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Help with plant selection for a dry shaded area
stuart and Cody
Posts: 76
in Plants
Hi lovely people gardeners world, I have an area that is very shaded and dry in a rockery area, photos attached below. I’m looking for flowers or colourful plants that will geow in these conditions, we tried dianthus which did grow but were very hit and miss, we have an irrigation system up there but the soil doesn’t retain moisture well, I am going to mix vermiculite or similar this year but i would also like the area to become bushy and plentiful. Any reccomendations of advice would be much appreciated, the area in the photos I’m talking about is at the top of the rockery just beneath the overhanging rock.. the back of the house faces west and gets little light maybe 1-2 hours a day in summer.
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Sorry to clarify it only gets about an hour or two of direct sunlight.
I have An Book. (RHS plants for places) and it’s being very specific. is it a north/east facing wall or a south/west facing wall?
Last edited: 14 January 2018 16:42:04
HI learning curve it’s a weat facing wall thanks for Any advice
The RHS plant search facility came up with these for a shaded, west facing rock garden and hardiness to -15C - https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Search-Results?f_plant_hardiness_h5=f%2Fplant_hardiness%2Fh5&form-mode=true&context=b%3D0%26hf%3D10%26l%3Den%26q%3D%2523all%26s%3Ddesc%2528plant_merged%2529%26sl%3DplantForm%26r%3Df%252Fplant_aspect%252Fwest-facing%26r%3Df%252Fplant_garden_type%252Frock%2Bgarden%26r%3Df%252Fplant_sunlight%252Ffull%2Bshade&unwind=undefined
Wow! That's quite a cliff face you have there. Yes you are right, Dianthus might not like it because they enjoy quite a bit of sun. I am wondering about low-growing Sedums and Sempervivums (houseleek). But I suspect that further back you will probably only manage some of the more drought tolerant ferns like Asplenium nidus which can get its roots into the rock where there will be some residual moisture. Here are some pics:
asplenium nidus
http://www.alpinesandgrasses.co.uk/06OFFERSALPINESSEMPERVIVUM.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/sedum/
Basically things that will do well are those that would normally grow on cliff faces so another plant for the slightly sunnier edge could be thrift (sea pink), Armeria maritima:
https://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/armeria-maritima-splendens-sea-thrift-plants
And definitely Centranthus ruber:
https://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/products/centranthus-ruber-albus
Lastly, in your place I'd trial some shade-tolerant hardy Geraniums like Geranium x macrorrhizum 'Spessart':
https://appeltern.nl/nl/shop/groen/tuinplanten/vaste_planten/geranium_macrorrhizum_spessart_ooievaarsbek_-_p9
I've just pasted in links from all over the place but you should be able to find these quite widely, if you Google them.
going through the list. These are the nicer rock wall plants that tolerate shade:
Ajuga reptans “catlin’s Giant”
blechnum penna-marina
campanula “birch hybrid”
campanula carpaticha bressingham white
Lewisia George Henley
Myosotis sylvatica music
pratia pedunculata
puschkinaia scilloides
Thanks guys for all the advice given, I’m sure it will be a real help, I’m trying to plan ahead this year so I will do my research based on your advices and trial some of them.
thanks again guys for the advice.