Advice on plants please

marion.t

Im looking for advice for plants/shrubs etc for my back garden. It is a well shaded garden from about 2pm each day and i'd love some nice colour. Don't want to buy anything yet encase it dies. All I have is a Cala lilly which looks lost on its own.
Thanks in advance

jezko

marion.t wrote: »

Im looking for advice for plants/shrubs etc for my back garden. It is a well shaded garden from about 2pm each day and i'd love some nice colour. Don't want to buy anything yet encase it dies. All I have is a Cala lilly which looks lost on its own.
Thanks in advance

Some Hostas and Ferns might suit..
post some photos of site

woodturner

Bridal Wreath (Spirea 'Arguta) is a gorgeous shrub and reasonably priced. Also look for Ceanothus Thyrsiflorus Var. Repens. I love both of these shrubs. http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT3yJShwBKu6s2iIWx1sIDrmtQ4JJa1TaFLNq31rWRNJD8DJYxg-Q
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRP-Bn9eMa-Sp54piF_MKKAgj3DZvyQD6FtjbkHpfO6mMCbtdyq

redser7

Impatiens (Busy Lizzy) do well in shade/ half-shade. B&Q are doing large packs of young plants for next to nothing right now. Will give you lovely colour.

Meelich

Hiya,

Here is what I have in shady areas and they work quite well: I have found the arum and calla lillies do much better in sunshine than in shade.

• Phormiums (I have a phormium Bronze Baby and it is thriving in a totally shady spot) They are large grasses. I also find the red/rust colour works well in terms of giving a contrasting colour
• evergreen shrub Camellias - giving lovely flowers in spring. They need acidic soil but if you use ericaceous compost when you plant it and feed them regularly they do fine
• Dicentra Spectabilis (Bleeding Heart) - thrives totally in shade
• Acers/Japanese maples
• Shrubs: Pieris, viburnum, hebe
• perennials like: Ajuga, Astilbe, foxgloves, japanese anemones (flowering in autumn)
• annuals: poppies seem to grow absolutely anywehere but you will have many more flowers on them if they are in sunshine
• bulbs: cyclamen, trycartis (Toad lily), alliums, daffs, snowdrops

I have found some things really don't like shade and just die and end up to be expensive mistakes: summer flowering plants like rudbeckia, peonies, hydrangea (except the climing one) lavendar

Best of luck!

M

redser7

So do Camellias prefer shade? I have one in full sun a few years. Gets lots of flowers but they rot pretty quick on the branch. Could that be the reason?

Meelich

In my experience they do but the y also need a good feed of sulphate of iron after flowering.

The Bbc website has a really good plant finder tool on it: put in your soil type/sun etc and comes up with lists and photos of the plants that will suit those conditions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/

The only problem i then find is finding the plants!