Plant suggestion, clay, shade

[MereDintofPandiculation]

I have a planting opportunity!

Deep shade, 5ft stone wall and a holly tree to the E, less than a metre away, apple trees to the W about 2m away. South completely blocked by high trees about 5m away. N has medlar 10m away and bushes in between.

I was thinking towards Helleborus, to extend the current bed. But just in front are two Rodgersia, one with palmate leaves, one pinnate, and, visually, they have the same overall look as the Helleborus. I need a contrasting leaf. Iris foetidissima would work, but I don’t know how well it flowers in complete shade.

We have a huge slug problem. And I don’t want anything taller than 0.5m. No ferns. There’s too many of them around.

Any ideas?

Pulmonaria or Brunnera?

I need a contrasting leaf
I know you said 'no ferns' but what about a hart's tongue? (strap-like rather than frondy)

Alternatively, get the contrast from colour, rather than shape, and go for a heuchera.

Geranium Rozanne would grow but be more straggly than usual with fewer flowers -it might climb a bit if given something to climb over.

I’ve got too many Harts Tongue too (as in dozens). Ditto Polypody, Blechnum, even Osmunda.

Brunnera doesn’t survive the slugs. Pulmonaria I have a lot of in a different area, also Heuchera, Heucherella, Tellima. I like to have different plantings in different areas so the garden isn’t a homogeneous mass of the same selection of plants.

I haven’t got Rozanne, but I have masses of other geraniums, G endressii, G pratense, G sylvatica, G sanguineum, G x oxonium, G phaeum, another one with big deep blue flowers, one that looks the same but with dark pink flowers, and one with turned back petals so they look narrow. And they’re in the next section of garden so I don’t want them here. I find oxonium is the best for deep shade, and the strap-petalled one. Not only do they thrive, they spread.

I could dig up the Thalictrums and move them there - they’re a bit too tall for where they are, one flops on to the path and the other is crowding a Digitalis ferruginea.

I think whatever it is can’t be too short either - it’s behind the Rodgersia and Hellebores.

Thanks for the suggestions - keep them coming!

Any other thoughts?

It’s a long shot but what about a shade-tolerant rose variety - a climber or tall shrub? Deep shade isn’t ideal but it could maybe get tall enough to get a bit of sun at the top over the wall? Roses like clay soil and are unbothered by slugs. You’d need to be careful about watering it at first because the nearby trees will be in competition as well.

Sweet Woodruff. Violets. Campanula. Rosy garlic.London Pride. Foxgloves.
I have all of these in deep shade and they are rampant.
I would love Lily of the Valley but it just won’t grow for some reason.

Would it work to transplant the Rogersia into the 'opportunity' plot and then put a lower-growing plant in their place, in front e,g. sweet woodruff, london pride etc mentioned above.

Kirengeshoma?

I don’t think I’d see the rose! I’ve already got a Kiftsgate, Alistair Stella Gray, moss rose, Emily Gray, Rosa moyesii along that boundary that are almost entirely for the benefit of the neighbours

I’m really wanting to cover the bare ground,with something tall enough to stand its ground against the other plants, but not come more than half way up the wall.

I could try a hardy Fuchsia.

Don’t like London Pride and Campnula gets eaten. Agree woodruff and violets will cover the ground - they’ll no doubt find their way in if I don’t plant anything else.

I’ve got lots of Lily of the Valley. [Smug]

Veratrum if you could keep the slugs off. Astilboides?
Dactylorhiza maderense? If you can get hold of it Disporum 'Night Heron'. Or anything in the Solomon's Sealy sort of line. Smilacina for instance.
My go-to are arisaemas but they are aquired tastes.

Yeah it would. But I hate the effort of replanting, and they look good where they are.

And digging a big hole for an established plant will be difficult among tree roots.

Iris foetidissima would work, but I don’t know how well it flowers in complete shade.

I moved some that had arrived unbidden in a side border to the very back of the back border which is very shady, clay soil. I'd forgotten it was there but noticed a flower a few weeks ago ... not sure whether it had more than one, I've not looked at it again to see if it's got seed heads developing, which are showier than the flower.

Would astilbes work, I've got lots of that in this border. Nice foliage, you don't need a big hole to plant it in, I split off small bits to plant elsewhere.

Or persicaria bistorta, that thrives (a bit too well)

Does it have to be a plant? How about some statuary or similar to fill the hole.

Why has the opportunity arisen, as a matter of interest? What was there before.

I would have suggested acanthus spinosus but slugs are quite keen on it!. Jasminium nudiflorum? Clematis macropetala? Anemone japonica? I've grown all of these successfully on shady clay but all can be biggish - smaller are ajuga reptans braunherz and the previously mentioned pulmonaria and helleborus foetidus

I have very shaded garden, max 3hour of sun.
Impatients are doing very well.

Yes, Astilbe was my other plan.

Got that in the N facing front

Bleeding heart would work well there. Or hostas, Siberian bugloss, grasses, lily of the valley?

Does it have to be a plant? How about some statuary or similar to fill the hole. I don’t have enough planting space to waste it on statuary Besides, there’s public access to that side, it might walk.

Why has the opportunity arisen, as a matter of interest? What was there before. Three large volunteer gooseberry bushes. I finally lost patience with them.

I have very shaded garden, max 3hour of sun.
Impatiens are doing very well.

That’s like my sunny bits Trouble is, I don’t like Impatiens. Reminds me too much of Impatiens glandulifera.

I've just been out and waded into the undergrowth to look at the iris. It has two flower spikes with a couple of big seed pods on each. The leaves are up to 75cm tall. I suppose the flower spikes of the astilbes are about that too, but they're lovely and rhetorical foliage is maybe more the height you're after.

Bleeding heart would be a possibility - how is it with slugs? Hostas wouldn’t have a chance. Lily of the valley too small. Don’t most grasses prefer sun? Carex pendula would love it! Google tells me Siberian bugloss is Gunnera and I’ve already proved that won’t cope with my slugs. Green alkanet may be a possibility if I can’t think of anything else.