Forum home› Garden design
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Plant combination recommendations - shady spot.

CumbriManCumbriMan Posts: 67
in Garden design
Hi everyone, i'm looking for recommendations of plants to go into a shady spot in my rear garden.

This is under a large eleagnus ebbingei and Holly bush. It's aspect is west but it gets very little sun (particularly by the boundary fence), the soil is typically quite dry and probably is drained by the large bushes.

I was looking for a bit of a woodland feel underneath. There are two ferns under there which survived quite well but some hostas I placed there got ravaged by slugs. It would be nice to get some pale colour below the greens of the bushes to contrast the dark. Perennial, ground cover, low maintenance would be ideal. The soil is acidic.

I have been looking through RHS books but just tie myself in knots 😖.

Thanks in advance for any tips.
«1

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited May 2020
    That looks such a dry spot ... I think it'd need a fair bit of organic matter incorporating and a lot of watering before you could get anything established.  Certainly not hostas ... they need much more moisture than they'd get there ... 
    How much work are you prepared to do?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Alchemilla mollis should be ok with a little help to get it established, seems to grow anywhere in my garden, including places I would consider unsuitable!  That would give you pale grey-green leaves and lovely yellowy green flower sprays to cascade down the wall in summer. Ticks all your boxes, though not specifically a woodland plant it grows happily in those conditions.
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    Geranium nodosum might survive (we have a lovely one called Svelte Lilac).  Epimediums have some beautiful pale foliage.  There are also some pale Heuchera's which do better in shade, but as @Dovefromabove says, you will probably need to improve the soil and be prepared to do some watering until they are established.  
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    London Pride [Saxifraga urbium] will grow there. It isn't fussy as to shade - dry or wet.
    Ajuga will also be fine once established.
    Some low growing euphorbias would also be fine.

    As already said - the ground will need some work before you plant anything, and then plenty of watering/aftercare until things actually grow.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • CumbriManCumbriMan Posts: 67
    @Dovefromabove I'm not afraid of hard work if required... just can't chuck money at it 😕.

    Once or twice daily watering wouldn't be an issue but the problem I've had there is that you can't dig down too far in the soil and even then there are so many roots from the bushes I worry about damaging them.

    Still finding my feet with gardening. Is any organic matter recommended? I've typically just used compost.

    Be really nice to get something growing under there once the soil is up to scratch.
  • CumbriManCumbriMan Posts: 67
    @Buttercupdays thanks, I do like alchemila mollis. Can it be a bit invasive? Would it tolerate other plants alongside it?
  • CumbriManCumbriMan Posts: 67
    @KeenOnGreen I'm definitely going to get some geraniums. I've been meaning to for some time but there's so much choice 😊

    I have some heuchera's elsewhere in the garden (lime marmalade & Gotham) which I really like, hadn't seen epimediums before but really like the look of their foliage 👍
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    edited May 2020
    Maybe some lavenders...... geraniums....
  • CumbriManCumbriMan Posts: 67
    @Fairygirl thank you for the recommendations. I'm liking the look of all of them I've looked at Euphorbias a few times but always held bake as I heard they were toxic to dogs and worried about our terrier.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    edited May 2020
    I have 2 dogs and lots of euphoria, they don't eat it.  There are hundreds of plants considered dangerous to cats/dogs, but they rarely eat enough to get sick.....I also have 3 cats......growing flowers for years, never had to bring an animal to vet because of poisoning
Sign In or Register to comment.