Garden SOS !!

**Calamity** · 04-07-2006, 04:35pm

Okay, your mission should you choose to accept it is to advise me which plants to put in this area....................

This gets very wet and is always in the shade, hardly gets any light at all. My OH has chopped the hedge above back quite a lot today, it was almost touching the ground

We actually have factors that are meant to cut it back regularly but don't bother their ass.

So we need to spruce the back garden up a bit before we put the house on the market. I don't expect we'd get too many colourful plants that like the shade but I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this one as I'm completely stumped

Ta muchly!

Jane x

**minigirl** · 04-07-2006, 06:36pm

Hostas are good for shady damp areas, if you choose ones with patterened leaves to add a bit of interest.

I have a really dark area where it's hard to grow much other than ferns, but it does have loads of bluebells and snowdrops in the spring which look lovely so you could give them a go too.

**skylark** · 04-07-2006, 08:06pm

I have a very shady wall and have filled it with the following:
hostas (but the slugs and snails lurve them!!!)
Ferns (you can get loads of different ones)
NZ tree fern - slighly more hardy than the Ozzi tree fern
bamboo - clump forming yellow bamboo brings a bit of colour
azalias (sp) - white flowers
rodedendrums (sp) - purple flowers
variagated ivy
and in sping I have great bluebells

The BBC has a plant chooser in the gardening section which is great as you can put in what kind of soil you have and that is is shade and it will bring up a whole range of options for you. I use it all the time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plant...er/index.shtml

Hope this helps

**Crazyfool** · 04-07-2006, 08:12pm

I would recommed all the plants minigirl has said , Hostas are lovely by the way . You could add varigated ones to add interest. Also see this thread here I added some links on it . The rhs link is fab it will tell you everything that will grow in that area.

http://www.damsels.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4970

I have planted hostas in my garden in the shaded part , they are great but watch for slugs they love them.I also planted a mexican orange blossom , jacobs ladder ( gorge blue flowers), viburnum and also some christmas roses. I am also after bluebells and snowdrops too .

If you are after something specific this site is fab, they have a plant finder thing on there too. Type in the requirements ie shade, damp etc then it will give you a massive list of what will do well.
http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant

**noo noo** · 04-07-2006, 08:13pm

Hostas & Ferns

**frog** · 04-07-2006, 08:17pm

Astilbes are fab for damp shady bits and they have year-round interest too

Otherwise another vote for Hostas but be very careful to thwart the slugs and snails!

**Calamity** · 04-07-2006, 08:31pm

My garden is full of flippin slugs at the back and the front

Thanks very much ladies, I knew I could count on you to introduce me to the world of horticulture

J.x

**Crazyfool** · 04-07-2006, 08:35pm

Originally Posted by frog

Astilbes are fab for damp shady bits and they have year-round interest too

Otherwise another vote for Hostas but be very careful to thwart the slugs and snails!

Oh yes Frog forgot about those ( astilbes) they have lovely feathery type flowers on too

**frog** · 04-07-2006, 09:57pm

They're gorgeous, aren't they!

We've got red ones along the back wall of the house which is soggy heavy clay that gets no sun till about 8 at night

They love it there, they're so healthy it's like Day of the Triffids!

**Minky** · 04-07-2006, 10:00pm

White astilbes definitely! And yes to ferns (esp the Kiwi ones!). Hostas are also fab but remember they are crack cocaine to slugs and snails....

Aquilegias would be lovely there too, as would campanulas and a small maple tree (provided it's not windy there). Ajuga (blue bugle) is a very rampant ground cover which would work well there too.

xxx