Plants for damp shaded boarder

drew.rycroft

Hi everyone.

I would like to add an additional border to my garden but part of the area has permanent shade and currently is very damp with lots of moss. What would be the best way to deal with the dampness and when would I need to start getting the ground ready for use next spring. Also what types of plants would work well in the shaded bits. The soil has been tested with a verve soil PH tester and it is fairlly acidic (sunny border has a thriving camelia) and is heavy clay so slight drainage issues. I have attached photos of the border at mid day and at 16:00. Rhododendrons have been suggested to me as a potential plant.  Would snowdrops work in the bottom right hand corner?

Hostafan1

HOSTAS

Alan Clark2 in Liverpool

Ferns!

GardenerSuze

I grow snowdrops in an east facing border, clay soil, don't think they mind that much regarding PH. I do water the area in summer if it is dry

youwishyouknewtoo8mLTV0b4

I take it your garden is east facing? It's practically identical to how mine is/was, faced the same way and my fence pretty much blocks the last guy on the right. I've tried so many things and most have failed,  so currently I have absolutely nothing in the ground directly. I tried ferns, grasses, clematis, fuschia, and had to whip them all out. Currently I have bamboo, an olive tree, three astilbes, some oxalis... Can't remember what else off the top of my head. I'm in Glasgow so the climate here is not great for growing things in shade, the opposite side however is thriving with wisteria, climbers, ferns, grasses, fuschias, lupin, some are potted, some not, the contrast is crazy as the left is bright and colourful, the left not so much lol. 

SYinUSA

Callicarpa, Solomon's Seal, ferns, huechera, astilbe, chelone, phlox (maculata and paniculata), hosta, ligularia, liriope.