What Could I Use?

[titelines]

Hi All,

I have a fairly long gravel driveway and I'd like to spruce up both sides of it with some flowers. Not a garden mind you, I'd just like to have the feel of some wildflowers, like they just naturally grew there.

Problem is, the area is pretty heavily wooded and doesn't get a lot of sunlight. I see these wildflower mixes all the time, and I like the idea of walking down the driveway and tossing a mix of a seeds down; but don't know if they would be right for me.

Can anyone suggest something that I could use?

Thanks!

[nofishfisherman]

I've seen the wildflower mixes used with decent success. You'll need to find one that works for heavy shade. That would be your easiest option.

[BoxMN]

How about some grasses? Like the taller ones that get golden or reddish, or some sedges? I am not sure how they do in shade, but they can help with the look I think you ar egoing for, with some wildflowers mixed in, then a big ol' clump for tall grasses, then some more flowers...

Or some Hastas mixed in. I know the deet like them though, but they grow anywhere and are very hardy. Many people have them like crazy, so not too hard to find for free from some friends.

Good luck!

[jerkbait]

A mix of ferns and hostas. They do really well in the shade.

[hotrod1]

You can get a woodland mix of wildflowers. It would look nice with a mix of some native grasses and sedges.

It can however be expensive see to purchase and you have to be patient...they can take a couple years to get close to what you want to see.

If you deside to use native grass, I would consider planting that grasses first and let them go a year or so. Then maybe purchase the flowers in flats like annual flowers, and plant where you would like them. That way you could spray any broadleaf weeds as they come up in your native grass without killing the flowers.

[titelines]

All great ideas - Thanks everyone!

I like the idea of a mix of grasses and wildflowers, seems like a cool combination.

The undergrowth we have now on the acreage is thick with ferns, so I've got plenty of them, and I'd like to stay away from the hostas. In the end, I'd like it look like the stuff just kind of grew there naturally.

Thanks again - Keep the suggestions coming.

[B. Amish]

daisy fleabane, wild columbine, and new england aster are wildflowers you'll see along woodland edges... but I don't know how well they'll do in full shade.

wild ginger is a really cool shade loving wildflower of deciduous woods, but it's small and not real showy.

downy yellow violet, large flowered bellwort, and woodland sunflower are other candidates to look into