Plant recommendation

whelzer

I recently the cleared gravel from a section of my front garden, there is low wall along the main edge - standard semi d style. It is faces almost due north, the soil is in great state. Am looking to get some plant recommendations. I have the near (window as I look out) side covered, heathers, snow drops, crocus, etc. I have bare earth then for about 3m to the wall. Width is also about 3m.

Really appreciate a few pointers on what. Most of my gardening to date is focused on my veg beds...I am more than willing to spend a few quid 150-200 to get it looking good.

looksee

You are looking for plants that will grow in shade and are hardy. Do you want low plants all the way to the wall, or any sort of hedge or height there? Are you looking for complete ground coverage of a few plant types or do you want a shrubbery? Will there be paths or a centre point? Assuming the site is dry, and you do not want too much height there are a number of possibilities.

There is a pretty standard list of plants that will grow in shade, generally plants that normally live in woodland. You are doing great with the heathers and snowdrops etc. Euonymus is varigated and will brighten up the area, ferns, hellebores, Alchemilla mollis (be a bit careful with this it will spread freely), primroses, heuchera (lots of varieties, you could have a garden just of heucheras or hellebores, they all have lots of options.

When buying ferns check that their type suits your situation, dry or damp, they vary. There are some lovely tall dramatic ones up and around a meter or so tall.

If you have damp shade the options are a bit different, so let us know which it is.

whelzer

looksee wrote: »

You are looking for plants that will grow in shade and are hardy. Do you want low plants all the way to the wall, or any sort of hedge or height there? Are you looking for complete ground coverage of a few plant types or do you want a shrubbery? Will there be paths or a centre point? Assuming the site is dry, and you do not want too much height there are a number of possibilities.

There is a pretty standard list of plants that will grow in shade, generally plants that normally live in woodland. You are doing great with the heathers and snowdrops etc. Euonymus is varigated and will brighten up the area, ferns, hellebores, Alchemilla mollis (be a bit careful with this it will spread freely), primroses, heuchera (lots of varieties, you could have a garden just of heucheras or hellebores, they all have lots of options.

When buying ferns check that their type suits your situation, dry or damp, they vary. There are some lovely tall dramatic ones up and around a meter or so tall.

If you have damp shade the options are a bit different, so let us know which it is.

Thank you very much for coming back on this. Do not want a hedge for sure, anything else really, as pollinator friendly as possible. As few gaps as possible would be great. I have a load of foxgloves started from seed last summer, they have overwintered grand in the mini greenhouse. I can plant a few of them in between whatever plants I buy. Checking out your recommendations now.

whelzer

The folks down in Kilmurray nursey kindly did me a plan from a sketch I did and supplied some plants, namely;

Tiarella Iron Butterflies
Euphorbia’Humpty Dumpty
Brunnera’Sea Heart
Dicentra spectabilis’Alba
Geranium palmatum
Digitalis ‘Milk Chocolate’
Trollius ‘Golden Queen’
Silene diocia’Kilmurry Form

When it comes to flowers/plants I'm normally a buy from Lidl/Aldi/Woodies and slap them in the ground type person, so it was very interesting to speak to and deal with a proper gardener!. Not the cheapest way to buy plants but would not hesitate in going back to them and/or recommending them to others.