Plants that love shade

[ILoveFlumps]

I have a lovely South Facing back garden which is great. However, I have a small area at the front (North facing - no sun) and a medium size area at the side (East facing - morning sun only). I'm struggling to find plants which will thrive in these areas. Any suggestions would be gratefully received!

Hostas, ferns, ivy and dwarf conifers will all survive that, OP. Plus some bulbs that are used to growing in shade under trees, such as bluebells, although they tend to expect spring sun while the trees are bare - they might struggle a little with total shade year round.

Hostas like shade but are slug magnets!
Ferna will look after themselves reasonably well.

Thanks both. I'll keep searching for some options. Never owned Hostas or Ferns, I assume they're quite easy to look after?! (apart from the slug attraction!)

foxgloves

I would have the hostas in pots as it's easier to control the slug situation then (with copper tape for example or crushed egg shells in the pot) Ferns are easy and aren't eaten by slugs.

Slugs leave ferns alone. Hostas.....less so!!
Geranium Rozanne
Epimedium
Heuchera
Astrantia

About ferns, I have had Polystichum polyblepharum for four years in a north-facing border which are very low maintenance. All I do is cut off the existing old fronds every April, leaving the new croziers to unfurl over the next couple of weeks (russellnursery.com/articles/spring-haircuts-for-evergreen-ferns/). The rest of the time I don't water, fertilise or do anything to them. Well maybe I watered them a bit the first year they were planted, but that was it.

The ones I planted in an east-facing border didn't like the sun, so I transferred those to the north-facing border and all are doing well. I don't notice any slug damage, even on the young plants. Then again I use nematodes for slugs so maybe there are very few in the garden.

Crocus lists these hardy, evergreen ferns:
www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/ferns/plcid.309/vid.11/vid.4/vid.30/vid.186/

Skimmias are also easy to care for in a shady border; no pruning needed. However they prefer acid soil.

For an east facing border have a look at pittosporums -- there are lots of leaf colours to choose from. I have 'Tom Thumb' and 'Tandara Gold', if you're after simple green there is 'Golf Ball' for example. Euonymus is also non-demanding and again you can gen variegated or non-variegated forms,

Bruise some garlic cloves in a few pints of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins. Cool, strain and store in old plastic drink bottles.
To keep slugs off hostas, tip a good glug of stinky garlic water into your watering can, top up with tap water then spray over your hostas. Slugs and snails hate it and leave them alone!
You just need to repeat after rainy weather which washes it off the leaves.
I have grown luxurious hostas for years with this, whereas they were stripped to the bare ribs before I learnt the trick.

Hydrangea, skimmia, busy lizzy, viola, helebore, pieris (put in a pot with ericacious compost if you don't have acid soil). All grow well on my patio in almost total shade.

And yes, good shout ArnottsUnderpass - heucheras are tough as nails, and happy in shade. Mine survived minus 18C last winter, in a north facing patch in my Scottish garden! Attractive range of colour choices for the foliage too, from acid lime green to reds and rich bronze.

Some great recommendations thank you! Loving the tip too Babdoc - will definitely be trying that in my garden this summer to deter the slugs.

I'm leaning towards Hydrangeas and Hostas, both I think will fair really well in this bit of the garden.

i love Heucheras. I work in a garden centre, they are very popular.! and colourful

I have some forget me nots adding some lovely colour in my shady spot... But you need to keep on top of the to stop them from taking over!!!

Vinca is good for ground cover in the shade. Fuchsias are okay with shade too. I've got some hollyhocks in a shady border and they do really well.