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Shaded Border

Novice23Novice23 Posts: 191
in Plants

I have a very narrow strip of earth, about 10 inches wide, alongside a fence which is north facing and always in total shade.  I have some winter and summer heathers which seem quite happy there and a tiarella, which also does ok. But I would like some brighter summer colour along this fence.   I would like low growing stuff as it also borders a path.    I am quite fond of fuchsia, and wondered about the hardy dwarf shrubs.  Any advice and any ideas please would be welcome.

Posts

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    Fuschia will do well in partial shade-begonias and impatiens are good summer bedding in the shade if you just want temporary colour image

  • Matty2Matty2 Posts: 4,817

    Tradescantia will flower in shade most of summer and is a perennial. Japanese anemone also

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,644

    What about heucheras with different coloured leaves.

    http://www.heucheraholics.co.uk/heuchera_shop.html

    Otherwise, for colour, you can't do much better than Geoff's answer.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • clogherheadclogherhead Posts: 506

    Hi you should also try  (monkey flower) and it comes in different colours .it grows to about 6 to8 " high in summer and as low as 1/2" in winter and its perennialimage

  • Novice23Novice23 Posts: 191

    Thanks everyone for the ideas, really good to know there are some colourful flowers that don't mind shade.    I shall certainly put in some Fuschias, heucheras, and the tradescantia.  Not heard of the Monkey Flower, but will investigate online about this

    I just hope we have some decent weather this year to enjoy them all. 

    Many thanks for your expertise.

     

     

  • Novice23Novice23 Posts: 191

    Hi Everyone

    An update on my north facing border.  Have planted a range of fuschias, divided the tiarella and created some more plants, added a nepeta along one end, and a couple of heucheras.  All doing well except for the heucharas which are not growing, but at least not dying. 

     

    Thanks for all the help

     

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,980

    HI Novice- Violas do well in shady areas too so might be worth trying them -lots of colours to choose from and they're low growing.  If the soil's a bit dry the Heucheras may struggle a little so if you water and then mulch they might  be happier. You can get nice bright green varieties which are good in the shade - the purple ones sometimes disappear a bit unless you have some brighter foliage around them. If you like grasses some of the Carexes have good green/gold foliage and are evergreen. I have Carex 'Evergold' which forms a nice 'mound' about a foot high and takes sun as well as shade. They look good with purple heucheras image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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