I’m adding another flower bed in my slow quest to get rid of lawn and am going to extend it around a small apple tree that we planted 2 years ago now. It’s very sunny in this spot. I’d love some suggestions on what might work right under the tree, that will blend into the rest of the bed and not worry the apple tree. Thinking of putting in dahlias in the rest of it. The other end of this flower bed island has a couple of rhodos, dwarf evergreen (can’t remember the name) phlox, sage, bulbs, and a flowering cherry.
Perennial geraniums! They come in different heights, flowers and are just so wonderful for your purpose. The ones in my pictures have lovely pink flowers that cover the plants and stay for a long period of time. image|375x500
We have Bergenia in the area around our plum trees. Although many varieties prefer shade, ours do well in the sun. They add a splash of colour during summer and fall with their pink flowers. Although some leaves die-back during the winter, they are evergreen and hence add winter interest with their beautiful burgundy leaves. The rabbits seem to leave it alone and, apparently, it is not a favourite of deer either.
I have had really good results with both red and white valerian (Jupiters’ Beard) they flowered almost continuously until the frost and were among the first plants with full leaves under our Tulip Tree
For those of you who like bergenia, I was at Anderton Nursery the other day and they have 2 new varieties. At least new to me. One is a pale lavender colour and the other has a bigger flower. Both lovely. Mine are in both full sun and fairly deep shade and they grow the same in both areas
I had to look up Aqualegia to know that it’s columbine! I actually have too much columbine elsewhere and am getting rid of some of it. I hadn’t thought of a climbing plant on my apple. Wouldn’t it hinder the development of the tree and production of apples though?
The vines shouldnt bother the apple, or you could put a ring of chicken wire around the tree to keep rabbits from chewing the young bark and train the vines all over it?
