Shady characters - a permanent home for shade garden suggestions!

[shovetheholly]

Because we get the question about what will grow in the shade so often, posts about it sometimes don't get many answers. So I thought I'd make a permanent thread that we can point people to when this comes up. I know some of you have written the same thing 10 or 20 times before, so hopefully this will save the repetition!

I'm hoping we can post some pictures of shade plants here so that people can see what they look like. A lot of them aren't all that familiar. Plus, I love pictures!!

Oh that's lovely ! And seems tolerant of a range of conditions .

Would love your advice on what to plant in my new border....I've already made far too many mistakes.

Border is approx 185cm long, up against a low wall (2 bricks).

I was originally thinking a row of lavender until I realised it only gets morning sun then is shaded for rest of day.

But I would like upright plants, I don't want them growing and leaning over lawn if that makes sense?

Trying to keep to pinks, purple or white flowers.

Any ideas gratefully received

Isn't it just gorgeous ginger? I am consumed with greed to buy it!!

What's your soil like, tootired? It makes a big difference whether it's dry shade or wet shade because a lot of shade plants are quite particular about moisture levels - so if you put a bog plant in dry shade it will almost certainly die!

Also, how wide is your border? Can you fit in larger shrubs, or is this a narrower affair?

Thanks holly.

Soil is clay, have put a load of top soil on top along with John innes whenever I'm planting anything.

Border is 15" wide. Can't go wider as quite a narrow garden and also have to accommodate football playing ds for a few more years.
just wanted something to soften the wall I think.

I had originally put rhododendrons there (now replanted in front garden as a hedge) but didn't have a clue what I was doing when I bought them or how big they grow ! 😳

Wise shade gardeners - suggestions please
My DD has just moved into a brand new house. Nice size , sunny garden in the back. But..
There is not much at the front that isn't block paving, but the living room bay window juts out forming two little gravel areas that are crying out for something. Main problem - north facing and a son in law that doesn't do gardens.
Sooooo - something for pots that is an evergreen , interesting and isn't a climber.
Its crying out for a climbing hydrangea, in truth, planted in the ground....

tootired - that's quite narrow, so I think your idea about repeat planting is a good one. What about topiary box balls, interplanted with spring bulbs, alliums, and something to give you groundcover the rest of the year - woodruff? Pachysandra? Cornus Canadensis? Heuchera?

book - What about something like a daphne - the scent would be lovely close to the house. I'm also tempted to suggest one of the acers with stunning bark - deciduous but with winter interest. Alternatively, the new magnolia, 'fairy white' is evergreen and tolerant of partial shade. For something more formal but requiring a bit more time investment, standard lollipop small-leaved laurels or - even more exciting - cloud pruned ones!

Daphnes - if it's really deep shade D. Laureola and Pontica are quite tough, esp the former. You might get away with Tanguita too, which is a bit nicer looking to my eyes (it's so subjective, though!).

Am wondering if these are interesting enough for you, though!!

Thanks shove - shall be off googling - :) I never even thought of acers! It doesn't need to be amazing interesting , its just to soften the stark front.
the D Pontica may well do very , very well next to the front door ( north facing, under a porch!!

I have the coral-bark maple in my garden which gives a hit of pink bark in winter with lovely foliage colour year round, getting more spectacular in autumn. It's a good doer!

just done some more googling - if I could put it in the ground, with some ground cover, would this one work ? - DD loves camellias www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/96782/Camellia-sasanqua-Jean-May/Details

or it may not be hardy enough up in Yorkshire?

It's going right next to the house, so it should get some shelter and protection there, right? I think they can do quite well on north-facing sides of things, because you don't get the rapid heating of an east-facing situation.

The only thing is - sasanqua like sun. They're more sensitive to lack of it than other varieties. But there will almost certainly be other kinds of camellia that will thrive - the Williamsii hybrids seem pretty tough, lots of them near me that flower despite quite a lot of neglect and they come in similar shades of pink, e.g. 'Debbie'. Maybe speak to a specialist nursery?

will have a look at those but thats a shame- RHS link suggests up to full shade, and it stays quite small .
I'm there from this afternoon, until tomorrow night, so I can check on how much sun/shade and protection there is :)

ooh - in the afternoon, there is a nice bit of west sun on one of the gravel areas, the other one , a bit less of east sun so a bit of scope !

Posting about some things I'm growing from seed!

I went to Crete a while back and discovered the magnificence of Arisaema! I'm now growing Arisaema Candidissimum and A. consanguinuem. I expect it'll be a while before they flower, but the seedlings are like tiny versions of the adult plant!

And here's aquilegia 'greenapples' - also growing this from seed! I'm hoping the colour sings out in the shadier, drier part of my garden under the hedge.

Those are lovely. If I plant aqueliga seed this year wil they flowers or do I have to wait another year?

Just found this thread- after starting my own about shady plants!

I'm a very novice gardener to be honest and find it totally overwhelming. I need to read this thread more thoroughly but really all I'm looking for is a few flowering shrubs that will grow quite big for a strip of garden that is completely in shade. We also have a very large pine tree in one corner. Any suggestions?

Also, (this may sound stupid) but if you buy plants from a website, do they require any special treatment before planting?

I have just replied on your other thread. Plants bought on line need to be given a goood drink before planting. Followed by regular watering, especially in a dry garden.

Be careful about pot sizes. For example a plant supplied in a 9cm pot is not much bigger than a yogurt pot. It is easy for a novice to buy 3 of something expecting it to cover a large area.

I added my thoughts to astrantia's excellent suggestions! (She pretty much covered everything already though).

Here's today's plant... cortusa matthiola. Another one I am doing from seed. I think the first tiny one has just poked through!!

I am so happy today. We went to garden centre as DH wanted some mint and they had green apples Aqueliga. Got it home and read the packet and it said, 2 plants. Great I thought, opened the packet and there were 3 in there. Yesterday I picked up a lovely silver birch fro, Wilkinsons for £4. I needed one more tree to complete the garden, absolutely. O more buying now.

Oh, how lovely Astrantia!! It's wonderful when the universe just gives you a bonus like that! It is a really lovely aquilegia - I'm impressed your garden centre had it, I don't think it's that easy to find!

Can I ask ...if one is after a more unusual plant where do you get it from ?

On line ? Secret Garden has been mentioned often but when I googled I got lots of different sites .And I'm too lazy to search on MN .

Or do people more often try and grow things from seed ? Which I think is a bit beyond my current skill set .

If you put the name of the plant followed by RHS they give info about the plant and a suppliers list. Sarah, Raven and Claire Austin are good sites too.

Ah ,thank you . And I guess some plants can be propogated by seed and others by cuttings .Not that cuttings are in my skill set either !