Ryan’s Midnight Gardens

A primer on my urban landscape in Des Moines, IA,a culmination of decades of shade gardening, perennial experimentation, and the love of dwarf conifers.

In Des Moines, IA, a marginal Zone 5 and predictable Zone 4 climate, I’ve spent decades falling in love with the combination of climate, soil, water and plants.

Oakleaf hydrangeas in August. Spectacular blooms summer of 2012. They grew about 100% faster than I anticipated.

I’m just shy of an acre, in the heart of historic Des Moines. My back yard is north-facing, where most of my dwarf conifers and square foot gardens exist—but I have an 8-story slope, with no back neighbors and only native prairie to provide me a solid shelter and predictable Zone 5 climate.

Another one of my favorites—Trycirtis in Autumn.

I am in the midst of restoring an 1892 house… it’s not going as quickly as I’d hoped. Primarily because I’ve been spending most of my financial, time and energy resources on the landscape rather than the structure.

One of my dwarf conifers growing quite well underneath the pin oak, in much shade, and little moisture.

My front yard is primarily shaded by a 150-year old Pin Oak tree… one that, when dropping its acorns in the fall, rivals any hail storm I have ever seen.

When I purchased the property in the fall of 2010, there was a 20-year old Blue Spruce, the 150-year old majestic Pin Oak tree, some random Hackberries, and a horribly week Mulberry tree.

I’m always excited for anemone in the fall.

I’ve since planted an eclectic array of dogwoods, viburnum, redbud, purple beech, tricolor beech, cherry, japanese lilac, paperbark maples, and red oak. They’re all carrying on as they should, and I’ve yet to lose a specimen. I believe I’ve probably been a bit spoiled, and I find myself shopping southern nurseries to push my luck with more exotic specimens not normally grown in this climate.

I’ve littered the front with Hellebore, one of my favorites. And I continue to try my luck at Rogersia, with little luck. I have the shade, but not the moisture.

My goal is to be able to make it an enviable garden tour stop within five years… and I think I’m well on my way to that goal.

I think my Brunnera is extremely happy underneath the pin oak. Next to anemone and old fashioned bleeding heart… and a small little lungwort.

Feel free to drop me a line on anything shade garden or dwarf conifers. I’m neck deep in heirloom tomatoes, and have a pretty good handle on what it takes to grow a nice collection of these wonderful fruits in the city, no matter the US climate.

Oak leaf hydrangea about 6 weeks after its prime blooming season, next to tricolor beech and underneath the pin oak tree.

Let me know what you’re experimenting with, what’s working for you and what’s not.