And it may finally be warm enough to plant squash, corn and bean seeds as well.

This is also the week to note what survived the winter and visit a local nursery to place the right plant in the right place. Here are some challenging sites and some plant suggestions:

Full sun against a west- or south-facing wall

The heat reflected off a building will cause sunburn on many plants, including Japanese maples, ferns and a host of annuals and perennials.

The flowering annuals that thrive in this hot spot include lantana, fan flower, ivy geraniums, marigolds and most petunias. Perennials that love the heat are those with gray foliage, such as artemisia, euphorbias, salvias and sage as well as most Mediterranean herbs. Basil and tomatoes demand the hottest spot of your garden and often it is the reflected heat from buildings that make them the happiest.

Tip: You can’t kill a good rock. Planting boulders instead of bushes in your sun-drenched hot spots is a trick that will give the space year-round structure. As a bonus, large boulders give a smooth backdrop that is good for displaying spring-flowering bulbs and summer blooms.

Small or narrow beds

Sometimes it is the smallest spaces that can be the biggest challenge. If you want something green next to a pathway or close to the house, pick a plant that won’t overstep its boundaries and need constant pruning to keep it in check.

The winner in the tall, dark and narrow shrub category is Ilex “Sky Pencil,” a boxwood look-alike that grows up but not out. A row of these pencil-shaped evergreens can look a bit like a battalion of soldiers lining up for review, but for a more casual look you can stagger the placement or use just three to five Ilex mixed with softer growing shrubs such as Nandina “Heavenly Bamboo” in one of the dwarf or more compact forms. Nandina “Sienna Sunrise” is slow growing to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

Perennials that would fit into a sunny, narrow bed include lavender, Euphorbia “Ascot Gold” and many of the sedums, including Sedum “Autumn Joy” and her colorful cousins. For a narrow space in the shade, look for compact hosta such as “Mouse Ears” and “June,” as well as astilbe, heuchera and heucherella.

Flowering annuals with a more compact growth habit include plants in pots, especially the calibrachoas that look like mini petunias — and in our Western Washington climate, the calibrochoas do better in containers than they do planted in the ground.

Deer-resistant plants with lovely foliage

Don’t fight Mother Nature, if deer like to feed in your landscape. Although deer will nibble or taste any plant, the dark foliage of Sambucus Nigra or Purple Elderberry have shown great deer resistance. There is even a new variety of Sambucus called “Strait-Laced” that grows just 3 to 4 feet wide, making it suitable for smaller spaces.

Rhododendrons, barberries, junipers and yuccas are other shrubs that deer ignore. Lavender, rhubarb and Nandina are other useful landscape plants for gardens in deer country.

Dry shade near tree roots

Euphorbias can compete with tree roots as can shallow-rooted groundcovers such as vinca minor, ajuga and crane’s bill geranium. Barberries and nandinas may survive if they receive a half day of sun, but all shrubs planted in dry shade will need at least a year of watering until the roots are established.

My favorite evergreen for dry shade is the tropical looking Aucuba. There are colorful varieties with gold-variegated foliage called “Mr. Goldstrike” and “Gold Dust.” Plant them in a protected location out of the wind and Aucuba can light up a dark corner or tree canopy and survive on very little water.

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.