Shady Corner

Hi all,
I got a shady corner in my garden which gets 2-3 hrs sunlight (5hrs max in summer) any suggestions on what I could put there? It would be under a canopy and free from strong wind, also in a tub.

 

If you like Acers, Rob, it sounds an ideal spot for Acer palmatum dissectum (purpureum or plain green). In fact any of the acid-soil loving shrubs like camellias, rhododendrons, pieris, if you will be able to water regularly.
What about a group of pots...Rhodi or Camellia for spring, Acer for summer, with oriental lilies for flower-power, then Gaultheria or Pernettya for berries in autumn?

 

How large are you looking for?
Small'ish; Tricyrtis, Hosta, various Fuchsia etc. Check out my Tricyrtis album.

 

I'd go with large yellow hostas, and mixed in with them some blue spear shaped ones.

 

I thought Hostas too, but what about the other half of the year?

 

Tricyrtis go through till the frosts. Hepatica for the spring? Lysimachia is another option for summer.
If you want taller, Digitalis are pretty tolerant of shade.

 

Thank you for replying. I love Acre's! Don't they go massive and 'tree-like' though?
I already got oriental lillies (which are starting to grow back lovely) and a gorgeous pieris so may have a move around.
Don't think I will put a Rhodi there, they grow wild all around me lol.

 

Wow! Love them, they look so alien are they easy to look after longk?

 

Thanks peeps
I didn't know some of them can grow without full sun. I got two Hostas, a pieris and lillies so will have a move around. Defo going to have a look at the Tricyrtis too

 

On the whole - yes.
T.formosana and it's various cultivars (Blue Wonder, Purple Beauty etc) is totally bombproof. Same applies to Taiwan Adbane, Taipei Silk (a particularly early bloomer) and Harlequin. I've found T.hirta a bit more picky about winter wet though.
As for my others I'm yet to test them fully as I'm building my stock up.

Avoid the ones with blotchy (as opposed to spotty) markings. The blotchiness is caused by a virus which can infect other Toadies. Here's "Raspberry Mousse" which is quite readily available................


If they stock that (or any other blotchy ones) look elsewhere.

 

I see that you "liked" my T.dilatata and White Towers photos. I grew them in pots last year and so as such they are untested as far as hardiness goes, but stored in the shed they have come back with a lot of new shoots.

 

Yes they are amazing! Will give them a try. I like exotic looking plants, but always thought they were hard to look after (e.g orchids)

 

my hostas once they are up are up until frost. you can leave the spend stock flowers on them turn to seed, they say the birds like them. But also you can ---with a little research, chose a variety of them to bloom at different intervals. Such as find 4 yellow, 2 yellow bloom first, two of the yellow bloom later. 5 blue ones, 3 of the blues bloom a smidge after the first two yellows etc etc. I have a groups with in larger groups of hostas that the area is always in fresh bloom, until September. There ar so many varieties of hostas out there.

 

My hosta was still flowering nicely through winter, until my Bassett decided she didn't like it and plucked all the leaves off!
Will it grow back this year?

 

But of course they will return no problem. Spray them next year with red pepper water dog will leave them alone then.