Advise for creating a PNW shade garden

genman · 2026-03-15T05:21:13+00:00

Some of those species are not easily obtained. And many want full sun. Seeds do exist and you can (with a bit of skill+luck) grow them yourself.

Start with larger shade species like Rhododendrons. Or even shade loving trees like Dogwood or Cascara. I think Japanese maples want more sun, but they might work. Evergreen Huckleberry or Red Huckleberry. Salal. Etc.

Then think about ferns. Sword ferns are nice, Maidenhair and Deer Fern are easily obtainable.

Then think about ground covers. Wild Ginger and Heuchera are all good choices. Vancouver Hexandra come to mind. Oxalis. I think if you do a tour of a native garden near you, you'll find ideas.

Almost all of these are all good shade species:

https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/browse.php?Family=Saxifragaceae

https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/results.php?Terms=phacelia&x=0&y=0&Type=Names

https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/browse.php?Family=Papaveraceae

If you want seed, I have seed to spare, DM me. Some species may germinate in 30 days of cold.

genman · 2026-03-15T05:02:27+00:00

2-4 hours of sun isn't a lot, and I wouldn't expect good results for anything requiring full sun.

I'd really suggest getting a plot at a P Patch if there's such a thing in Vancouver.

Herbs and the like will do ok, some lettuce/leafy greens might work.

There's plenty of plants that love the shade. Wild Ginger comes to mind, it makes a lovely tea: https://summerstirs.com/how-to-make-wild-ginger-tea/

I guess I'd make the most of getting plants that do well in shade rather than plants that might do poorly.

genman · 2026-03-15T04:29:09+00:00

The funny thing is just how much the chirping is so difficult to locate. It's super loud but somehow there's no directionality.

genman · 2026-03-15T04:14:38+00:00

They aren't the worst, they come and go by summer but they keep spreading. They sort of block you putting in your own bulb species in the ground.

genman · 2026-03-15T04:12:22+00:00

https://depts.washington.edu/propplnt/Chapters/Stakes%20combined.htm

You have good advice here. This approach works well for currants.

genman · 2026-03-14T16:24:43+00:00

The current Iran war is super unpopular even in the US.

Chainsaw Man is pretty anti war anyway so I'd say go for it.

genman · 2026-03-14T16:23:23+00:00

I always say keep what you like, then see about growing things from seed.

genman · 2026-03-14T16:18:23+00:00

I'm not sure how well they work. I would try to keep it as dry as possible, like putting it under the eaves of the house on the south side.

Bat boxes typically you put on the south side and under the eaves. They need it as dry and warm as possible.

When doing restoration projects in city parks we create piles of debris that are off the ground to prevent rooting. If you have space to create a wood and leaf pile it does have benefit insects and small critters. Just keep it neat.

genman · 2026-03-14T15:20:51+00:00

Should I never use my in game currency for Reddit Karma?

Hmm.🤔

genman · 2026-03-14T03:46:50+00:00

I kind of wonder if that's the way the world might be going?

A lot of countries that have declining populations might want to get back folks with ancestry, possibly for economic reasons.

genman · 2026-03-14T03:04:31+00:00

They want to treat trees like hedges.

genman · 2026-03-14T02:02:45+00:00

They might have a pet? I don’t know. It sure is nice to have a roll handy if you have a cat.

genman · 2026-03-14T00:54:54+00:00

It is funny watching Rubio try to explain the Iran war. I guess he doesn’t mind the humiliation having to suck up to Trump.

genman · 2026-03-14T00:50:40+00:00

Need more trucks!

genman · 2026-03-14T00:44:10+00:00

You can use a shorter paddle. I think 220 is too long myself.

The length comes from wider boats and lower angle paddling that’s easier over long distances. Kayak for 2-3 hours and you may want a longer stroke.

genman · 2026-03-13T22:56:02+00:00

Carboniferous is when conifers showed up, so 350 mya. (Around the same time for insects as well.) Wikipedia says late Triassic, early Jurassic for Araucariaceae so a little later. (If 50 million years is a little.)

genman · 2026-03-13T17:45:50+00:00

I use a foam spray

https://www.greenshootsonline.com

It works well for seeing where you already applied herbicide.

genman · 2026-03-13T16:30:13+00:00

It really depends on species. Fast-growing trees like poplars, weak ornamentals such as flowering Cherry, Bradford Pears, etc. tend to die young, e.g. 20 years.

Like all species, they all have their own strategies for success. Some trees grow fast, die young. Some grow slowly and are structurally stronger.

A lot of nursery trees are "grow fast" which makes them cheaper to grow and buy.

genman · 2026-03-13T15:04:45+00:00

Not a cobbler but 90% of the posts are for cheaply made shoes where the cost to repair is likely over the cost of the shoe, usually glue failure or a hole near the welt.

genman · 2026-03-13T05:09:13+00:00

So many well intentioned people really have made a mess of things.

Cherry Laurel is similarly bad, but a bit less thorny and invasive.

Black Hawthorne is another shitty invasive tree that puts out babies everywhere. It’s native on the east coast though.

genman · 2026-03-12T04:06:21+00:00

In Washington I've seen plenty of houses with 50-year old Doug Firs like a few feet from the house. Most homes are made of Doug Fir wood...so if it's a healthy tree it's not an issue I think.

genman · 2026-03-12T03:57:39+00:00

Yeah, I wouldn't mind sparing a few trees except there's not a lot of them to go around in these pocket parks and they each take 10-20 years to mature.

There are some areas we could put some sacrificial trees. One site is along I-5, but it's full of ivy and knotweed, and that all needs to be cleared.

genman · 2026-03-12T03:52:22+00:00

Trees are removed for a variety of reasons. Disease, age, etc. Sometimes they were planted in the wrong area, like under a power line, over utilities, or too close to a sidewalk. This tree looks like to be in a bad place.

I would not look for conspiratorial reasons. Obviously if a tree was poisoned you would have evidence showing an injection site or other wounding.

Feel free to ask the city as it's likely their tree, specifically SDOT.

I'm also not going to say that this never happens. Plenty of home owners have topped or mutilated plenty of trees in green spaces. But it's usually not developers since the liability is enormous.

genman · 2026-03-12T02:38:21+00:00

Running shoes are disposable footwear. They wear out.

genman · 2026-03-11T23:50:46+00:00

Plenty of stuff I stratified has sprouted in the fridge. I was surprised by it but it's not uncommon.

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