A Wave of Color

Last fall, I created a free-form, 20-by-10-foot planting bed beside my front steps. It is full of spring bulbs and gets full sun. After the spring show, I am looking to plant one or two species that will cover the area with color for the entire summer and require near-zero maintenance. I am considering a large planting of Tidal Wave petunias for a bushy, no-dead-heading bed of color. Do you have other suggestions?

GEORGE SALUTO /// Danvers

For sun-thriving, season-long color, any of the Wave brand of petunias will serve as a low-maintenance ground cover. At 4 to 6 inches tall, the original Wave petunias are the lowest-growing of the bunch. They have an average spread of 4 feet per plant. The new Easy Wave is similar, but slightly more mounding at 8 to 10 inches tall, and less vigorous, spreading about 3 feet. If planted close together, the Tidal Wave variety runs wild, growing over other plants. It can create a hedge nearly 22 inches tall. Waves hold up through rain and wind, too. If you choose Tidal Waves, try planting complementary colors –silver and purple, for example – to bring out the best of each.

Another option is calibrachoa, a petunialike plant with flowers just 1.5 inches wide. They branch and spread well, have oodles of blossoms, and come in a range of colors. At just 8 to 10 inches tall, they are attractive when planted en masse. They shed their spent flowers and last from spring through first frost. Look for varieties such as Superbells and Million Bells.

Also consider vinca – the annual bedding plant, not the perennial ground cover. There are two types: trailing vinca, which is best for containers and hanging baskets, and the upright form, which is used to fill in landscape beds. Different varieties tolerate different temperatures, but most will perform well in the summer and last through early October. The plants have glossy, dark-green leaves, round flowers, and come in a range of colors.

Another choice, the Intensia phlox series, has a tolerance for heat, cold, and humidity, mounds to about 8 to 14 inches, and is covered with fragrant blossoms.

Finally, consider planting a bed of perennials. As the spring bulbs fade, perennials will begin to leaf out, covering the browning leaves. Some varieties of Gaillardia – my new favorite perennial – bloom from spring through first frost. It’s fairly low-maintenance, and it will come back next year.

I’m trying to find a climbing vine that will do well in deep shade. Any recommendations?

MANUEL VIVEIROS /// Attleboro

Most climbing vines prefer full sun to partial shade. However, one that might do well in deep shade is Boston ivy, a vigorous grower that’s perfect if you’re looking to cover something – a chain-link fence or bare wall – quickly. It has three-lobed leaves that turn red in autumn before falling. Watch out – its tendrils can wrap around supports and hold on quite fiercely, even ripping them out of the ground over time.

English ivy, which has dark-green leaves, is an evergreen, making it a good year-round cloak. Again, be careful– this plant climbs using aerial rootlets, which can grow into the mortar of a brick wall and weaken it.

One of my favorite vines is climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris). The deciduous vine grows in sun and in full shade. It has rounded, dark-green leaves and produces flattened clusters of white, lacelike flowers in early summer. It prefers moist soil

and is a slow starter, taking a few years to establish itself. Once settled, the plant is magnificent on walls, fences, or even mounding itself in garden corners.

My new home has several oak trees that allow only brief periods of sun during the summer. Can you suggest some flowering perennials for these conditions?

LINDA PINNONE /// Lexington

Moist soils can promote root disease, so any perennials needing regular watering should be planted at least 10 feet from the base of the trees. This will also get your plants away from the tree’s fibrous roots that would surely prevent the perennials from becoming well established.

Flowering perennials for shade typically have understated blooms, often on stalks held above richly colored foliage. Ajuga is favored as a ground cover because of its reliable and sturdy foliage, which can range from variegated greens and pinks to dark chocolate-brown and burgundy. At 4 to 6 inches tall, it produces delicate pink or bluish flowers that seem

almost to hover above the leaves.

Hosta is usually planted for its foliage; its white or lavender flowers are a bonus. The blooms, on tall stalks, can be sizable, making a big statement if the plants are close together. I suggest investigating large-leaved varieties that have interesting color (some have bluish hues) and textures. With several varieties planted together, you can have flowers from spring through late summer.

Heuchera is another shade lover that has rounded-to-lobed and patterned foliage and produces a nice display of dainty flowers similar to ajuga. The Dolce series has fantastic leaf colors – silvery green, peachy orange, lime green, and chocolate. Pink flowers line

stalks about 16 inches tall.

If you like heuchera, you’ll also enjoy tiarella. Also known as foam flower, its leaves are more deeply cut, with distinct coloring along its mid-ribs. Stalks tend to be densely packed with flowers, almost like a bottlebrush.

I live where the houses are very close together. I have a brick parking space next to my home and would like a natural barrier between it and the property next door. I am thinking of using large containers. Is there a small evergreen that would not need to be eventually transplanted into the ground? What about holly?

CHERYL DEAN /// Newburyport

Before you decide which plants will serve you practically and aesthetically, select your containers carefully. They need to hold enough soil to support larger plants through the seasons, so they should be at least 18 to 24 inches in diameter. They also need to hold up to freezing and thawing cycles, so clay pots are not a good option. Wood, concrete, or some of the lightweight, durable plastics are better possibilities. You will also need to place spacers under the pots to allow water to drain and air to flow through.

As for plantings, the traditional holiday-time holly might not be the best choice. Its prickly leaves may be a problem as you maneuver your car in and out of the space. Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), which has small, dense, rounded leaves, may be a better option. Heights vary from 4 to 12 feet, depending on the cultivar, but Japanese holly is quite susceptible to cold winters, especially in full-sun locations.

Dwarf forms of common evergreens such as juniper, Norway spruce, and pine work well in containers. Tall ornamental grasses, densely planted in long, narrow wooden boxes, will create a flexible “wall” between you and your neighbor. If you have a sunny location, try Calamagrostis arundinacea “Karl Foerster” or many of the Miscanthus sinensis varieties. These reach 4 to 6 feet tall and produce flowers that last well into winter.

Also consider smaller trees or shrubs that have yearlong interest. Red osier dogwood is a shrub with bright red branches. Hamamelis mollis varieties produce small, threadlike flowers as early as January.

And, even in winter, the star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) holds its ready-to-bloom, fuzzy buds at its branch tips. Small trees and shrubs can be pruned to maintain a desired shape and size or to allow planting bulbs, low-growing perennials, or colorful annuals beneath the branches.

Ellen C. Wells is a horticulturist and freelance writer. E-mail her at wellsellen@comcast.net.

NEED HELP WITH GARDENING?

E-mail questions to askthegardener@globe.com or mail them to The Boston Globe Magazine/Ask the Gardener, PO Box 55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819.