Ideas for a tiny shady area - plants for pots.

[Tumbleweed101]

I have a little square between my wall and neighbours extension wall that has been neglected for many years. This year I’ve made it my project.

I’d like to slab the area but haven’t got the skills do I’ve settled for clearing the area, putting down weed membrane and then covering with wood chip. I want to fill the area with pots of plants. The living room window looks out into this area.

It is east facing so in shade after the early morning sun. It’ll be nice to sit there at the height of summer when the rest of my garden is hot.

I know the usual suspects such as ferns and hostas but are there any tall shade loving plants that might be be suitable and are there any summer flowering bedding plants that might tolerate a shady spot?

Fatsia japonica are happy in shade. They can grow very tall, but you can prune to size. There are some with more leaf variation for interest, my favourite is spiders web. My breeding heart plant tolerates shade fine. Perhaps with some primroses/primula for the earlier part of the year as flowery ground cover

Good old hostas, pulmonaria, climbers that will get more light at the top, variegated ivy...

Some good suggestions already. Another options would be dwarf acer which would give you some structure all year round and gorgeous leaves from now until autumn.

In terms of flowers I’ve grown bizzy lizzy in that situation.

In my very shady area I have acers, a mahonia, a persicaria in pots. I also have a tree fern in the ground, very shallow roots if you can clear some ground. Some bears britches and Jack Frost Brunera (?sp)