That doesn't look too bad at all but do add plenty of compost before planting and then look up plants that like shady positions.
Not sure about a hydrangea but if the soil is acid, camellias should be OK as long as they don't get early morning sun when frosted as this will burn their buds. You can also try foxgloves, ferns in the dryopteris family, variegated ivies, euphorbias if you like them and one or two other shrubs such as sarcococca which flowers in winter and gives perfume, mahonia, viburnum x hillierii and variegated euonymous.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Thank you. Yes I plan to have ferns there too. Hadn't thought of euphorbias, but I do like them (keep meaning to start a thread on green flowers) and love foxgloves...
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
Love heuchera too. And I am pretty sure a mahonia will grow there as there was one about 2 feet away which didn't survive the patio renovations. But, I have to ask - are you suggesting this because you don't think a hydrangea will like it? There is a hydrangea petiolaris not far behind this spot (not in the rubbly bit, admittedly, but same light conditions and same soil sans hardcore)
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
Shrubby hydrangeas generally need moisture and a bit of sun to do well. Hydrangea petiolaris is best suited to north facing walls and can cope with drier conditions.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
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And I must get a pH testing kit too - there's clay, and lots of conifer needles, and rubble, and goodness knows what else.
That doesn't look too bad at all but do add plenty of compost before planting and then look up plants that like shady positions.
Not sure about a hydrangea but if the soil is acid, camellias should be OK as long as they don't get early morning sun when frosted as this will burn their buds. You can also try foxgloves, ferns in the dryopteris family, variegated ivies, euphorbias if you like them and one or two other shrubs such as sarcococca which flowers in winter and gives perfume, mahonia, viburnum x hillierii and variegated euonymous.
Thank you. Yes I plan to have ferns there too. Hadn't thought of euphorbias, but I do like them (keep meaning to start a thread on green flowers) and love foxgloves...
if you fail to prepare, you should prepare to fail.
Roy Cropper. Coronation Street.
Love heuchera too. And I am pretty sure a mahonia will grow there as there was one about 2 feet away which didn't survive the patio renovations. But, I have to ask - are you suggesting this because you don't think a hydrangea will like it? There is a hydrangea petiolaris not far behind this spot (not in the rubbly bit, admittedly, but same light conditions and same soil sans hardcore)
Shrubby hydrangeas generally need moisture and a bit of sun to do well. Hydrangea petiolaris is best suited to north facing walls and can cope with drier conditions.
Oh they are both lovely!
Thank you. Should I get one, I will be sure to add plenty of nutrition