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What to plant here

JAC51JAC51 Posts: 175
in Garden design
Hi, I’ve managed to reclaim a tiny bit of extra space in my garden underneath the lilac tree. It previously had a large concrete tortoise house there that my dad built way back when, which we finally demolished. The soil is clay in the rest of the garden but here it’s very dry and poor. I intend to build it up slightly to minimise the slope with soil improver and leftover soil from other areas of the garden. The picture below was taken at 8am this morning so it faces easy and will get sun until 2ish. I’m quite excited about having a bit more space but no idea what to plant there. 
What would you plant there?

Posts

  • JAC51JAC51 Posts: 175

  • JAC51JAC51 Posts: 175

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If you can get it to retain moisture - I'd have things like Acteas, Dicentra [has a new name now which I can't recall] Polygonatum, Camassias, Clematis, Weigela, Potentilla, Convallaria, Iberis etc. 
    All suited to shade, all available in white, or almost white, so ideal for shady spots. Erythroniums would also be fine, and various spring bulbs - snowdrops, crcocus daffs. 
    If you want something more permanent - ie evergreen, you could try Pyracantha or Berberis, with accompanying perennials and bulbs. Hellebores and cyclamen will also be fine.
    I'd move the feeders though, if you're planting it up, unless you have some stepping stones, or similar,  put in, and don't mind the mess on the plants  ;)

    I have all of those in that sort of site and aspect. I don't have dry soil though, so that's the defining factor. I have very little experience of dry shade, although I have London Pride, Alchemilla mollis and a few other things under conifers etc.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Did you want shrubs or perennials?

    Brunneras, epimediums and certain geraniums  like g. Maccrorhizum are good for dry shade.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • JAC51JAC51 Posts: 175
    Thanks @Busy-Lizzie and @Fairygirl for the comments although I wouldn’t call it shady. My shady plants are on the other side of the garden.  The border along the fence to the right of the decking faces south so gets sun more or less all day once it’s cleared the house. It sets behind the garage. I was wondering whether to have a grass area there.  Maybe stipa or similar interspersed with something? Although I love plants so I end up buying one of everything and the other borders are all jam packed
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Everything I mentioned, I have in east facing borders in my garden, and it gets sun  until early afternoon, and the front gets it till later. All those will take a reasonable amount of sun.
    Many plants are very adaptable too. Shrubs like Potentilla and [white ] Spireas etc [I also have those] will grow almost anywhere. Weigelas and those two evergreens too. it's the soil that matters.  :)

    Obviously, the amount of sun is from this time of year onwards - there's less in autumn through winter, until it's high enough to clear other buildings/fences etc in mid spring
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Oh, I thought you were asking because it's a dry shade area.

    It sounds as though you have a much bigger choice than I thought. Gardening depends on personal taste too, so I would go to a Garden centre and choose plants that you like the look of.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
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