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North facing gable of shed, gardening beginner!

robbie2redrobbie2red Posts: 59
in Garden design
Hi all!

I’m new to the site, and gardening, so please bare with me! 

I’m designing/starting to plant in our new garden, and I’m dying to put something in the ground!

I’ve got a gable end of a 10ft wide shed facing the house (gable is north facing). I would like something that flowers in the winter, and maybe something that flowers in the summer along that flower bed, could be a plant or several...

I’ve been doing research but there’s so many options of what you can have! I don’t know whether to go climber up the gable using a wire vine into frame of shed, or just something like a Lonicera Purpusii which doesn’t need support.

Any suggestions/pictures of your ideas would be much appreciated!

Thank you in advance! Loving reading all the discussions!

Best Wishes!
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Posts

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    How wide is your border going to be.? Climbers grow out as well as up.
    Although you say north facing does it get any sun in summer?
    Do you need to treat the shed in the future?
    You could plant a sarcococca. It's evergreen and has fragrant flowers.
    Hydrangea petiolaris which will cope with shade, gets a bit big though takes a while.
    Fatsia japonica is evergreen and you could grow a clematis through it.
  • robbie2redrobbie2red Posts: 59
    Hi K67!

    The border will be roughly 10ft long and 6-8ft wide. As for the painting of it, I’m not sure, it’s had a few coats of paint now and it’s supposed to last 15years, but I was kind of hoping for someone with a similar situation to shed some light! The gable end gets a few hours sun in the morning and evening...

    I thought about maybe a camellia but they don’t seem to be everyone’s taste.

    Thanks for the swift reply K67!

    :-)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The Fatsia definitely, but they get big so you need other strong planting to associate with it. Perennials like Astilbe, Dicentra, Polygonatum [Solomon's Seal] will all do well. Acteas will provide vertical height and spires of flowers at this time of year, providing the soil isn't drying out. Potentillas and Spireas [get the white ones] will be more than happy. I have all of the above in the same aspect, along with ground cover like Aquilegia, Heucheras, Hostas etc. Most of them get very little, to no sun, at all. 

    Many clematis will grow there too. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Don't forget spring/summer bulbs for that pop of colour. Tall like Alliums or small like grape hyacynth.  White always shines in a shady spot so even leaves with variegated colour would work. It is fun to start your own garden and remember anything you do is changeable, the plants will always show you if they are happy so enjoy yourself.
  • robbie2redrobbie2red Posts: 59
    Thank you everyone for the fab ideas! I’m definitely going to be taking them on boar! I’ll get some pics up in a few years! 

    Fairygirl is there any way you could share a picture of your collection that you talked about please??? Anyway no matter if not.

     Thank you all for your input!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'll have a look Robbie, but that border runs along a boundary [with a fence ]and I have a privacy screen to the inside of it, so I don't always take many photos of it! If I get a chance, I'll take one or two later.
    I have another narrow border which runs along the back of the garden [again along a boundary fence] and I have other planting there which would also do well. 
    Osmanthus burkwoodii [evergreen and small white scented flowers in late winter/early spring] Ground cover of heucheras, prostrate Gaultheria [ low growing, evergreen, foliage turns red in autumn, white flowers and berries] small Philadelphus [Manteau D'Hermine]  the usual bulbs - snowdrops, crocus, narcissus, native primulas, and a carex Evergold - also evergreen with gold/green foliage. I forgot to mention Japanese anemones - white ones - in both borders, and good old hardy geraniums. I also have foxgloves, a white Weigela, and a Viburnum which are further along the border and get a little bit more sun in summer. 
    Foliage plants like the Carex, Fatsia, Osmanthus, Sarcococca and also things like Euonymous are valuable if it's an area you can see from the house in winter, as they give structure. Mixing bulbs in with perennials extends the seasons.  :)
    The right hand end of the narrow border, taken June '17


    Wider view of the little border. Sept '17. The fence faces north, north west

    Will take a look for some others later. Hope that gives you an idea or two.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    The winter flowering evergreen clematis cirrhosa "Freckles" would look good on the shed. It has creamy bell shaped flowers with red streaks inside and the bees love. Ours had a few flowers on Xmas Day which is lovely. You could train it on wires, or put up some trellis which is hinged at the bottom, so it could be swung down for painting the shed although I've never tried this.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • robbie2redrobbie2red Posts: 59
    Oh thank you all! I’m loving reading all your helpful tips! I think I’m driving my Mrs a bit insane though! :-)
    Great going round the garden centres today and recognising the plants you’ve been mentioning! I’m learning! 

    Oh I also bought some Astilbe!!! My first plant purchase, for what will be our lovely new garden!!! 

    Thank you all!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Good stuff Robbie - can't go wrong with Astilbes  :)
    Just re reading your original post, and it makes sense to have good support if you want a climber, and also bear in mind that you may need to do a repair to the shed, or paint, as already mentioned. Leave a little bit of room between the shed and your planting for access, so that you're not standing on anything valuable.
    Not that I've ever done that, of course... ;)
    I took a pic of my north-ish facing border today, after getting some pruning done yesterday. The shed is in the same aspect as the fence in the other two pix. They're just further left of it. A large part of the border is hedge, consisting of 2 buddleias, 2 Pyracanthas, the laurel and some other bits and bobs. The spireas [in front of the laurel] provide loads of white flowers in spring with the dicentra and bulbs etc. I plant white sweet peas in pots - there's some by the shed, and to the right of the pic. The Acteas and Dicentra are at the end near the shed, along with a white Potentilla.

    The spireas in late May. 


    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Lovely pics Fairy Girl.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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