shady flowers

[superlightr]

We have a boarder area about 20 ft x 5 x which needs some nice colour and hight but it pretty shady being under a tree/ near bush. Im not a good gardener so can you recommend some nice things to plant which will give a flow of colours and when one has faded another is coming into its own so we have a summer of pretty things.

Thanks

[Cloud 9]

Is it dry shade or moist shade ?

[Simpo Two]

superlightr said:

We have a boarder area about 20 ft x 5

I have no idea other than he seems a pretty big bugger so you should either charge him more rent or poke him off the bulwarks with a boathook

[oldbanger]

If under a tree it's likely to be slightly more most

I'd consider

ferns - the common fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) is a good robust all year foliage plant, gets to about 3 feet tall, plus you can get more interesting ones such as the japanese painted fern

spring colour
bluebells - blue or white flowers, spring flowering
hellebores - low plant with evergreen leaves, flowers late winter to spring (earlier if mild), white, green or pink/purple flowers
camellias - evergreen shrubs which can grow to 4-5 feet which have large pink or white flowers in spring to early summer - very colourful and quite easy to maintain
bergenia - robust pink or white flowers in spring, evergreen glossy leaves (perennial so will flower every year), another very easy plant, good for ground cover
Tiarella - delicate white flowers, evergreen leaves, spring to early summer

summer colour
lily of the valley - low plant with pretty white flowers, flowers early summer, strong scent
foxgloves - a couple of feet tall, purple or white flowers (there is yellow but I think they need more light), summer flowering (these last 2 years and are cheap and cheerful to plant, or can last indefinitely if you keep cutting the old flowers back before the seeds develop)
Alchemilla mollis - 1 foot tall foliage with light green flowers from mid to late summer - one to stick in and let it get on with it
hardy geraniums - do quite well in shade, blue, white or pink/red flowers, come back every year, flower most of the summer and can get to a couple of feet tall

note, don't invest in hostas unless you intend to fuss over the garden - they look lovely but need a lot of protection from slug damage, and I do mean a lot

[superlightr]

oldbanger said:

If under a tree it's likely to be slightly more most

I'd consider

ferns - the common fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) is a good robust all year foliage plant, gets to about 3 feet tall, plus you can get more interesting ones such as the japanese painted fern

spring colour
bluebells - blue or white flowers, spring flowering
hellebores - low plant with evergreen leaves, flowers late winter to spring (earlier if mild), white, green or pink/purple flowers
camellias - evergreen shrubs which can grow to 4-5 feet which have large pink or white flowers in spring to early summer - very colourful and quite easy to maintain
bergenia - robust pink or white flowers in spring, evergreen glossy leaves (perennial so will flower every year), another very easy plant, good for ground cover
Tiarella - delicate white flowers, evergreen leaves, spring to early summer

summer colour
lily of the valley - low plant with pretty white flowers, flowers early summer, strong scent
foxgloves - a couple of feet tall, purple or white flowers (there is yellow but I think they need more light), summer flowering (these last 2 years and are cheap and cheerful to plant, or can last indefinitely if you keep cutting the old flowers back before the seeds develop)
Alchemilla mollis - 1 foot tall foliage with light green flowers from mid to late summer - one to stick in and let it get on with it
hardy geraniums - do quite well in shade, blue, white or pink/red flowers, come back every year, flower most of the summer and can get to a couple of feet tall

note, don't invest in hostas unless you intend to fuss over the garden - they look lovely but need a lot of protection from slug damage, and I do mean a lot

thats great - thank you !!