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Ideas Please for a shady corner
Yviestevie
Posts: 7,066
Hi folks, the photos below show the view from my kitchen window. It's long been neglected but I'm ready to do something about it. The table is useful and I'm thinking of doing a Monty Don and cleaning and painting the top and using it to showcase small plants/ bulbs in the spring, maybe alpines etc. The acer will probably stay there (it really belongs to my SIL but based on the fact the possession is nine tenths of the law I think it's mine now) I have a variety of terracota pots in different shapes and sizes that could be used in the other corner but don't really know what to plant there, the canes can find a new home. It can be a bit of a wind tunnel but is partially protected by a woodshed and the greenhouse. It gets very little sun. I'd be grateful for any ideas and plant suggestions.
Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
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There is a very cute one E.grandiflorum nanum.
That looks better in a trough or pot as it is small, but has quite big flowers for size.
Although deciduous the new leaves have a nice chocolate edge.
I have dug mine up to put in a trough when it recovers, I keep forgetting it was in the border and have hardly any left.
There is two kinds like bamboos you have leptomorphs which spread fast and pachymorphs which form clumps so are slower.
And many of the wintergreen ones have interesting winter leaf colours. But they may be too big for what you want. And many of the new leaves haves good colours too.
Chiastophyllum is a good shade succulent with lovely cascading yellow flowers spikes.
Not sure if it would count as alpine? I bought it from an alpine section in
a nursery some years ago.
A few evergreens for the depths of winter. Heucheras, Saxifrages, Pachysandra, Hellebores, Primulas etc will all be fine in pots for [check the vine weevils in the Heucheras!] and even little Hebes will be fine even though it's shady.
You could add a splash of paint and have them all toning in with the planting, depending on the time of year. Add a few other items which would look good - the little can in the last pic for example. Simple statues or timber troughs etc.
I did a similar thing with a shelf above my storage box which is near the back door. Currently has bulbs in small pots of varying heights, but also has Dianthus, a little heuchera and some toning violas. I can replace with other things for summer, including herbs. Mine is a sunnier spot than yours, but it's the same principle.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
One of the dianthus I have has flowered on and off all winter, so it must be happy enough!
I've also got a pot of chard, in all sorts of colours, which has survived winter and hasn't had any sun, so it could be a possibility for brightening up the area. I think Euphorbias would work for you as well.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Great shout, KOG
Pots of snowdrops too.
I got some white Chionodoxas and Muscari last autumn. Perfect for a shady corner.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
This is the little Epimedium, not a great photo but you get the idea, it is only about five inches high, although the later leaves are taller. But in a pot as you want to swap things around at table height.
Also for a hardy fern (instead of hostas slug proof, so sorry hostafan ) for under or offside of your alpine table. The polystichums (something like setiferum/ divisilobum group) are nice, stay looking good through winter, the fronds are tough but look very lacey, and can take some wind, shade and even dryness.