Ideas for small shaded courtyard

Painting it was a so and so

G.

 

@Jack Sparrow Why mate

 

All those slats. It s a job getting a brush between them. It took me ages. I think I may have gone over it twice. It’s been a few years now so I don’t remember precisely. I do remember it being a pig.



G.

 

lots of good suggestions. hope she comes back to read them all.

 

Oh @Jack Sparrow being a few years back mate it's due for being done again

 

@Gail_68 Its not happening.

G.

 

It would be helpful to know roughly where in the UK you are as well as any sun exposure you may get (at soil level).
I would have to agree about getting rid of the lawn - it's barely worth the space that a lawn mower takes to store and shallow borders always look a little sad.
Plant wise look to ferns, Hosta, Ligularia, Kirengeshoma, Erythronium, Arum italicum, Digitalis, Saxifraga, Asarum, Corydalis, Dicentra, Aconitum, Uvularia grandiflora and my garden essential - Tricyrtis.................
Tricyrtis "Taipei Silk" by longk48, on Flickr

Tricyrtis ishiiana by longk48, on Flickr

Tricyrtis 'Tojen' by longk48, on Flickr

 

Good list of plants @longk . Unfortunately Tricyrtis doesn't do well with me. It survives ....just but really not very happy. I presume it's the cold winters it doesn't like as the drainage here is not perfect but not London clay type either. Have tried various varieties and none have enjoyed it here. Pain as my garden is very suited to woodland type plants and if they would just buck up their ideas they'd look lovely here. Also like then as they flower late when so many other herbaceous have done their thing. Hope the poster reads the list as it would have them sorted in seconds unless of course they live in a very very dry part of the UK. From the evidence of moss in the photos this is unlikely I would imagine.

 

I should have added Ajuga reptans. Nice ground cover, very hardy and early blooming.

 

Get bleedin' cold here too. Alkaline soil can be a no-no.

 

Nope not the reason @longk . We are acidic enough to grow species Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Pieris Meconopsis etc etc! I've tried them in various parts of the garden, some more exposed than others but no real success. The best area was on a slope under a tree close to where the photo below was taken. It is still going but only just.

 

she's not back yet?

 

I knew that was coming @Jack Sparrow

 

just came back to see if she returned to see the wonderful suggestions. ahh, nope.

 

No redstar