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suggestions for a pot by a shady door

earlydazeearlydaze Posts: 105
in Problem solving
Hi- looking for suggestions for a pot that gets an hour of evening light-- at best. Any ideas? many thanks....
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Posts

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    How wide and deep is your pot @earlydaze?  Is your doorway sheltered from wind and rain?
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Here is Essex I've had 2 potted pyramid bay shrubs in big pots next to my front door for the last 3 years and they seem to be fine.
    They face due north so only get direct sun for 2-3 hours/day around mid-summer, other than that they get no direct sun for the rest of the year.

    Another option I was considering was Sarcococca which are very happy even in deep shade.
    They have highly scented flowers in the winter followed by black berries which last for many months. Also evergreen.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • earlydazeearlydaze Posts: 105
    @Plantminded- it is sheltered, and depending on direction of rainfall would not get much rain. currently using a wine box sized planter but have a big range of options if that is deemed to be too small!
  • earlydazeearlydaze Posts: 105
    @Pete.8 thanks for suggestion-- am a big fan of sarcococca scent so may give that a try... 

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    You could add Primulas or Polyanthus for colour. I bought a tray last autumn and they are cheerfully flowering now in their North facing site and have never seen the sun. Some at the back of the house are flowering too, for the N th  year, so they are very cheap and low maintenance :)
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    Bay tree.  Mine are mophead.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    I've used a combination of ferns, ivy and heucheras in pots in my doorway.  I did have a standard Bay but it got too big for the space and is now in the ground.  If you choose Bay or any other shrub, turn the pot around every couple of months to give the whole plant better exposure to light and air and stop the plant from leaning - this also helps prevent potential fungal infection and other diseases.  There are some nice combinations here:  Container Plants for Shade | BBC Gardeners World Magazine
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Skimmia
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    If you don't mind deciduous, Hakonechloa.  If you want something evergreen, Astelia (C. Chathamica Silver Spear, or C Nervosa Westland are my favourites), and they don't need much watering or maintenance.  Westland looks neater, Silver Spear can get a bit messy due to too much dense leaf growth.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Your location is key. Some plants won't survive if you're in the north compared to the south, and it also depends on whether this is a temporary display, or a permanent one. How much time you have to spend on maintenance is also a factor.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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