Suitable shrubs for shady spot

jace_da_face

Hi all,

I have a south facing garden with high walls in the Galway area close to sea. The problem is that the end of the garden never sees sunlight. The lawn groes poorly there, the moss takes over. It hardly ever dries out like the rest of the garden between showers.

I would like to put a bed there with shrubs and perennials. I have no idea what kind of species woud do well in such a shady location.

Any suggestions?

davenewt

jace_da_face wrote: »

I have no idea what kind of species woud do well in such a shady location.

I'm in a similar potision myself. Part of my garden is constantly in shade (being on the north side of the house) and another part (about 4mx1.5m) is not only devoid of sunlight throughout the day, but also covered by large trees so gets very little water when it rains.

Have just done a quick google search for "shade-loving plants" and found the following for starters.

http://www.letsgogardening.co.uk/Information/ShadeLovingPlants.htm

Edit: also a good searchable site here (see criteria drop-downs at top of page)... http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/vid.11/

And the BBC's gardening plant finder, advanced search: http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/#adv_search

k123456

Similar situation myself, mentions ferns, does that include tree ferns

The Sweeper

Just typed this and lost it. Hate that. Here we go again.

Shady is just one factor, you need to note soil type and moisture content as well. Shade lovers include some species of azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons - though they all like acidic soil. Azaleas and rhododendrons like moist but well draining soil and can tolerate dry conditions. Azaleas especially won't thrive with permanently wet feet. Camellias have no tolerance for drought and need to be kept moist. Rhododendrons need rich, moist soil and a sheltered position.

Ferns love shade or dappled shade (e.g. the conditions under trees), and lots of moisture. They're a better option for a waterlogged site.

Fatsia japonica is an attractive plant with large leaves good for a shady area, but doesn't like wet feet.

I like colour, so in the shade areas of my garden I've gone for camellias, azaleas (in soil I've acidified), a heuchera with a striking red flower, various fuschias, and a particular shade-loving geranium in the genus called phaeum, called mourning widow.

jace_da_face

Thanks for the good advice guys! Those are really good links Dave. And as for the moisture and soil type, that has given me some things to think about. It certainly would be a moist location pretty much all year round. As for soil type I would have no way of knowing. Would a Litmus paper test work on soil to confirm acidity?

Ferns do sound like a good idea. I would think Bamboo loves the moisture too.

Thanks again for the sound advice!

Degsy

I've got quite a dark corner of the garden underneath a tree,it doesnt get much light at all.
I'm looking to put some plants in there to brighten it up a bit,is there any good shade-loving plants that flower?

The Sweeper

This is on the front page already on this thread:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055559191

The plants I suggest there all flower because, like you, I like a bit of colour. There are a number of varieties of geranium phaeum and a number of varieties of heuchera - both will flower. I have mourning widow phaeum, flowers nearly black, and firefly red heuchera, flowers scarlet. Fuchsias may also perform well in that location, though it depends whether it's deep, unrelenting shade.

I like the geranium and the heuchera because it spreads as ground cover as well.

I've been in a garden recently that has a large bed with two mature wild plum trees - in the mulched bed beneath the trees, there are various ferns. They look good, but what really sets the location off is, believe it or not, the proliferation of yellow-flowering soursob - which is a noxious weed! It carpets the bed, around the ferns and under the trees, with geren vegetation and these butter yellow flowers. I think it looks gorgeous, but wouldn't recommend it!

(In a similar vein, areas of my garden are still quite feral, and outside one window I have the most magnificent sample of a Salvation Jane, aka Patterson's Curse, covered in purple flowers. The bees love it. I haven't the heart to pull it out, but it takes over everything if allowed.)

lucylu

Lily of the Valley loves the shade

http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/ is a company that specialises in Plants for dry or moist Shade.. it may give you some ideas

MB Lacey

hey - I just bought 2 blueberry bushes for a shady spot in my garden.

Leaves go a gorgeous red in autumn and it will give you fruit too.

blueberry bushes survive pretty well in the shade.

See Ye

Hosta - unlikely to flower but you can get nice leaf patterns.
For bright leaves go for Coleus

old boy

your local hardware store/garden centre should have packets of shade loving plant seeds of different species, as cheap as chips.

The Sweeper

Merged for consistency.

Ellechim

I have a very shady bed and tried various things over the years - what has worked is: a large phormium (bronze baby); Dicentra Spectabilis (bleeding heart) bulbs, particularly alliums, camellias, lungwort, astrantias, vinca major, vibernum. This bed isn't as wet as yours so these may not suit your garden but they have worked in mine....best of luck

Sonnenblumen

A classic shade tolerant shrub is of course Acuba japonica. Mahonia charity is also very tolerant.