Two plant recommendations wanted please!

[thenewaveragebear1983]

We have a wet and shady garden and I would like a few plant recommendations please!

1. something ‘shrubby’ but not prickly /thorny for a very wet, clay soil, under a massive pine tree area (turf won’t take there so it’s just a mud bath as the garden is in a slope so it pools there. Does get weak, early and late sun

2. something shrubby, ideally flowering, spreads like wildfire, wet clay soil, partial sun, for a border.

Every time I go to a garden centre and look, everything seems to be needing full sun, drained soil- and I have neither! We have cleared a lot of the garden and the weeds have moved in so ideally I’d like ground cover, spreading, evergreen type plants.

Your help is much appreciated! I can photograph tomorrow if required! Thank you in advance

Weigela seems to be quite tough and non picky

Rhododendrons might fit the bill for either situation. Not evergreen, though.

You might struggle with evergreens, holly would cope but it’s prickly. You could try vinca- I’m not sure it would like the wet but it’s pretty indestructible and will spread. There are a few perennials that might suit eg rodgersia, Solomon’s seal (will tolerate my damp clay), candelabra primulas (these LOVE my damp clay, part shade). You can also use ferns very effectively- osmunda regalis, matteucia (this will spread if happy and is quite dramatic in spring), some dryopteris species. I love the look of ferns under trees.

Viburnum and Cornus will tolerate damp soil but also not evergreen.

What about Sarcococca confusa (and possibly other Sarcococca types)?

Gardeners World says it's fine with heavy clay, shade and it's an evergreen shrub

www.gardenersworld.com/plants/plant-finder/sarcococca-confusa/

For number 2 you could have a Ceanothus "Italian Skies". Its evergreen, extremely quick growing and has loads of lovely blueish purple flowers. I grow it in wet clay soil in quite an exposed area and it's done well. It's not particularly one is choose for ground cover but can be easily pruned and will spread out horizontally.

Not sure about number 1. Everything I think of has thorns!

Thanks so much!
I will look these up online and have a think.

Silly question- we have a rhododendron in our front garden, it hasn’t lost its leaves at all all winter- so what is it if it’s not an evergreen?? Is there a whole category of plants I’m missing?

Thanks for all your recommendations

Perhaps some rhododendrons are evergreen? I don't know. I was thinking of a garden I know with exactly your situation (clay soil, sloped down, tall evergreen trees, minimal sun) where there is also a thriving rhododendron, which loses most of its leaves in winter.

I like Choisiya. It has scented leaves and pretty white flowers and it very easy to grow.

Maybe jelly, ours is only a small one but it gets a lot of sun so maybe that makes a difference?

Thanks everyone. I will look these up and may even venture to the garden centre later!

Rhododendrons come in many varieties, large, small, evergreen and deciduous.
They don’t all flower at the same time and some have a strong perfume. I’m sure you could find a lovely specimen that fits the bill.