Suggestions for a shady corner
Mother Hen2
Posts: 41
I'm still finding my way in the wonderful ways of gardening but find it really rather hard to get inspiration at times. A particular area that needs attention in our garden is outside the patio doors, these are in the dining area and open up onto a patio into the back garden. The back of the house is north facing and with the fence and the neighbors house it means the area gets almost no sun. The temporary woodstore is going to be taken down but what would people suggest to make it an interesting and attractive area to look out on from the doors? It currently is neither!
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And to give a bit of height by the fence how about a pittosporum tenuifolium which is evergreen. I have one that faces north east and doing nicely.
How about Hydrangea petiolaris it can be shaped and trimmed back, it likes north walls offences. It will go up the fence and you can keep it that height, deciduous but effective in summer.
How about putting up a bit of trellis against the fence and growing a clematis or two? Many, many clematis grow just fine in shade - here are 6 pages worth of them:
http://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/clematis-will-tolerate-shade/
Once you have the structure why not consider Gaultheria as ground cover, it loves shaded areas quickly covers the ground to about 6" high, is evergreen turning more purple in the autumn with red berries unfortunately not much in the way of flowers.
Lilly of the Valley (lovely scented), Geum (which I planted all around my garden last year and the only ones that flourished were the ones in almost complete shade), aquilegia, astrantias, hydrangeas as someone else has said and Lychnis Viscaria Splendens. Also hostas, rose of sharon and astilbes.
Great thread, one I'll take the advice of others from as I too have a corner to fill.
Would those suggesting reckon that you should buy more than one of each variety?
Arum Lily I have a lot in shady area and as long as you plant with a good fertiliser at start, will give you years of flowers. Plus these can also be lifted in late autumn and the tubes divide to give you even more plants. The ten large plants I have all came from one plant in my parents house, which is now a good 20 years old. How about a water feature or pond? As being a shady area you will have less problems with algae.
I like Bergenia, grows in the shade and keeps its leaves all year round.
http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/bergenia-bressingham-white/classid.334/