Planting a "woodland glade"

[LIZS]

We have a flower bed with 2 trees and a substantial holly bush which would lend themselves to becoming a mini woodland area(thinking bark chippings under foot, stepping stones among the trees to form a path) but it needs extending a bit.

Can anyone suggest a suitable shrub for screening and some bulbs/plants we can grow on the bed to give colour and ineterts all year round . We already have a few self sown bluebells and the odd primrose to start it off.

[LIZS]

anyone ?

[Pannacotta]

Viburnum opulus (Guelder Rose) is a lovely shrub and native too so good for wildlife
www.floralimages.co.uk/pviburopulu.htm
In terms of groundcover, you could try ferns, hellebores, Honesty, geranium phaeum are pretty, Japanese anemones, Pulmonaria, Aquilegia, Galium.
Pretty bulbs include snowdrops, Camassia, crocus, Narcissi, Fritillary.
Some nice ideas here
www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/plant_recipes/woodlandborder_index.shtml

[Heathcliffscathy]

ooo, cyclamen. and bluebells. and foxgloves galore. and ferns. ooooo exciting!

[KatyMac]

Fritillary are lovely & ferns

I have no idea how to do it - but it sounds wonderful

[LIZS]

Thanks for the ideas - will take a trip to the garden centre. It won't be huge , so don't get too excited, maybe 8'x 15'. Thought it might make a nice hideaway area for the kids as you won't be able to see in from the house end of the garden.

[Pannacotta]

You will prob find a better choice of woodland plants at a nursery, these are both very good and do mail order
www.plantsforshade.co.uk/
and
www.woottensplants.co.uk/

[everGreensleeves]

I nick wildflower cuttings from hedgerows and put them under my apple tree. Particular lovely this year are the bluebells, campion, forget-me-nots and cyclamen.

[LIZS]

isn't that kind of illegal ? I thought plants like bluebells were protected !

[everGreensleeves]

Oh, I didn't nick the bluebells, just the campion and the forget me nots (there are millions and millions here, nobody would miss the odd clump) and some white star-shaped stuff - they are basically classed as weeds, but I love them