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Plant for shady corner
Steph111
Posts: 22
I'm planting up this north-facing area and struggling to know what to put in the back corner. When we moved in the garden was just grass so everything in there is new. We're in Manchester.
The corner is sheltered from the wind (about the only place in our garden that is!) but doesn't get much direct sun, apart from maybe a small amount in the morning.
Ideally want something about a 1m-1.5m tall, evergreen and structural. Something that will make an impact. Any ideas, GW Hive Mind?
The only permanent thing in that border currently is the fatsia. The rest I'm still deciding on. I have a white camellia elsewhere in the garden which isn't doing too well where it is, so was considering moving it to the corner, but not sure if that's the best idea.
The corner is sheltered from the wind (about the only place in our garden that is!) but doesn't get much direct sun, apart from maybe a small amount in the morning.
Ideally want something about a 1m-1.5m tall, evergreen and structural. Something that will make an impact. Any ideas, GW Hive Mind?
The only permanent thing in that border currently is the fatsia. The rest I'm still deciding on. I have a white camellia elsewhere in the garden which isn't doing too well where it is, so was considering moving it to the corner, but not sure if that's the best idea.
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The biggest problem with Camellias is that the flowering interest is short, so you may want to have some tall perennials, and winter interest to take over, or even a clematis to grow through it.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If the acer is in a sunken pot you could then move it when the Fatsia takes over or you could move the Fatsia and plant the acer.
I have recently planted a red stemmed, orange leaved acer in a North facing corner, under planted with snowdrops, two dwarf azalea to one side and a white flowered tree heather on the other. That corner is a blaze of colour at the moment and will remain so until autumn, with new leaves of the acer. It is not evergreen so the azaleas and heather give some green colour during the winter.
I dug in a full bag of ericaceous compost prior to planting the acer.
I do have an Acer needing a spot but its leaves are light green /almost yellow (Acer Shirasawanum Jordan). The Acer you've described sounds lovely @Joyce Goldenlily
The acer I have is Orange Dream.
The label says; It grows to 125 cm in height and 100cm in width. It can be grown in a container or open soil. It has branching upright growth with fresh yellow/green lobed leaves. The young growing tips have orange leaves. The autumn colour is a breath taking yellow. The long growth can be cut back in March to encourage compact growth. It likes morning sun, shade or dappled shade. Fully hardy but if grown in a container needs some protection during cold weather. Likes sandy, humus-rich soil. If that is not available add some garden peat to the planting hole.
I have never protected mine when it was in a pot but I am in Cornwall where we do not have such cold spells as other places. Just lots of rain.
My tree is planted in a North facing corner made up of two Cornish banks with a large ash tree growing on top of the junction of the walls. It is in a small quarter circle raised bed. Since planting out it has made a lot of new growth from near the base and also some long whippy tall stems. I am cogitating at the moment about whether to do some judicious pruning, if yes, how much and where? Or allow it to do its own thing for another season or two.
Good luck when you have yours. I love mine.