Careful with the daffodils, you don't really want lots of big yellow ones dominating the scene. Pale ones show up beautifully in shady spaces. The later flowering Pheasant eye ones are scented and there are dozens of charming little dwarf ones to choose from, some of which are also scented. Also other small bulbs - crocuses, scilla, chionodoxa, winter aconites, cyclamen coum for spring and c. hederafolia for later flowers, trilliums. All bulbs, even relatively expensive ones, are good value because planted in the right conditions they return every year and multiply with minimal care.
For perennials, Astrantia, Brunnera, try silver leaved 'Jack Frost', Heuchera for some winter colour, Roscoea and primulas of various kinds except the real bog-lovers. Kierengeshoma flowers later than most and is a beauty.
Nicotianas are annuals but don't mind shade and are night scented to attract moths - N. sylvestris is lovely. That and some foxgloves would give you summer flowers and some height as well and it looks wide enough for a small shrub or too, maybe squeeze in a Hamamelis...
That lot should keep you going for a while
Shade really isn't the problem people think it is, it's a great opportunity
Fabulous, thank you SO much! Cyclamen already do well in the rest of the garden so hopefully they'll do well there too
Epimedium would be good for ground cover; delicate sprays of tiny flowers in spring; low maintenance
Lovely, thank you. I've not heard of Epimedium (I'm not much of a gardener!) but I've Googled it and it looks wonderful so thank you for the suggestion
It would be nice to have a 'destination' at the end - some art, or a structure, shed or somewhere to sit, if it gets any sun. Both Monty and Adam Frost have shaded wooded areas in their gardens. It might be interesting to look at what they have done with them.
What type is the big tree?
It's a Sycamore. Self seeded from probably about 60+ years ago. Funnily enough, we had considered a summerhouse or something at the far end...
That’s really lovely! It would be nice to create a curved path, maybe with some irregular natural stones. If you had some taller ferns and such near the path so you can’t see the end, you could create a more mysterious feel and heighten the sense of wandering through the woods, with a shady seating area at the end. A few old logs, maybe some sculptural branches... ooh I can see it now!
To control the weeds, mulch heavily with wood chippings that will gradually rot down, darkening and blending in.
I can’t add much to the planting suggestions, but what is magical in the shady woodlands around me is carpets of white-flowered anemone nemorosa and the odd patch of delicate lilac hepatica.
Thank you, I do like the wood chippings idea. Actually there are already some logs tossed to the side, so perhaps we ought to make them more of a feature. Thank you for the idea!
I'm not sure I would bother with a summerhouse, they tend to get used more of a dumping ground. An open arbour with a roof might be more useful and less expensive.
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Also a lot of ideas here: https://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/
And link to different epimedium plants for sale: https://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/acatalog/Epimedium.html — nice just to have a look
I'm not sure I would bother with a summerhouse, they tend to get used more of a dumping ground. An open arbour with a roof might be more useful and less expensive.