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Planting suggestions - Front Garden
Dilip_UK
Posts: 114
Can I please welcome some planting suggestions. It’s my daughter’s house in London, north facing front garden. She has an autistic son, really no time to do any gardening. I have now taken on the task to be her gardener (she may regret it). I will seek help later with the back garden but the front is relatively easy. There is raised bed against next doors wall - about 3 foot high, the bed is about 18 inches high and 12 inches wide with small L shape at one end. I have the usual suspects in mind, Hosts and Ferns but was thinking of some flowering Perennials plants. I am not sure what flowering plants will do best in fully shaded spot. This is also a small L shaped bed under the front windows. Was thinking of placing some plants in both beds with gravel/membrane to save my daughter from weeding. Low maintenance is very important. Since the bed is very narrow, it perhaps limits the choice of plants. There are also two pots (2.5 foot high - 14 inch diameter) outside the front door, planting suggestion again welcomed.Welcome any suggestions. Thank you. 
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If there was more space, hydrangeas may be ok there, but they soon get big.
If there are no suitable suggestions for flowering plants, then maybe different shades of green with different textures.
I have a raised bed similar to the one above by the wall where I've planted Hakonechloa Macra -
5 plants in 2L pots planted just over 2 years ago- they would be happy in a northerly aspect. When the foliage dies, they still look good over winter and sounds lovely in a breeze any time of the year.
Just cut all the dead foliage back to the ground in Spring and they soon grow away again.
Pittosporums would also work there.
There are lots of varieties and they can all be pruned hard to be kept small.
I have 12 x P. Golf Ball edging my north-facing drive that are doing well.
A property around the corner has a mix of P. Tom Thumb and a variegated variety both kept to about 2ft balls. They are all evergreen.
Another property nearby has lots of Sarcococca which are very happy facing north and have the bonus of very fragrant winter flowers followed by black berries - and is evergreen.
I have 2 similar size pots by my north-facing front door with bay shrubs, they grow well there.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Lots of information here that might help
https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/content.cfm?ref=Sarcococca+-+Growing+Guide
They would add a splash of summer colour
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Will look into Hakonechloa Macra, Pittosporums and Sarcococca, very interesting ideas thank you. Doing my small research, I have added Brunnera macrophylla, Geraniums - Hardy, Bleeding Heart and Heuchera to the consideration list, these will add some colour. I will also add summer bedding plants in pots to add a bit of colour splash. I am looking into dwarf hydrangeas for the pots, bay leaf plants is a nice suggestions.
Thank you again for your suggestions.
@SalixGold, that’s a brilliant suggestion, thank you.