Help me make a garden?

[HolyGuacamole]

OK, I am rubbish with plants etc so am looking for some wise words and garden help.

We have a rectangle of dirt (sorry I don't know the technical term ) at the side of our house which is about 2.5 deep by 4.5 metres length in size. It is shaded in the morning till the sun hits it around lunchtime then is shaded again after about 6 or 7pm (summertime). I think the 'dirt' is sort of clay-ish underneath? That's just a guess.

So we were looking to put some plants in there, ones that will come back year after year with as little maintenance as possible (though I don't mind weeding/digging/pruning etc). Along the back of the space is a fence which could take something that climbs. I was thinking about climbers along the back and then flowering plants/bushes sort of graduating down in size towards the front? At the moment I have one paltry lavender which I planted last year (it is only about 4 inches tall at the moment) so am looking fr any ideas on how we can fill this space and have it all smelling floral and looking colourful?

Many hopeful thanks in advance

Wow! What a project!

First (sorry, being pessimistic) the lavender will probably not thrive there as they don't like shade and they don't like clay soil, as it gets too wet and cold over winter and then they rot. But I have some lavender which copes with shade - it just doesn't grow or flower as well as it would in sun.

Have you done anything to improve the soil? To make clay soil less sticky and prone to waterlogging, it's best to dig in some composted bark, well-rotted compost or anything else that will add structure to the soil. You could also lift the lavender and dig some fine grit into the soil around and beneath it, to improve drainage.

For the fence, clematis would probably do well - they are very happy if their roots are in cool shade and their tops are in the sun. Honeysuckle should also do well and some roses don't mind a bit of shade.

I've got a very similar bed in my garden and what thrives there are

fatsia japonica - not colourful but very structural and jungly
japanese anemone
black bamboo
astilbe
sarcococca - doesn't look very exciting but smells fabulous in Jan/Feb
ferns
spring bulbs - miniature narcissi and snowdrops
violas
hardy geraniums

Scent and colour are a bit harder to achieve in shade, so it's good also to think about foliage shapes and maybe a bit of drama (such as the bamboo). Photinia 'Red Robin' is a shrub with red leaves in spring, which may work well. Lilies are fabulous for scent and colour and do well in shade, but may dod better in a pot than in the soil.

A while ago someone posted a link to a site specifically for gardening in shade - I can't remember its name but maybe its worth a google? There's also a plant finder on the BBC Gardening website, where I found some of these pictures.

Wow, thanks very much madbad, very impressive!

I got the Suttons catalogue thru so am going to look up the plants you suggest for an idea of prices etc. We have a compost bin, haven't looked in it since last year so I might have a peek and see if we can use it and start from there.

After your post, we are feeling quite excited now about the prospect of getting it all looking nice.

Thanks again

Enrich the soil with pelleted chicken manure, manure, seaweed feed.

Plant up with tomato seedlings (local market), if you want some produce for your effort.

Also, some cucumbers are great outdoors, french beans, potatoes would break up the soil - first earlies.

How about a hydrangea? They do well in partial shade and some of the lacecaps are really pretty.

This site has some lovely ones.

Yes hydrangeas are good in the shade. Agree about sarococca - lovely smell in late winter. Bergenia (large leaves, pink flowers) and hellebores (evergreen, varied colours) are okay with shady gardens and flower in late winter when nothing much else is happening. Hostas like shade and damp, clay soil but watch out for slugs. I've got a kerria shrub which lives in total shade and has yellow flowers on it now. Viburnum tinus is a failsafe shrub with flowers and berries. I wouldn't put too many shrubs in though if your patch is small. Monbretia (orange / red / yellow) flower late summer and aren't fussy about location. Sedums are reliable too. For climbers, I know some clematis are happy in shade and virginia creeper is too. I've got a honeysuckle which is happy with very little sun. You don't really want just a patch of soil for too long though as nutrients in exposed soil can be weathered away and weeds can take over. For quick groundcover forget-me-nots are good, they seed everywhere but are easily dug up when out of control. Creeping Jenny is good fast-growing ground-cover too, yellow flowers.

Wow, thanks very much!!

I have dug in 3 large bags of organic manure and soil conditioner. Also, have ordered Honeysuckle, some Hosta shrubs and a black bamboo so I will get onto the planting asap (thanks whistle!). Plus I ordered 20 Lawsons Cypress to make a hedge for a different part of the garden - don't even ask, our garden is massive and a nightmare! Am determined to make it lovely tho!

I realised when I was digging in the manure that some 'love lies bleeding' that I planted last year and thought had died, have actually started to grow again. Does anyone know if I should leave them there or move them? They are at the back where the fence is. I will move the lavender to a more sunny part.