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What Am I?
Topbird
Posts: 8,355
I am a perennial about 18" (45cm) high with a spread of between 1 and 2 feet (30 - 60 cms). Doesn't matter if I grow a bit bigger than this!
My flowering period is ideally late summer / early autumn but a bit earlier is ok too. My flowers are any colour except bright pink.
I am happy in fairly deep shade (a little morning sun only) and a heavy soil. My owner will give me lots of TLC for the first season but then she's likely to forget to water me and this can be a very dry house.
If I'm an evergreen that's a real bonus but not essential. My closest companions will be dicentra, hostas and geraniums.
Any idea which plant could fill this space please? I'm stumped. Spring stuff I can think of but not later season...
My flowering period is ideally late summer / early autumn but a bit earlier is ok too. My flowers are any colour except bright pink.
I am happy in fairly deep shade (a little morning sun only) and a heavy soil. My owner will give me lots of TLC for the first season but then she's likely to forget to water me and this can be a very dry house.
If I'm an evergreen that's a real bonus but not essential. My closest companions will be dicentra, hostas and geraniums.
Any idea which plant could fill this space please? I'm stumped. Spring stuff I can think of but not later season...
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
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Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
I'd go with epimedium ..... great foliage for most of the year here, and nice spring flowers.
Often recommended for dry conditions.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
@Bee witched - I love epimediums and they are another close companion to my mystery plant. They do very well here and have formed large clumps which are looking lovely at the moment. As you say, the foliage is a good doer too. I'm really hoping for something to flower later in the year - do you know of any that do that because they would be a good choice.
@Jenny_Aster - a berberis would also work and provide some interesting contrast foliage - thank you.
@JennyJ - ⭐️ I'd forgotten all about hardy fuchsias and I think that's my favourite suggestion so far. A nice range of colours to choose from and delicately coloured flowers would shine out when the spot is at it's shadiest. There's lots of low growing foliage around that spot come late summer so something that rises above it with flowers is just what I have in mind.
Any other suggestions will be gratefully received.
Its the dry bit that makes it difficult how dry are we talking ?
One just come to mind Liriope Big blue it ticks everything you've mentioned ( SueAtoo beat me to it )
if as you day you will care for it the first year... Once established it does okay here on clay soil, it is in our hawthorn tree bed and oaks not far away. In fact it is shaded by both for a good part of the day.
But I do water occasionally in very dry weather.
Other suppliers are available, it is just that these have a few good photos.
https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/content.cfm?ref=Kirengeshoma+palmata+-+Growing+Guide
Later summer/ autumn flowering.
I redid the bed last year, split the plants there and this week they are just showing sprouting new foliage..
The flowers are yellow, really lovely and thick petalled. It fills a gap in between Polygonatum/Solomans seal and Symphytum with Brunnera nearby too.
A white hardy fuschia like Hawkshead would show well in shade?
Ours is still in a largish pot but in a shady area by a fence and flowers its socks off for months.
The other plant I was going to say is Liriope. I have one in dry shade.