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Plants that like shade
Hi! Im completely clueless when it comes to gardening. We moved to our home tab the end of last year, and it's become pretty apparent that there is very little colour in my garden, so I want to change that for next summer. Part of my garden is always in the shade though. Any suggestions what I can plant that doesn't mind shade and will add a bit of colour to the garden? Many thanks
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Hi-- Have you tried doing an internet search? I found a lovely online nursery that specializes in plants for shade. I don't know if I'm allowed by the code of conduct to say what it is. In my garden, I've got hesperis matronalis (Dame's Violet) in the spring as well as forget-me-nots. There is a lovely rose called Golden Chersonese that's supposed to do well in shade but I had problems with mine so it didn't bloom this year. But some of the big rose companies online let you search for roses that do well in shade. Many hardy geraniums can tolerate shade. I've got a Sweet Heidi and Dragon Heart and a Geranium sylvatica Amy Doncaster. But the online nursery I found had lots of suggestions. It made me want to have more shade! Also-Honesty does well in shade. And as far as easy annuals, I've found that poached egg plant (Limmanthes douglasi) and Phacelia, while the seed packets say Full Sun, will happily grow anywhere. Good luck. I am also very new to gardening so I'm something of a Google Gardener. But I find not all websites agree on information given.
One of the best ways is to have a nose at other local gardens.
If someone locally has colourful plant growing in their garden in similar shade it almost certainly will do well in your garden as the soil/weather will be similar.
Many years ago I found to my cost that acid-loving plants don't do very well on Essex clay. But seeing what is growing well in neighbour's gardens will give you some ideas that should work.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Plants for shade - geranium macrorhizum, astilbes, hemerocallis, lily of the valley, chelone, hostas, ferns, fuchsias, impatiens (Guinea forms), Japanese anemone, hemerocallis, persicarias, pulmonaria, uvularia, lots of clematis, quite a few roses.
Look them up on the RHS website for further cultivation détails.
and aconitums, aquilegias, cyclamen,
In the sticks near Peterborough
Wow! I had no idea so many plants could tolerate a shady spot. Looking forward to relaxing in a nice colourful garden next summer!
Add epimediums, brunnera, honeysuckle, ivy, hydrangea petiolaris.