Year round interest - suggestions please

[MrsKipling16]

I have a shaded border, approximately 1m deep and 4m long. Clay soil, in the SE of England.

I’ve got a couple of hostas and ferns ready to plant, and would really like to add 2 or 3 other plants that would; add some colour, create year-round interest and be situated towards the back of the border to cover up some of the fence.

I’ve done lots of googling but nothing is really jumping out at me. In another border that gets more sun I’ve got hebes, red robin, smoke bush and acers.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you have!

I recommend this a lot - Viburnum tinus. It flowers over winter with berries in summer.

I’ve got them at the back of my clay, shaded border for much the same reasons. Very easy to grow and very happy in shade.

Camellia and mahonia are both good in shade & clay, flowering in late winter/early spring. I’ve got a shaded camellia that’s the best part of 3m tall & it’s extremely unfussy.

Kerria Japonica are pretty bomb proof and grow almost anywhere. Lovely yellow Pom Pom like flowers in spring, then fresh green leaves.

I've just planted a shady border and like you have mainly ferns and hostas. I have ivy on my walls (already) and have planted an evergreen Euonymus Fortunei Emerald n Gold for year round interest. I also have snowdrops, muscari and primulas that I've transplanted. I'm planning to grow lily of the valley from seed for next year. I found a good site is www.plantsforshade.co.uk (Long Acre Plants). My ferns came from there and they are excellent.

I also infilled the drier bits with some alpines from the Alpine and Grass Nursery. I purchased one of their collections of 20 plants, most of which went in my south facing back garden but half a dozen were suitable for shade. For anyone thinking about alpines this was a first class bundle of plants, all named, of good side and very healthy www.alpinesandgrasses.co.uk.

For us midwinter fire and acre Sango Kanu. If you don’t mind brambles cockburnianus is stunning. Plant it with Acatea and leave the seed heads on over winter. Alternatively check out Piet Oudolf for winter grasses

Cornus midwinter fire, bloody spell check and Acer not care.

Lurking to learn more as we've got a similar one with ferns, hostas, Solomon's seal and Japanese anemones but it's very lacklustre and needs some height and shrubs too.

Do you want a climber for the fence? If you do, a climbing hydrangea does well in shade. We have a very shady spot due to the positioning of the house and next door’s extension, and the climbing hydrangea is very happy indeed there. I have hellebores, viburnum Tunis, erythronium (sp?), aquilegia and cranesbill geraniums there. All doing really well. Early in the year, I have snowdrops and small get a yet daffodils. Foxgloves fo well in shade too.

I love that cornus that *florentina’ refers to above. I remember her once saying that she’d seen it planted with ophiopogon under it (which wouldn’t be good for you as it likes more sun) and it sounded cracking.

I have a variegated cornus is another very shady spot, again with very long flowering cranesbill geranium and aquilegia and small ferns and it does really well. The variegation makes it more interesting. Cornus can grow massive but mine is a small variety.

Also euphorbia amigdaloides var. robbiae would be good in shade. I don’t know if it would give enough colour for you. This variety in particular can spread fast. They all self seed, and the sap is an irritant.

Brilliant suggestions, thank you everyone - I’m going to make a (long?) shortlist tonight and see what I can get from the local nursery when I’m off work in 2 weeks time!

Winter flowering jasmine - yellow flowers from autumn through to spring. We have it on the north wall of the house and it's covered with blossom in the depths of winter.

Stick a mahonia in there somewhere - lovely shapes, bright autumn/winter flowers, fragrance.

You can grow a surprising number of "sun" plants in a shady border. I've grown sedum spectabile for years in a very shady border and also rosa rose carpet. My favourites are evergreen ferns, there is nothing like a boarder of beautiful ferns.
I also love cotoneaster horizontalis for the lovely form of the branches, pyracantha and sarcococca.
Christmas roses are brilliant for winter colour too - cut all the leaves off in December and you will have masses of colourful flowers for 6 or more months. Cutting off the leaves shows off the flowers beautifully and prevents the leaf mould they are prone too.

I second the recommendation of Sarcococca. Great evergreen for structure in shady borders, with lovely scented flowers in winter. It doesn’t get too big either, unlike some of the other shrubs that have been suggested.

Brunnera Jack Frost and Tiarella Spring Symphony go beautifully with ferns and Hostas. The Brunnera has fabulous variegated leaves which light up dark spots throughout the year, and delicate blue flowers in spring. Tiarella is just charmingly pretty.

Fatsia thrives in shade. Lovely, glossy, large dark green leaves. Great for height at back of a border, fast growing and excellent for screening. Lighter green in sun or part shade.

Quick update - OH popped to the nursery yesterday lunchtime and picked up Astillbe Chinensis visions in red, Virburnum x Burkwoodii and Cornus Kesselringii - need to finish work on time today & get them planted out this evening!

Thanks again for all the suggestions.