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North facing windy bed under a window
Helen339
Posts: 15
this bed is about. Ten foot long by three foot wide.
under my. Sitting room window. i was thinking of planting a selection of dwarf conifers. Would they be suitable.?.
Any other suggestions would be most welcome
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Maybe but the more interesting colour ones usually like partial shade rather than deep shade - does the bed get sun early and late in Summer? Or is it permanently shaded? If it's deep shade then yew is probably the only conifer type that will thrive. In partial shade, juniper is very wind resistant ('blue star' is a nice dwarf form)
But there are other plants that may do well - evergreens such as aucuba, gaultheria, ajuga, euphorbias and plants that are not evergreen but which you could mix in such as alchemilla, anemanthele (an ornamental grass), geraniums. Many of the spring flowering bulbs will do fine as well - narcissus, crocus, chionodoxa.
Shade isn't really the problem as much as wind, which is hard on evergreens. Deciduous plants cope better because they don't have to cope with very cold winter winds which can 'burn' leaves.
Last edited: 30 November 2017 09:13:48
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Thank you for your advice. Much appreciated. Could have been an expensive mistake.
Until this summer this narrow bed was occupied by very old hardy fuscias.bThe dreaded gall mite got them really badly. Such a shame. They were admired by neighbours and passers by.
I heartily agree with everything Raisingirl has said
To her list I would add hardy ferns and pulmonarias. Foxgloves would probably be very happy there too, and would give you a bit of height in the summer without it being a 'wall.
When I had a small urban northfacing garden I planted it like a woodland glade
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Bergenia is nice and stays green all year, mine’s in deep shade, never gets any sun.
Lots of nice suggestions already, but if you are just looking for a shrub and keeping it neat and simple, Sarcococca Hookeriana Var. Humilis, the Sweet Box is perfect. Keeps compact, and the branches stay close together, enough to hold back the wind. Also does well in full shade. Lovely scented flowers and berries from winter to spring time.
In a space that size, you can have 2 -3 of those shrubs and still plant lines of other interests. Upright evergreen leaves against low rounded leaves breaks up the plants of similar heights. Liriope Muscari is evergreen, can come in purple and white flowers and very long lasting. Astilbe Chinensis if there is a bit of sun. The leaves look good all through spring to summer. In late winter and spring Viola Odorata can do well. None are likely to be suffer wind damage. They are very tough plants.
Actaeas will also be fine there as long as the soil is reasonably moist and there's enough room to let them mature. I have some in exectly that kind of location.
Don't be fooled by the term 'dwarf conifers'.There's an increasing number of people who sit with their lightspermanentlyon, due to being misled by garden centres and finding that the cute little thng they bought has turned into a big monster blocking out all their light
The prostrate, blue junipers are good though, as r'girl describes.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I must thank you all for your suggestions. This bed should look great next year.
A photo of it in all its glory next year would be lovely
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've memories of a wonderful and troublefree combination of Epimedium, dwarf bamboo and Carex morrowii 'Fisher's Form', perhaps with some tougher ferns like Asplenium scolopendrium. Hydrangeas would work too as, if you think about it, they often grow at the seaside with salt wind.
Thanks. Unfortunately I forgot to mention that this is quite Dry bed .
out of all your recommendations which ones will like a relatively dry position. Sorry to be a pain.