[cudders]

Hi chaps,

Aside form the allotment I have now decided to do something with my garden. Its totally neglected with the usual weedy grass and devoid of flowers etc.

I want start down one side but this is amost in total shade. The garden is west facing and the border along a six foot fence.

Basically I want some colour and variety. I dont want to plant the whole thing every year so some long standing plants are ideal. I do intend to grow my own annuals from next year so will suppliment with any that dont mind shade.

The question is what can i grow here as I really have no idea at all. Pics would be good if you have any too.

Any help appreciated.

Cudders.

[cudders]

Hmm, No-one?

Ok I'll dig around myself 

[Sue33]

hi cudders, think there are a couple of posts on this subject.

I've got same conditions as you, here's what I've got:

Escallonia at the back with Aucuba Japonica, Hypericum, dogwood, that plant that looks like a hand, false caster oil plant or something    (that's gonna bug me now - could be fatsia japonica)
then I've got peonies and hostas, cranesbill, hebes, astillbes, with vinca running through it all and bleeding heart dotted around, I usually put in a few annuals as well for colour but not going to bother this year (what with the chickens!)  I've also got that plant you see loads of in Cornwall, along the hedgerows - God, my brain won't work today

Hope that's of some help, I'm no expert so hopefully some others will have good ideas.

Good luck 

[HLS]

Oh, do peonies work in shade, then?  I'd heard they liked full sun (but admittedly I hadn't got round to looking it up to check).

[Sue33]

I've had peonies in the border for about six years, they're beautful the really dark ones, maybe the lighter ones need more sunshine, tbh the only thing I know about peonies is that have to be planted shallow, don't like to be too deep. 

Crocosmia is the other plant I mentioned, well I didn;t cos I couldn't remember the name but it's just come to me 

[spottymint]

Hi

Maybe pulmonarias ? (lungwort)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plantprofile_pulmonaria.shtml

Foxgloves will live in shade, biennial though. Sow from seed one year, flowers the following year and then dies, but often self seeds. Many cultivers available from white, yellow, pinks apricots ect.

[mumofstig]

have a look at previous thread

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34941.0

[BobandJack]

I have a shady, cold, wet garden & what seems to do well are hostas (strangely as we have about a billion sligs & snails) cranesbills, hellebores, honeysuckle, ivies & climbing hydrangea.  The dogs kill most everything else.

[spottymint]

Hi

Another one I have under my tree, Shady and moist, is Solomons seal. In flower now, dies back in winter but reappears next year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/670.shtml