Ideas please

[sleepy78]

Hello,
I need ideas for a particular spot in the garden. In the spring, lots of bulbs spring up and there are also lots of lily of the valley. There is also a lovely rhododendron. However, during the summer, there is nothing flowering and it looks empty. It is shady and I need something that doesn't mind frost in the winter.
Any ideas?

if it’s very shady I’d add something else that flowers in spring but keeps some leaves over summer like pulmonaria or epimidium. If it’s dappled shade then cranesbills will grow anywhere and always look good - buy them in flower so you can see what you’re getting.

Thank you! The cranesbill looks pretty, I've never heard of it. I would like something with a summer flower - my garden is very pretty in spring and boring from August onwards.

Campanula can tolerate shade but it spreads like a weed, I'd suggest you plant it in pots or polypots, and be ruthless about weeding it out.

I think that Rhododendron leaves poison the soil for other plants so you might need to leave a bit of a gap round when Rhododendron?
Hopefully someone else can come and confirm if I have dreamt this or if it is real?

Shrubby Salvia, Penstemon (perennial) and Cosmos are all good for summer flowering and will keep going until the first frosts if you deadhead them regularly.

Edited to add get Geranium (Cranesbill) Rozanne or Blue Azure for long, long flowering. I also have Wargrave pink that's been flowering since May but is just about over now.

I had campanula in my old house and I agree, it grew everywhere! But I tried out the front of this house and it doesn't spread at all. I'll try behind though because it is pretty.

That would make so much sense. I have tried to plant lots of things in this patch and they do not do well. I'm off to google...

In those conditions surely hydrangeas would be ideal? Shading, acidic soil? Often seem rhododendron & azaleas paired with hydrangeas in parks etc.

I think you're right - when I was googling to see whether rhododendrons are poisonous, the website suggested hydrangeas. Thank you!