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

Colourful planting ideas for a semi shady border? Thank you!

David.thompson2David.thompson2 Posts: 4
edited June 2020 in The potting shed

Hello, thanks for looking, and first a bit of background.

Edit: this is my first post, I didn’t see an option to categorise it, sorry if it's in the wrong area

I've just removed a conifer and a couple of bushes, which has opened up a space which is about ten feet long.  I'm expecting the eventual border to be five to six feet in depth, with a bit of a curve on it. It gets sun until mid morning, then is mostly shaded by a six foot fence (due to be replaced).  As you can see, there's a small patio (normally with a bench) just beyond it (as you look from the house) in the corner of the garden.  The soil in the area is now in a poor state - we live near the sea and the soil is normally quite free draining but tending to be dry.

I'm looking for some ideas of what might be good there.

The garden is generally short of early season colour, that border in particular, so I'm hoping for things that will help with that.

I'm a rookie gardener so anything that's 'tricky' is probably best avoided!

As for the soil, I'm planning to take some of it to the front garden wall of the house, under some bushes, and add a lot of compost when I'm planting.  Any other thoughts are very welcome.

My wife is not a gardener and is more interested in colour and flowers than leaf shape and pattern, but has pointed me at one or two pictures of planting schemes.  These glorious photos seem to be happening in a sunny spot, but if anyone could suggest a scheme for this bed, please do!

Thanks very much for reading :-)


Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Spring bulbs for early colour would be fine there (not tulips though, they need to bake in the summer). What kind of colours/planting schemes does your wife like? And what do you like?

    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    I was short of early season colour too, last year I planted Viburnum x judii, which was incredible in terms of scent. And some pulmonarias, with Anemone blanda. Right now, hardy geraniums are doing their thing, loads to choose from. For later season colour Persicaria amplexicaulis is OK in light semi-shade, as is Thalictrum delavayi.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • DevonianDevonian Posts: 176
    A nice swathe of daffodils would look good there! Find varieties that don't mind a bit of shade. Try a Mexican Orange Blossom bush too, plenty of small white flowers in spring lasting quite a few weeks and the scent is delightful (don't mind shade either, in fact prefer it in southern England). Depending on your soil type you could try rhododendrons and azaleas, plus camellias? Needs to be acidic soil for them though.
  • David.thompson2David.thompson2 Posts: 4
    JennyJ said:
    Spring bulbs for early colour would be fine there (not tulips though, they need to bake in the summer). What kind of colours/planting schemes does your wife like? And what do you like?

    Thanks Jenny.  Until last year I was basically a non-gardener, the space being two strips of weeds and the survivors of the previous owner's planting prior to 2002. What you see in the pic is my novice first year attempt, no attempt at a 'scheme'!  I did put a few daffs in here and there which cheered thing up but looked a bit random.  So, no preferences really, other than my wife doesn't like red and white together! (a nurse, she calls it 'blood and bandages'!)
  • David.thompson2David.thompson2 Posts: 4
    WillDB said:
    I was short of early season colour too, last year I planted Viburnum x judii, which was incredible in terms of scent. And some pulmonarias, with Anemone blanda. Right now, hardy geraniums are doing their thing, loads to choose from. For later season colour Persicaria amplexicaulis is OK in light semi-shade, as is Thalictrum delavayi.
    Thanks Will. The Anemone seems like it would be nice at the front.  As with any other suggestions, I will check them out carefully.
  • David.thompson2David.thompson2 Posts: 4
    edited June 2020
    Devonian said:
    A nice swathe of daffodils would look good there! Find varieties that don't mind a bit of shade. Try a Mexican Orange Blossom bush too, plenty of small white flowers in spring lasting quite a few weeks and the scent is delightful (don't mind shade either, in fact prefer it in southern England). Depending on your soil type you could try rhododendrons and azaleas, plus camellias? Needs to be acidic soil for them though.
    Thanks Devonian.  I'll definitely look for some shade tolerant daffs.  Also the idea of azalea, as my wife was saying 'that's nice' when she saw a neighbour's .  There's a camellia just out of picture on the left that has survived 17 years of neglect but it gets afternoon sun.  There was an azalea on the right in the shady strip that really struggled and then gave up, but perhaps I should give it another go.  My sister in law has just taken out a Mexican Orange Blossom as it got too big. I planted one at my last house in an area that got little sun, and it also grew big but didn’t flower. I would like something in the middle at the back, with a bit of height but not much width, that would provide a bit of structure and not die back in Winter.
Sign In or Register to comment.