[Foghorn-Leghorn]

Can any of you wise garden peeps out there recommend me some plants that would grow happily in pots in a shaded area of my garden?

The area is gravelled and is next to the house, gets very little sun but is quite sheltered from the wind.  I'm just wanting to break up the area a little by putting some pots around and about.

Thank you 

[sunshineband]

Heucheras are perennial and come with a range of leaf colour.

You can get perennial fuschias too 

[Elaine G]

Hostas grow nicely in pots in a shady corner of my patio. It has the added bonus that it is slightly harder for the slugs to reach them 

Elaine

[Foghorn-Leghorn]

Sushineband - thank you for those suggestions, I've not heard of Heucheras before  but I like the idea...

Elaine G - how could I have forgot about Hostas?!  Doh!  I do love foliage plants as much as flowering plants so that's a really good idea.  The pots will be on gravel but I suspect the slugs will still try and get across it 

At this rate I should be able to get a nice mix of shapes, textures and colours   

[sunshineband]

http://www.growsonyou.com/gardening/heucheras

Try this for some photos of heucheras 

[Foghorn-Leghorn]

I googled them before reposting so I didn't seem a total numbskull.

I've been used to the more regular run of annual plants as that's what my Grandad and my Dad have always grown / planted in their gardens.  Exploring the more unusual plants is great. 

I just would prefer to get advice from green fingered people, rather than taking pot luck in the garden centre, which can be a rather expensive learning curve!

[sunshineband]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to imply you were a numbskull, just thought you might like to see some of the more recent colour introductions 

Back to shade loving plants : camellias do very well out of the sun 

[Foghorn-Leghorn]

I never thought you were refering to me as a numbskull, it would just have been poor of me not to follow up on someone's advice 

[sunshineband]

 

[viettaclark]

Ferns. There are so many types.......

[rozalia]

I grow hostas, photinia red robin; heuchera, geums and ferns in pots on my north facing terrace.

[Foghorn-Leghorn]

Thank you for all your replies - I now have plenty of ideas to be going on with