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Shady fence facing front door

JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
in Garden design
Hi all,

Im looking for ideas :)

This is a mossy old fence facing out front door which I’ve cleaned and put a first coat of cream on.  Swept up the debris and put some large pots until I get some inspiration.

The silver birch has large roots running along the surface so there’s no usable soil. And I don’t think it gets any direct light, just that reflected off our cream house walls.


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  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,408
    Box, Skimmia, sarcococca for greenery, flowers  from the skimmia, and berries too, if you get both a male and a female variety. Winter perfume from the sarcococca.
    If you want summer flowers, Nicotiana will grow in shade and a tall, multi-coloured mix would sing out in front of that cream :)
  • Cambridgerose12Cambridgerose12 Posts: 1,120
    edited March 2021
    Some plants will also grow even in poor rooty soil. You could try (with a bit of help in the form of dug-in organic matter and food):
    Geranium nodosum
    Polypodium vulgare
    Euonymus fortunei
    Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum'
    Hardy Cyclamen
    Aster schreberi
    Tellima grandiflora
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    I didn’t really think about evergreens, I suppose I could put in some troughs or raised beds for shrubbery.
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,507
    Are you just wanting a sumner display and not permanent planting? 
    Fibrous begonias and busy lizzies cope with shade with some variegated ivy to trail over the edge and a fern or 2.
    You could plant up plastic pots with spring bulbs  to sit inside your terracotta ones and pop them in when they are in flower. 
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    I got as far as those pots and  thinking about a shady climber in the corner, but I’d have to add them to the watering routine as there no chance of moisture there in summer though it floods in winter.

    As there are no weeds there I assume anything will be hard to grow, so maybe just swapping in seasonal bulbs or buying plants in flower every few months.
  • Brickman0430Brickman0430 Posts: 178
    How about a climbing rose? Danse de feu is a lovely climber that loves a shady spot. 
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    edited March 2021
    Brickman0430 said:
    How about a climbing rose? Danse de feu is a lovely climber that loves a shady spot. 
    If it would grow well out of a medium sized planter, yes?

    GW recommend a Rosa “Wedding Day” but say it wants moist soil and plenty of space. Also partial sun, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t get any direct sunlight.

    https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/climbers-to-grow-in-shade/


  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    K67 said:

    Fibrous begonias 
    Are all Semperflorens in that category?  Ive only ever but begonia in full sun.
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,507
    I don't know, I only thought they were the red, pink and white bedding plants.
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/130495/Begonia-Semperflorens-Cultorum-Group-(S)/Details
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    Ive checked it out and Climbing Roses in planters are a no go.


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