[wellingtons]

I have a patch of garden behind my pergola that I find really hard to culivate.  Really it's because the soil is well shaded by the bench that sits in the pergola and the pergola itself, so I've finally got round to getting a large wooden raised bed specially made. 

It's about 28 inches deep, by 36 long and 18 wide.  So it will sit behind the bench and anything I plant will then be in semi-shade with full sun in the mornings.

The overall style of the garden is more cottage garden than anything, but there is an eliptical shaped lawn and borders with a curving wooden post type edging and gravel between that and the brick pavier edged lawn. 

A lot of the garden is semi-shaded and I'm very happy working with that.  I have lots of hostas in the garden, and roses feature heavily, as do perennial geraniums and clematis.  I like pinks, blues and whites although there are odd spots of bright red and orange.

So any thoughts please on my new big "border"??  I like the idea of agapanthus and love in a mist, maybe some ladies mantle, but I don't need anything that will grow up the pergola as that's already in hand.  There is a white jasmine, a honeysuckle and a climbing rose (nightlight) which are well established and happy.

In pots to the side of the bench are hostas.

[muddywellies]

How about Dicentra spectabilis (bleeding heart) for pink (and white if you go for 'alba') flowers in the spring and some japanese anemones in various shades of pink and white for later in the year? I grow both of these very successfully in semi-shade in my garden. I'll post again if I think of any more! 

[mumofstig]

grow some nicotiana sanderae Fragrant cloud, hardy through an average winter in a sheltered position, about 30in tall and the perfume is devine (says annual but does overwinter here honest ) Perfect near a seat
http://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/v3/nicotiana-sanderae-fragrant-cloud-tobacco-plant-seeds-p-7309.html

and fuchia are good in semi shade, some are pretty rather than gaudy, Aquilegia, digitalis
and creeping campanula for the edges, penstemon and perennial diascia, salvias..there's quite a list..........

[Trillium]

Turtlehead flowers are mostly pink with some whites available, and Korean or Japanese Waxbells (kirengeshoma add a nice hit of yellow in the shade. Hellebores and toadlilies are also shade lovers as are epimedium and cimicifuga.

[wellingtons]

I wondered about Japanese anenomes, as I like those, but don't have any.  And the nicotiana is a great idea, especially as they're a taller variety.

I like hellebores too.  And digitalis and aquilegia!!

I'm going to wish I had a bigger space now!

What happens to Japanese anenomes in the winter do I just get left with a dome of leaves???

[muddywellies]

The japanese anemones will die down in the winter, leaving a pile of scrappy leaves that I usually cut down. So, you're going to be left with a bit of a gap but then most of the things mentioned are not evergreen. Also, how about heucheras, hardy ferns and solomans seal?

[wellingtons]

I don't mind just being left with a scrappy pile of leaves   In fact I quite like it all dying down only to spring up again ... in erm ... spring ... LOL

But ferns are a good idea too. 

[Bombers]

I don't mind just being left with a scrappy pile of leaves   In fact I quite like it all dying down only to spring up again ... in erm ... spring ... LOL

But ferns are a good idea too. 

How about astilbe's then?

[Stripey_cat]

Heucheras are everywhere at the moment, and there are some lovely new colours appearing.  The main attraction is the leaves (so there's a long season), but the flowers are quite nice too.

[sclarke624]

calendulas, carnations, geraniums, dahlia, marguerites.

[wellingtons]

Oooo ... marguerites!!!  I love them and don't have any in my garden.

Crikey ... I'm going to have to do a planting plan on this I can tell.   

[sclarke624]

Yep I adore marguerites and they come up every year.  May have lost my white ones at the front though as it is more exposed and bad winter.  Had them 3 years an' all.  Got them cheap B&Q wassellingthem off at 50p a plant.  We are not far from plant connection(thats their online name the place is called farplants I think...they have open days in Chichester Runcton) which sells to them.  Think the purple mauvey ones at back near house are ok.  I am awaiting to see about the white ones.

I've never been able to keep the yellow ones one year to the next.

ox eye daisy I grew from seed they were easy and in partial shade and are still green now so looks like more flowers this year....they are in a pot.

I have more flowers in mind but don't want to bore you.....get a bit passionate about my flowers. 

Livingstone daisies opps there I go again easy from seed.

oh and Gypsophila (babies breath) lovely comes in pink as well.  My white one comes up every year but we are south.

www.crocus.co.uk good to get some ideas can search by colour shade perineal (sp) etc.  I have used them they are probably expensive but plants come in good nick.