Waterlogged north facing plant recommendations?

[squashedalmondcroissant]

Dp and I are having a big do over in the garden to try and get it looking at least vaguely presentable and useable for summer! We have a fair bit of gravel plus a small patio and decking which we want to keep. No lawn but we do have a few raised beds down the sides of the fences which we need to completely dig over and replant.

We will be trying to do some edible stuff in pots dotted about and in one small bed which gets the sun so those are no issue but the biggest bed is by the fence and is north facing so doesn't get the sun. It's open to the sky but the fence means it's in shade all the time and doesn't get direct sunlight. In addition, next door's garden is completely concreted/gravelled over and so every time it rains the water drains away under the fence and the north facing bed gets waterlogged. I know a lot of plants hate having 'wet feet' and will rot if left too wet too much of the time so I'm struggling to find anything suitable to plant in there.

Any ideas? So far hostas seem to be the main thing that consistently is recommended for these conditions but ideally I'd like to put a mixture of stuff in. We don't have a big budget so any work will have to be done ourselves.

TIA 😁😁

Astilbe cope with shade and like it to be at least damp. Caltha palustris (marsh marigold)

So far hostas seem to be the main thing that consistently is recommended for these conditions
Except that it sounds like you have ideal slug conditions!

I saw a lovely combo the other day of white-flowered hydrangea and brunnera. Hydrangea love damp and shade. The brunnera had white veins which picked up the hydrangea flower- colour beautifully. It looked lush and serene. Unfortunately they are both 'summer interest' so you need something for the winter, maybe sarcococca.

Ferns love those conditions, and nowadays you can get some very attractive silver or purple ones.
As for the slug problem with Hostas - spray them regularly with garlic flavoured water, it deters them safely and is non toxic to pets or wildlife.
Easy to make your own - just peel and bruise a few old garlic cloves, simmer them in a pint or two of water for 20 mins, cool, pour into an old plastic 2L drink bottle and top up with plain water.
Use a generous splash of it in your watering can, diluted a bit, then spray the Hostas.

Also, you are concentrating on plants rather than soil. Add soil conditioner, compost, leaf mould, etc.

Can you raise that bed up any further so that it drains better...or put a soakaway in (which really your neighbour's should have done).

I'm on eth look out for one of these for my north facing wall...it does say well drained though- https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/hydrangea-anomala-subsp-petiolaris/

I'm on the look out for one of these
If you go to the RHS Find A Plant page, it gives links to suppliers.

For a big impact you can't beat gunnera (like a giant rhubarb). Irises and astilbe are also lovely for colour. I love hostas but unless you buy some very big established plants you'll struggle to win a battle against slugs.

We only have a small shady wet patch. We planted fritillaries that have thrived and multiplied over the last few years.

Could you put in a small nature pond?

Or as others have suggested: hosta's, ferns, hydrangeas, bugle, hellebores, Pulmonaria, foxglove, wild garlic, fritillaria, some spring bulbs, primrose - think damp woodland floor.

Iris sibirica like it damp and can cope with shade. Have a look at iris Caesar's brother, it's beautiful. There's a flower in the primrose family, Candelabra primula, I've seen it planted on the banks of a stream, looks absolutely stunning.

I have a large bed exactly like this, and have killed so much stuff by trying it there. What has worked is cornus, pyracantha, roses( Zephyrine Drouhin) ferns, hellebores, honesty, oxeye daisies lysimachia and Bergenia It’s also really helped to mulch with compost every year. Bog garden recommendations are a good shout.

But why didn’t I think of hydrangea? That is a really good shout. I’m off to buy an Annabelle.

Actual rhubarb as well as gunnera.
Currants too would be fine there but wont fruit quite as prolifically as they would in a sunnier spot.

Are you open to a tree?

Our whole back garden is slug heaven! We have a new-build north-facing garden and they hide in the grass. I've tried everything to keep them down apart from nematodes. The area is too big and it would be too expensive to keep treating. Now I use mostly pots and never plant out young, delicate plants. The only way would be too get rid of all the grass which isn't feasible.
So for the damp, dark corner, I have planted ferns and amazingly a wild garlic plant has appeared by itself that of course the slugs won't touch! Also mind your own business loves it and has spread all over the place! It died in the winter snow but has just started growing again. I have some ivy plants too. I hate full sun so it's my favourite tiny corner!
Good luck op

Actual rhubarb as well as gunnera. Rhubarb likes rich moist soil but doesn’t like shade.

@BooseysMom put a pond in, then hopefully you'll get frogs or toads that will eat the slugs. (I'd love to do this but negotiations have become protracted)

If the space is large enough the Cornus suggestion is a good one - very attractive structure, lovely leaves in spring and autumn, and flowers and berries too. Plus winter interest with their stems. I had one in my north facing garden but it got too big and was too dry for it. This sort of variety www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/cornus-alba-sibirica/classid.963/

Another thought is shuttlecock ferns - really majestic and I'd imagine would love those conditions.

That's exactly what we did! DH dug a big hole which was hard work as beneath the spade's depth of soil is stone and rubble. Horrendous! So, for that reason, I'm out!!..no, sorry! ...for that reason we left it as a small pond and added some marginals and an iris. Some plants died in the winter freeze. We still haven't seen any frogs though. It may need more plants as cover for frogs. Mere (on another thread) suggested alpine strawberries which baby frogs love to hide in, so I'm going to get some of those in.

Cornus ought to be coppiced every other year so shouldn’t get too big.

Mine absolutely does! It is tall and fat and lush!

I've got the strawberries already, now all I need is the pond.. and the frogs. .. hope you get some!

I've got the rich moist soil, so I assumed it must be the shade upsetting it. I guess there's shade and shade.

Thanks 😊 Good luck for you getting some too! We've piled up some stones on a shelf in the pond to see if that encourages them.

My rhubarb is like yours. It's gone to seed now as I haven't been harvesting it. What should I do with it now it's got huge great flowering stems?!

Click the flowering stems off. They'll just stress the plant unnecessarily.
But they normally only flower when already stressed- is it in too dry a place? It's not in a pot, is it?

Mere is yours a fancy variety? I doubt mine is, as I inherited it with my allotment and I divide it and divide it and still it is a triffid. I give loads of stems away and still have a ton. So I bought a division home and planted it in the garden - but in shade, in heaviest clay and on the other side of the fence of a swimming pool which I suspect is leaking... and voila, another triffid. If you were nearer I'd give you a division!