What shall I do about this shady area? Pic attached

[ShadyPot]

This area gets some sun early in the day but is mostly shady. Shall I put ferns in the pots? Any ideas for shade loving trailing plants that might grown down and cover the horrible dirty white breeze blocks?

Any suggestions or ideas welcome - thank you!

I’d paint them a pale sage green or pale greige.

Camellia is good in shade. I've got a lovely Lady Campbell in my shady border x

CoffeePleb plant with the pink flowers is this - it isn't actually pink, it just looks like that from a distance. I love it, I have 3 in total. I'm going to photograph the other ones and post the picture. They come back year after year and good value I would say!

I'm investigating patio roses, which will do better in a pot, although it might be hard to find one that likes semi-shade. I do like New Dawn though, so I'm considering it for elsewhere in the garden. Thanks for mentioning it, even though it might not be great for what this thread is asking.

Hostas - yes great idea. I've not grown them. I have a feeling the slugs love them or is that something else?

Something evergreen would be good. I can see everything looking awful again come the winter.

Salvia hot lips. They are in between coming forth with a new flush of blooms.

I love the Salvia hot lips. A lot of bang for your buck!

There are some lovely plants that do well in part shade, OP, and could suit a large pot. Dicentra spectabilis (bleeding heart), various hydrangeas, certain clematis. I have a clematis sieboldii doing ok on a similar patch of wall, and it can be grown in a largeish pot.

Ah yes, love the hotlips!

Fuchsia is something else to consider.. Maybe a trailing one to distract from the concrete..

I love salvias

They really need full sun if you want them to perform at their best though. If you decide to add some more to your garden, I really recommend this nursery, who are salvia and herb specialists:

www.norfolkherbs.co.uk/plant-type/salvias/

They have about 30 different colours on offer. They are really great value too. This little gem arrived in a 9cm pot in mid June from them and cost the princely sum of £2.90. It's not a great photo, you can't see half of it, just the uppermost flowers and it doesn't show the true colour. In daylight it's a deep, rich purple-red. But it does show that you don't need to buy big plants. My local garden centre is selling similar sized salvias in 15cm pots for £12.99!

Is that Royal bumble @goingoverground? I really want that one!

This thread is helpful. I grow hostas in the very shady part of the garden, and have posted a picture on the linked thread.

Slugs and snails love hostas, and as I grow them in pots I do use slug pellets, knowing that other wildlife can't get at them.

Those big flowered begonias? I
Like the single ones. Trailing or upright.

A fern or two?

It's Jemima's Gem @CoffeePleb. It looks different colours depending on the light/time of day. It's quite a dark plummy/purple red but in bright sunlight it is more of a pinky red with a hint of day-glo!

@goingoverground Thanks so much for that link. I LOVE salvias, we have lots in our garden, and that company looks fabulous. I feel some purchases coming on 😊🌱

Here's a slightly better photo of the colour @CoffeePleb.

They really are very strange though, they look so different depending on the light and my phone doesn't seem to be able to take a photo that's a true likeness, they come out several shades lighter and redder! I'm pretty sure it's not my phone as I don't have that issue with anything else!...The bud is probably more like the colour they look with the naked eye most of the time.

A little water feature would be good too, especially if you have power nearby. Pots of spring bulbs. Objets trouves - driftwood, shells, wind chime, gnomes ... whatever takes your fancy. Try Freecycle?

Gorgeous.

I think now I'm going to have to get that and Royal bumble (to go with the hotlips, caradonna, blue angel, nachtvlinder, cero potosi and blackcurrant sage... I'm sure DP will be thrilled )

OP - you have a lot of pots that are all more or less the same size. The small pots emphasise the small space. I think playing with scale would help you. If you go a google search of small/tiny patio spaces you will see what I mean. I think something growing on the fence, a smallish tree of some sort in a pot, a few seasonal colours, and a small chair and table would work really well there.

hg-images.condecdn.net/image/R8MDJBpmP7x/crop/810/f/massey_hg_bridie_174.jpg

Could you build a trough the length of the cinderblocks. Plant it with something to grow up (on the fence) and something to drape down? A power wash will do wonders - it won't neccessarily highlight the bad bricks.

Why stop at 2 new salvias when there are so many more, CoffeePleb?

Have you got Cherry Lips and Amethyst Lips?

No . I also don't have ANY guarantica salvias and I really want this one from the link you posted
www.norfolkherbs.co.uk/product/salvia-amante/
Definitely need a bigger garden

Sorry OP - I'll stop filling your thread with withering about salvias now!

@CoffeePleb This is our salvia guaranitica which we planted last year. It's currently around 3 1/2 feet tall but apparently will grow to around 9 feet eventually 😱. It's a beautiful plant. I've managed to take some successful cuttings from it this year too as per Monty's advice!!!

@CoffeePleb please do fill the thread with salvias, actually I love them! Here is a picture of a blue one I have. And also a picture of something I thought was a salvia but turns out to be lobelia. I thought it was off because the leaves have no scent, but it really looks like salvia! They must be related.

odd, not off

That salvia guarntica is stunning. I assume it is evergreen? Lovely pics, Shady.