talk to me about filling my borders, please.

[fishandlilacs]

Just had my small garden cleared out and I have lots of empty border space now. most of it fairly shady. I have a few trees, a fortsithia, a cherry, an elder and an apple tree. Theres a big patch of crocosmia in one end but other than that nothing to speak of.

I want to plant stuff. I dunno what to plant, I need hardy, low maintenence as i'm not a keen gardener at all. In fact I really dont enjoy it very much, so minimum work pls.

I also have 2 or 3 big pots that I can put around which are also empty.

Daylilies (hemerocallis) are always very dependable in any garden I've had, as is alchemilla millis (fills space quickly, but can be a bit of a thug). SOme roses don't mind a bit of shade - and every garden needs a rose IMO. Some shady roses here

Nepeta is good for filling space, and bees love it. Alliums grow well almost everywhere. Cotinus coggyria - smoke bush - loves lovely in any border. Geums. Lychnis. Heuchera. Potentilla - all very dependable. Get the book What Plant Where by Roy Lancaster - you can probably get it second hand on amazon for next to nothing. It will help you find exactly what you need.

I love planning out a border!

OOh ty-I have just had lovely fun on google images with all those names above! I'm pretty good at recognising plants and know lots of names but those were unfamiliar!

I think what i have in my garden in a day lily actually not a crocosmia-which is what Mum told me it was. I did think that crocosmia was mombresia-but she wouldn't have it-now it's in flower it's more orange and lily like than red and small.

theres one border that will not be all that shady-would dephiniums and dianthus work? I'm a little addicted to that lovely clovey carnation scent that some Dianthus have. Fuschias too!

I think I want lots of pink things-I fancy a pink theme :)

I am going to have to get a hydrangea too I think.

Oh and i am quite excited because I have just found Dicentras. i fell in love with my neighbours one but never knew what it was-Just googled heart shaped flowers and found it.

Dicentras do fine in shade - they are gorgeous aren't they? They die away late spring though, so plant them near some pink geraniums or similar. These geraniums here are good in part shade.

You might find that whole website useful - its entirely shade lovers. Fuchsias are mostly annuals, unless you are in a really mild part of the UK. Fuschia magellanica is shrubby and fairly hardy. And yes, your dianthus and delphiniums should be fine. Alhough young delphiniums are a slug banquet - as are hostas.

Excellent link flybynight will be very useful for me and my dry shade bed.
Just one little quibble with them and other nursery sites - I can't find anywhere (unless I'm being blind) what size plant they send, whether it's bare root or not.
I generally find my success rate with bare root is not as high as with actual plants so would rather not buy them!