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Woodland garden

Garden noobGarden noob Posts: 260
in Wildlife gardening
I'm redesigning my garden and have a shaded corned that's 3.4m wide and 4m long with a shed on one the west side, the neighbour's summerhouse on the east side, and sycamore trees on the north side. The sycamore trees' branches stretch across this area, although the lower ones (starting around 3-4m high) can be pruned back. The area gets about 5 hours of direct sunlight per day. 

I'm thinking of embracing the sycamore trees and using the space as a woodland area. I'm not sure what trees are likely to work though. There isn't the space for anything too big - ideally they would be smaller varieties (maybe even tall shrubs) or trees that can be trimmed.

Do you have any thoughts on what trees/shurbs to grow in this spot? 

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited May 2020
    I have the same situation. The tree is to the north. The bed faces south but is overhung. Some sun in the afternoo/ evening. Very dry clay
     The following small plants from cuttings seem to be doing well:
    escallonia, 
    Hydrangeas ( that one's a surprise)
    Grass with white stripes cant remember the name @Dovefromabove knows
    geranium macrorrhizum

    The following are mature plants:
    Holly
    Hazel
    White buddleia 
    Japanese anemone
    Ivy. Lots of it 😕,
    Vinca😕
    Acuba😕
    Beetroot loves it
    I got a mixed pack of small leafed hebes last year. They're all doing fine
    Young ones need watering every day. I don't bother to water the mature plants
    I'm going to put some sweet woodruff there too
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I think this is the one you’re thinking of @B3

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details%3Fplantid%3D5090

    😊

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





  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    The ground is going to be very dry with the sycamore taking up all the available water and the sheds causing a rain shadow as well.
    I have several lovely, old sycamores around the boundaries of my property and nothing really grows under them voluntarily, even nettles!. The other issue is that as your site is south facing, you will need to get the shade established before you can use actual woodland plants.
    The area by the front yard gets some rainfall and I have got spring bulbs and ground cover like Lamium and Brunnera to grow, but not much else. I have some shrubs a little further away but  most of your space is most likely still over the root area of the trees.

    You could try an ornamental elder or two, some are very pretty and my wild trees seem to pop up anywhere,including right in the middle of a stand of ash trees. So too, oddly enough, do blackcurrants, which the birds distribute for me, and which don't seem to mind growing under trees. I usually leave them unless they are really in the way, thinking that if there are more for the birds there will be more for me too :)
    Cotoneasters are very forgiving, there are a number of  different varieties, some evergreen, some not, some more shrubby while others make good small trees. All have flowers for insects (bees love them) and berries for the birds and for you to look at, Both elders and cotoneasters can be cut back to keep them within bounds.
    I also have Viburnum bodnantense and a Prunus cerasifolia growing near the ash trees, but we normally have fairly heavy rainfall here and it is likely
    going to be harder to get anything to grow well without a lot of watering, if you are somewhere drier.
    Good luck :)
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    For trees, I'd go for something that you'd find in woodlands and forests. I have a hawthorn, not the common variety, that grows too big for my garden, but there are some cultivars (I have crataegus persimilis Prunifolia) that reach a more manageable 4-5 metres.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    That's it. Thanks @Dovefromabove😊
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • 1634 Racine1634 Racine Posts: 568
    I’ve seen nice woodland gardens with tons of geranium and aquilegia.  Garrya might be a good option for an evergreen shrub in the shadier part.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Don't forget some snowdrops for spring.
  • PoppypussPoppypuss Posts: 143
    I’ve also got a huge, multi stemmed sycamore so just have to go with the flow and see what grows. 

    The Mexican orange does really well which is a surprise, as does the black elder. Growing directly next to the tree trunks are a mixture of hostas, brunnera, ferns and hellebores. Also sweet woodruff does well.
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