Perennials for a tough spot

My little front garden is a tough spot. It is shaded most of the day, then gets hot west-facing afternoon sun. It also gets heavy deer and rabbit grazing. Any suggestions for perennials that can handle those conditions?

Must be less than 3' per HOA requirements.

Thank you!

Hi.
look at pfaf.org. Filter by your climate, use semishade, your water requirements, and look what plants may suit it.
Consider it a bit warmer than your local climate, since the afternoon sun is warmer. If you attach plants to the wall, it's even warmer.

About your grazing animals, maybe you can find a way to protect your plants. You can lure grazing animals placing food they love away from the stuff you want to protect. If they eat enough maybe they will leave your other plants alone. Or you could try fencing.

Thanks, Abraham. I'd never heard of that database. Very cool!

Unfortunately, I'm limited due to my HOA with fencing and such. I need either deer or rabbit resistant plants, or maybe I could spray a deterrent.

I can't help you with deers. I've only see them in zoos.

If you want to use the permaculture approach, then plant a lot of things, then watch what the deer eat and what avoid. Then you can develop a strategy. Or maybe there's information in the database about how resilient to pests is that plant. Have you tried it?

What you are describing sounds like morning shade with afternoon sun, is this correct?

What I have growing where I live will probably work for you if you don't water in the mornings.

These all get morning shade and afternoon sun:

Blue sage, autumn sage, Turk's cap, and rosemary.

The rosemary and Turks cap will need to be pruned to keep them below three feet once they are established.

The Turk's cap has pretty red blooms that hummingbirds love.

You will not need to worry about deer or rabbits as I have both and they never bother my plants.

If you want some onions, try Egyptian walking onions.

Abraham Palma wrote:I can't help you with deers. I've only see them in zoos.

If you want to use the permaculture approach, then plant a lot of things, then watch what the deer eat and what avoid. Then you can develop a strategy. Or maybe there's information in the database about how resilient to pests is that plant. Have you tried it?

I have tried the try-and-see method. They won't eat salvia, but will eat anemone (even though it's deer resistant).

The database has an edibility rating, so selecting less edible selections might work in my favor. I found wolfsbane which is toxic but pretty.

Anne Miller wrote:What you are describing sounds like morning shade with afternoon sun, is this correct?

What I have growing where I live will probably work for you if you don't water in the mornings.

These all get morning shade and afternoon sun:

Blue sage, autumn sage, Turk's cap, and rosemary.

The rosemary and Turks cap will need to be pruned to keep them below three feet once they are established.

The Turk's cap has pretty red blooms that hummingbirds love.


You will not need to worry about deer or rabbits as I have both and they never bother my plants.

If you want some onions, try Egyptian walking onions.

Yes, correct. Deep shade from the house in the morning, then hot late-afternoon sun.

I have salvia, which looks similar to blue sage. I'd never seen autumn sage and Turks cap. Both very striking! The soil is clayey--will rosemary tolerate that? I thought it was more of a sandy, well drained type.

Rosemary is from thermomediterranean prairy. It tolerates heavy rain and wet soil in winter, and complete draugh and extreme heat in summer. It tolerates salty winds. They are slow to grow, though. I don't know about frost tolerance, but it wants sun for sure.

Abraham Palma wrote:Rosemary is from thermomediterranean prairy. It tolerates heavy rain and wet soil in winter, and complete draugh and extreme heat in summer. It tolerates salty winds. They are slow to grow, though.

I wish mine were slow to grow.  I am not sure what height mine reached the first year,  Mine is at least 3 feet tall and four feet wide.

I trim it back to 1/3 the height and it will grow back to the original height that same year.

I don't know about clay.  Mine was planted in a homemade mix of purchased bagged soil, bagged well-composted manure, and leaf mold from under our trees.