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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

gardening novice, please recommend shade loving ground cover plants I can get tomorrow!

13 replies

cakebaby · 15/07/2014 21:50

Just that really, I have a north facing border which is under a cherry tree and large vine growing up the fence with massive leaves that keep the border very shady. Its not a dry shady spot, but not soggy either. The border is about 3' wide. I need the border spruced up very quickly, it looks dull, dark and bare now I've finally got round to weeding. I would like something with good, low ground cover, colour if possible, easily available in garden centers/nurseries.

I need to go there primed as I have form for buying hopelessly inappropriate plants on the advice of well meaning staff!

OP posts:
Purplewithred · 15/07/2014 21:55

vinca/periwinkle. Grows like a weed so feel a bit of a cheat suggesting you buy it but it will do the job

cakebaby · 15/07/2014 21:59

Oh it's so pretty! great idea, thanks. It'll go well with the other weeds Grin

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Minimammoth · 15/07/2014 22:04

Pulmonaria, spring flowering spotty leaves, white or purpleypink flowers.
Dwarf comfrey, also spring flowering, grows like fury though. Hellebores.
Put some bulbs in for next year. Primulas.

cakebaby · 15/07/2014 22:10

Love the hellebores too, thank you!

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funnyperson · 15/07/2014 22:52

All the things for next spring may not be in the garden centre yet
You could plant some autumn flowering colchicums and some asters for now and in the autumn plant your bulbs and hellebores

Gooner123 · 15/07/2014 23:08

Brunnera 'jack frost',or 'looking glass',great for shade.Epimediums are also good for ground cover.

Halsall · 15/07/2014 23:12

How about Ajuga? Very effective ground cover and it has attractive flowers. This one is good for partial shade.

PetulaGordino · 15/07/2014 23:14

Lots of different coloured heucheras, lots of leaves in interesting colours. I put a couple of purple ones in in spring this year and they're very happy

MaudantWit · 15/07/2014 23:58

Lamium White Nancy - a sort of fancy nettle - might also fit the bill.

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 16/07/2014 02:05

Heuchera (comes in lots of shades from burgundy to lime green) - mines in a similar spot with the added bonus that it's obviously disgusting to the local slug posse! Grin

cakebaby · 16/07/2014 21:53

Thanks all. Limited stock at garden center, but I found 3 very large Ajuga with pretty blue flowers, at the bonus sale price of £1.99 each so I am delighted with that!

Will plan some bulb planting next now I'm inspired Grin

OP posts:
GreedyBitch · 25/07/2014 08:14

Cyclamen.

chocomochi · 25/07/2014 19:19

Am watching to steal some ideas!

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