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Pollinaters

Kathy43Kathy43 Posts: 116
in Plants
Hi guys. Im looking to start a little patch, by my runner beans, for bees and butterflies. Like in last months magazine, on a smaller scale!
Its only about 6 inches deep, so just flowers.
However it occurred to me that many flowers love the sun. As the beans grow, they will shade them!
Are there any flowers that dont mind a bit of shade?
The patch is only about a 3 foot by 2,so just small.
By the way, the beans will be  in deeper compost than the patch of soil. (That patch of soil is over the old path that was there, which explains the depth.)

Posts

  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653
    My Borage here will take part shade
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Borage has a very deep tap root, though, eh? Flowers for pollinators, that do some shade and will grow in six inches of soil, under a bean plant, for flowering all summer? I would say to try nasturtiums. They like quite poor soil (not like the bean plant). If it's too rich you might get loads of greenery and few flowers. Also wild strawberries
    which will fruit all summer long. I was still getting a few in my garden at Christmas.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    You could try Polemonium Caeruleum, Penstemons, a variety of Campanulas and Viola Cornuta in various colours. 
  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653
    Mine thrives there in the shallowest soil, in the rest of the garden it is is too rich and becomes too leggy/prone to blackfly. Linari purpurea & valerian have also surprised me by doing well.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    @Mark56, good to know. Thanks. I was wanting to put some into hanging baskets, but was told it was a very bad idea re roots.
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