Posts

• Bee witched Posts: 1,295

  5 January

  Hello @NewDevonGarden,
  Welcome to the forum.
  
  Lots of ideas on this website ...
  
  https://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/
  Worth clicking on "Plants for specific locations" at the top of the page on the the righthand side. 
  
  Good luck with your project.
  
  Bee x

  Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  
  
  A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  

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• GardenerSuze Posts: 5,692

  5 January edited 5 January

  @NewDevonGarden Geranium macrorrhizum, G Lily Lovell, G Phaum, Epimediums but look for the strong growing forms, Polystichum setiferum, Euonymous Emerald and Gold, Euphorbia Robbiae, Japanese Anemone Whirlwind . All these could be considered but the condition of the soil plus light and moisture would need to be considered with each of these before purchase.  Some tree canopies can be too dense and soil too dry especially in the summer months for plants too survive. The fact that you can grow weeds is positive but docks are very difficult to clear. Before you know they are back. You could keep some nettles for the butterflies
  Plants in 9cm pots will be choked by the weed seedling best to grow on to a bigger size before planting. Plants in a 2litre pot stand a better chance to get established. You need to water for all of year one when dry as they can be slow to form roots.

  I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.

  1
• Obelixx Posts: 30,090

  6 January

  I suggest a trip to the library to borrow Beth Chatto's "Woodland Garden".   She has an encyclopedic knowledge of plants and where they grow best plus an artist's eye for colour, form and texture.
  
  It will give you plenty of insight and ideas for planting up your woodland area for year round interest.

  Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
  

  "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."

  Plato
  

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• ViewAhead Posts: 866

  6 January

  Fatsia japonica is a shrub that acts like a small multi-stemmed tree and will be happy in shade.  Mine is bigger than 3m after 20 yrs growth, but it does not object to being pruned, so keeping it to a specific size is doable.   

  
  

  At the other end of the scale, an excellent ground cover plant is Waldstenia Ternata, an evergreen with strawberry like leaves that spreads gently on runners and is very happy even in dense shade under shrubs.   

  
  

  
  

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• bédé Posts: 3,095

  6 January

  A wild Devon wood sounds just the job.  Gnarled trees, ferns, English wild flowrs.  Look around for inspiration.

   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."

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• raisingirl Posts: 7,093

  6 January

  pulmonaria for early flowers that bees love, primroses, shuttlecock ferns (metteuccia struthopteris), acers if it's sheltered

  
  

  Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
  
  “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 

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• GardenerSuze Posts: 5,692

  6 January

  @NewDevonGarden I think you should keep in mind that you have recently moved and you will need to get used to the soil conditions. We have had so much rain that areas under very large trees are wet at present, which isn't what you would normally expect. Most of the year this is the driest part of any garden. 

  I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.

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• Obelixx Posts: 30,090

  6 January

  Yes, always best to watch and wait for a whole year to see what grows as bulbs and herbaceous perennials re-appear after winter.   Just remove obvious weeds, control any thugs and prune out any dead, damaged or diseased plants or stems that you see.
  
  Take photos and notes to help you work out how the light levels change as the leaf canopy develops so you can make good choices when deciding what to add or remove.

  Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
  

  "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."

  Plato
  

  1
• Nanny Beach Posts: 8,719

  6 January

  Hello,we need some pictures. My back garden faces north, but because of it's size I get sun from sunrise, obviously in the east to about 6.30pm in the summer. I have a ferny woodland area,in shade,it's under a couple of inches at the moment, but in summer, even north facing it gets incredibly dry, I think having south facing shade, you will find it a challenge.

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• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  7 January

  I agree with  @GardenerSuze - as you've only just moved in there, the ground is likely to be nicve and moist. It's whether that continues to be the case over the summer that will matter. If the site is open enough to the prevailing weather, it might be ok, but if not, that could be far more difficult. We get plenty of moisture here, so even areas under trees don't dry out readily, which makes it easier to establish plants and keep them happy. 
  It might be better to spend the time between now and spring improving the soil, and just monitoring how damp it all stays, plus planning the general layout as you want a seating area too. Many plants are quite adaptable, but it would be a shame to plant lots of things that like/need consistent moisture, and then find you're struggling to keep them happy.   

  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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