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Cottage garden border strip

LLMLLM Posts: 46
in Garden design

Morning All!

I am planning to remove a 1/2 metre strip of grass all the way up to the tree (photo below) and plant some perennial shrubs and flowers to get the cottage garden look. Half of the strip is in full shade all day and half part shade. I plan to lay bark to stop the grass and weeds from growing.

image

I am potentially looking at poppies, delphiniums, lupins etc. and then a few shrubs that can be dotted in between.

Any ideas for shrubs/flowers in shade for this section and comments and advice will be greatly appreciated.


Thank you in advance!

Posts

  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653

    Hypericum will grow in shade and can be pruned to shape, can handle being hacked at. Beautiful yellow bee friendly flowers summer through autumn here in the SE of England. 

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    I would go for perennials that don't need stakinG as it looks quite an open site. So nothing too tall - use delphiniums magic fountain as they are smaller. I would not recommend poppies only because once they are over you then have a big gap in the border and as its your front garden it will not look good! Better to use annual poppies rather than the orientals. The RHS site have a list of plants for shade - have a browse there. It may be a case of trial and error. But most gardening is that!  Shade loving plants on the whole are not quite as colourful and in your face as sun lovers. 

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • LLMLLM Posts: 46

    So I have dug out the border and added some plants, but butchered the tree at the same time Can anybody suggest an evergreen shrub at the top of the border?

    Thanks!

  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713

    My choice would be a white hebe LLM.  They are not too tall, need some pruning to help them bulk up and to keep a nice shape and attract bees and butterflies in the summer.  They are usually evergreen which would look best in your front garden all year round.  A Camellia is also nice, but they do grow quite large and don't appear to be so attractive to insects, although we have wrens nesting in our Camellia bush.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,172

    choisya does well in some shade



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    Sarcocca humilis would be evergreen and give flowers and fragrance in the winter. 

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
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