Help with ground cover

Clara Midgley

Hello there, I love my little Jurassic Path but am having an absolute mare with the blackbirds chucking the bark chipping around and cats using it a as a toilet …the latter being a real issue as my 1yr old twins want to investigate it. 

It’s south facing but due to it being a narrow corridor it doesn’t get blasted by the sun all day (just very intense sun for part of the day). I mulch the ferns and give it a good soak once a week or so as it can get a bit dry. I’d love something lush green that complements the ferns and adds to the woodland vibe. I’ve looked on rhs plant finder but it’s coming up with periwinkle (which hasn’t grown so well down there), mind-your-own-business (which I don’t think my neighbour on the other side of the fence would appreciate coming through), and bushwort …which I think is maybe the best option …although I don’t know much about it. What else is out there that could do the trick? Scaring off the cats is not an option as we have one of the darling little culprits.

Busy-Lizzie

You could try Lamium, but not the yellow one - too invasive. However, it isn't lush green, varying amounts of silver and green. It grows well in part shade but can cope with some sun. It isn't evergreen. I don't know if you were looking for evergreen.

Pete.8

I find the Crocus site helpful sometimes for ideas as they have some useful filters.
Here a selection of small perennials happy in shade-
https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/plcid.2/vid.11/vid.37/start.4/

AnniD

Ajuga reptans perhaps?  
https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/ajuga-reptans-black-scallop/

Busy-Lizzie

Some of those plants wouldn't be happy with intense sun for part of the day.

Clara Midgley

Busy-Lizzie said:

You could try Lamium, but not the yellow one - too invasive. However, it isn't lush green, varying amounts of silver and green. It grows well in part shade but can cope with some sun. It isn't evergreen. I don't know if you were looking for evergreen.

Thank you for the tip. It doesn’t need to be evergreen as I do need to compromise on something 😅…but I would like it to come back each spring.

GardenerSuze

@Clara Midgley How about some of the small ground hugging campanulas? I did wonder about Asarum europaeum but may be too warm.

Ergates

I think some hostas would look great there, but I don’t know how they would cope with the sunny part of the day.

Posy

Hellebore?  They are evergreen - though not lush - and cats find them difficult to negociate.

Bee witched

Another vote for ajuga from me.
Will quickly form a nice mat so good to stop the cats. Bits are easily pulled up and put elsewhere in the garden if it grows where you don't want it. Only attention I give mine is to trim off the old flowers to tidy it up. It's evergreen here with me in Scotland, and even grows in very dry shade under an old oak tree.
Might also be nice to pop some wee tete a tete daffs in there and some other little bulbs such as chionodoxa ... they soon spread too.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-chionodoxa/

Bee x

izzy8

Epimedium and Geranium macrorhizum have grown well here despite never being watered