Starting a north-facing border from scratch

[allthingspossible]

I have nearly finished digging out a neglected raised brick border bed at the back of my small garden.

It is 10ft wide by 3ft and also backs onto the back fence which is only about 4ft higher than the back of the border.

It gets some sun after 2.30pm ish, but is mostly dappled shade.

I would love a shade loving rose. I would love a climber (clematis).

I would love a winter flowering jasmine. I can't fit them all in, I know!

I have been looking up shade loving plants, roses, clematis etc. but am getting confused as to what to go for with only 3ft depth to work with.

I am a gardening novice and want to get this right as it is the most visible part of the garden from the house and the seating area outside throughout the year.

Ideally, I would get the most pleasure out of it from April to September.

Any wise gardeners out there for a complete novice?

The beech grove Garden had a good bit on types of climbers for east, west, north, south facing fences, there should be something on their web site, will see if I can find it. Here it is, a couple of pages into the fact sheet there is the bit about climbers - www.thebeechgrovegarden.com/images/factsheets/Factsheet_7_1.pdf

With that depth I wouldn't go for a winter jasmine - they can grow pretty big and look messy when not in bloom.

Clematis is not a problem, there are many that work well in dappled shade. A small rose would be fine too, but may take over most of the bed in time.

I would go for one or max two smaller shrubs, maybe a hydrangea, a rhodedendron or a camelia. Be prepared to cut them back in a few years time, or even remove them if they outgrow their space. In between I would put some heuchera, aquilegia, maybe japanese anemones, and a few bulbs for spring colour.

What colours do you like?

Thanks!

I am worried too about over- planting as I have form for that in containers!

I love whites, pinks ( pale) , soft blues/ mauve /lilacs. I am not adverse to a yellow of some sort, but not as the predominant colour. I am not keen on deep colours, except for year round interest as foliage.

I have been looking at plantsforeshade website, but my project plot is quite small and plant spread and height is quite wide for most.

I need help to determine what to go for as I must not over plant and want to choose wisely.

I have a lovely bare west facing pinkish brick wall to also plant eventually and a shady section along my east facing fence wall , from shed to patio, too. Neither have any borders at all.

It is a typically squarish garden, not very big at all, but could be very pretty and is south- facing.

I need to start with this north - facing plot as has already been built (previous owner and not a gardener) and make the most of it!

Thank you!

Roses:
New Dawn
Alfred Carriere
Geraniums species &phaeums
Digitalis

plantsforshade.com

Thank you funnyperson for the roses! I have noted those ones as well as others on the David Austin website for growing in partial shade. Have you had/known any success with these in a shady part of the garden yourself?
I am so limited for space, I wonder if I should save my west facing wall for my rose extravaganza (again not much room ). I would love to have a rose in each section ideally. West, north, east (South is completely decked the full length of small garden) pre- owners.

As well as the previous suggestions I also have the following growing happily in a 3ft border to the north of a 5 foot wall;

alchemilla mollis
aquilegias
a tree peony
an apple tree and a crab apple tree
amelanchier ( a slender columnar version)

Oh and also a rose 'Graham Thomas' which seems to be quite happy.

Thank you! Lots to look up and help me make best use of the space.

allthingspossible yes to your question

I would also have said tree peony as the one I planted is thriving however I notice that a neighbour's tree peony in full sun is laden with flowers so realise that the tree peony in my shady garden isn't doing as well as it might.
Other plants: astrantia, alliums, saxifrage, cornus, viburnum plicata, clematis viticella, japanese anemones, cosmos, salvias, anchuga, hosta, etc

I really really wouldn't recommend new dawn or mme alfred carriere roses for the place you describe - I have both and rampant is an understatement.

They can be pruned to fit the space though , and the main point is that these would thrive and flower, no?

My new dawn rose grows at least 3 feet per year, often 6. You'd never be done pruning!

There are better behaved roses that do well in shade too. Graham Thomas, though it is yellow, and I think several of the David Austin ones too (although I don't have them).

Also - look around you at what is doing well in neighbours' gardens. Often a good indicator.

Oooh thank you liara and funny. As well as being a novice, I suspect I am not the best all year round gardener and will have very little time for anything high maintenance so a constant pruning job would prob not happen- or if it did, at the wrong time and spoil the blooms!

I have had time today to look up shade loving plants etc and am now paying more attention to growth height and width etc. It does restrict more of my wilder ideas! I know now that my north facing bed is definitely receiving full sun from 2/3 pm onwards but spreading in short bursts along the length of the bed during the remainder of the day (when it shines of course!) without any other light reducing shade apart from the fence immediately behind which is about 4ft (was 5ft until storms wrecked and took off the trellis!). It will get even more sun I presume in the height of summer.
I am now being more realistic and thinking of 1 central plant, or is that a daft idea? The depth of bed is only 3ft. I have found many restrictions just with that today.
Should I look at a motley mix of shade tolerant, north facing wall small plants and just plant according to height/ space between and grow a flowering clematis behind for summer interest?

I would love a rose there, but fear it may not be the best spot, given that I will be directly looking at it all year round and especially when using the garden in the summer. I could have a lovely rose ( climbing) along my west facing wall which is brick instead?

I am a bit overwhelmed and am dithering about what should be the main feature in this 10ft by 3ft border. I looked at rhododendrons today, am I selfish for wanting something that flowers longer as a main feature? Is that even possible in a small border?

Than you so much for your responses, it is helping me reign myself in and think about this properly.

funny I have been looking at everyone's plants and was laughed at by my daughter for suggesting a walk around to see what everyone was growing so may have to sneak out on my own!

allthings as regards the width, what do you have next to the border? Is it grass?

I have always taken the view that plants do not know where the border is supposed to finish, and they will spread their roots out as far as they wish. So provided that the leaf clump is not wider than 3ft, I have merrily planted very tall things (eg the trees & shrubs mentioned above) and bushy things, and they all seem happy.

what you describe with full sun for part of the day is regarded as 'partial shade', so you are not restricted to plants that will grow in constant shade. Also, the taller the plant, the more sun it will actually get.

I myself like very tall planting. I really dislike borders where everything is down low at ground level, even with a vertical climber scrambling up behind. I also think that 1 central plant is an odd effect, when you have 10ft to play with.

What about thinking in terms of 3 tall focal points, plus smaller 'frothy' planting in between?

eg:

camellia - rose - aster (they flower in late spring - summer- autumn respectively)

and then add aquilegias, astrantia, cosmos, etc etc as suggested above.

Thanks again. It is a raised bed, about 3 bricks high all around and self contained.

I am going to be brave and post a pic! I still need to dig out the old straggly lavender. So the bed will be bare and from scratch ready to start anew.

do you like the fence colour? if it is your view from the house windows, you might prefer it painted or stained before you put any trellis up? and it could help the little shed to blend in as well.

if you turned the little tool shed around, so the door opened onto the lawn, and took the bed right up to it, you could have another 2 feet of planting and a lovely tall flowering shrub right beside it.

Actually, if it were me I'd stick a tree in.

Nothing crazy, just a small tree like a japanese maple, maybe a small flowering tree or something like that.

I would then underplant with small things to give spring and summer interest.

Many thanks again.
tri I do not like the fence/shed colour and was planning on going brown with a medium oak stain?
liara a tree like an acer is something I was looking at just yesterday, but ruled out due to growth spread and height etc, unless there are some fabulous dwarf ones??? I only have 3ft depth in a contained brick border.

I had turned the shed around to get to the fence panels (on east -facing side replaced after storm damage) as it had faced the lawn originally. It is all set on concrete, so I do need to work the the brick contained border as is. I had thought about having a larger container plant between the shed and end of border, maybe something that could grow up onto the trellis?

I have decided my rose (dedicated to my late Dad who was a prolific rose grower) should be against the more favourable west- facing brick wall as I will have more choice and success in a limited space.

For that north- facing border I actually prefer the idea of a more natural/ cottagey garden look, but fear I have neither the expertise, maintenance time , nor space to achieve that.

I really dislike uniform planting, so bare earth patches etc ... Which means I have also decided against any blousy specimen types in that patch. I do have a thing about symmetry and balance though, so may have to get over that .

I have been looking at hydrangeas, the flat -leafed and some of the mop- head ones, which I love. Can you tell I am a fickle? I also like those plants that look a little bit like pointed baby bottle brushes in different colours. I have also been looking at hardy compact growing geraniums as low ground cover. Also been looking lots on .plantsforshade. website. Particularly for evergreen foliage and " year round" interest etc. Grasses with winter foliage would not be ruled out, although not " cottagey"

I am so glad I posted and thank you so much for everyone's help. I would have foolishly ordered all sorts of stuff that was not what I really wanted/ not appropriate and too big or unruly for the space...

There is nothing growing in my garden apart from containers which I have obviously over-planted ... You are allowed to laugh at both my novice plant choice plus the over-planting!

Whoops, just realise the pic of my shameful over-planting of containers ( taken today) is right at the beginning of my post. That is just an example of how rubbish I am at basic gardening; please just advise on the north border, if you can " contain" yourselves

Sorry traviata not tri

I love containers bursting with foliage and blossom like those!

I personally would paint the fence a greeny-grey colour (eg Cuprinol Willow) rather than brown, to make it fade into the background behind the plants - but each to their own!

Liara's idea of a tree is excellent. Spread - the spread will be at the top, so don't worry about it! The branches may just make the ground directly underneath it a little dryer. Height - it would be good to have height above your fence, for more privacy and a better view, no?

what about something like this, or this??

Cherry amanagowa is a nice vertical tree. Also you could have a backdrop of clematis and honeysuckle growing up your fence

Lovely ideas! Thank you all so much!

I am now thinking of a small tree! FICKLE I am

I love the colour you suggested for back fence traviata! I wonder if I can get away with doing the east- facing side the same as it it shared with neighbour. however, I bought the fence and I don't think they are keen to do anything to their garden at all! But we had talked about matching the fence to their back fence colour ( dark oak colour). I can just say I changed my mind! I don't actually think they will paint the other side of the fence unless I physically bought them the paint and put a brush in their hand ...

I have north facing part shade borders at the front of our house. Lots of good suggestions on here already, I'd add foxgloves, lots of height not much spread self seeding & grow through things. Also Bergenias are great, lovely leathery leaves all year and good spires of flowers in spring. They are as tough as old boots too so very low maintenance. Lots of things will grow through an evergreen framework so you can use things like skimmia or Christmas box or the "Yak" rhododendrons if the soils ok then grow the clematis or bulbs up through. I use hellebores as well and things like Solomon's seal.