Planting under neighbours evergreen tree

[DaffodilDandilion]

My garden is south facing but the back corner is in the shade of a large, leafy evergreen tree.

Everything I plant there dies. Does anyone have any suggestions?

What species is it? A conifer or something like laurel?

What about a Choisya Sundance? Mine grows well under a very large Photinia Pink Marble.

I’m not sure, not conifer, definitely leafy. I guess more similar to a Laurel, the leaves look about right. It’s very over grown with brambles and something else so it’s hard to judge what is the original tree.

Try ferns? maybe in pots or planters to counteract the shady aspect? Camellas?

Ferns, Heather's and hostas are your friends here. Or you can chop whatever is on your side of the boundary.

Does it hang over into your garden? If so, it might be worth asking the neighbour if you can trim it back a bit. There's something called crown lifting which is where you remove lower branches altogether to let light in lower down.

Whatever you plant there, the soil might be on the dry side, so you'll need to plant stuff that likes dry shade.

It’s been somewhat butchered by the previous owners so doesn’t massively overhand my garden, just makes a lot of shade

Hellebores like dry shade.

You could try sinking pots into the ground, to slow down the nutrients being leached away by the tree. Or just stand containers on the soil.

Something extremely vigorous (weed like) like an elder or ivy will probably hold its own under the tree but you will need to water generously until it's established.

Periwinkle (Vinca major or minor) will usually manage some shade but and tolerate some drought. I love these plants. Usually lilac/ purple flowers but also pink and white varieties, and variegated leaf too. Is evergreen too so good for ground cover.

Vinca minor is less rampant. But vinca major might fight back against the brambles!

Improve the soil as dry shade isn’t easy whereas damp Sade can be lush. Or put a raised bed in to hold improved soil. Then hostas, astrantia, dicentra, ferns etc should be ok.

Our garden has a lot of dry shade under a couple of conifers. Vinca minor and hardy cranesbill are thriving, plus what I think is a goats beard.

Forgot to mention the crocosmia seems reasonably happy. That patch is quite random.

Its a combination, south facing, even in the shade of a tree, trees suck moisture from a large surrounding area, on average, the roots will be as far out as the branches go.Hostas and ferns like it really damp, and shadey. Perennial hardy geraniums would be happy.