Advice please: shade loving plants!

Dear gardeners!

I desperately need some advice. I have a west facing bed in front of my house. I live on a tree lined street and directly in front of my house is what I think is a lime tree. During the summer months it sprays sap EVERYWHERE. Which is a bit annoying but the price I have to pay I suppose for living on a tree lined street.

The tree however is not the main problem; it is the bed it sits in front of. The bed is raised and away from the trees roots. It gets plenty of sunshine in the spring before the tree has budded leaves and I have planted several bulbs. But once the tree is in full bloom the bed gets hardly any light except in the evenings.

Does anyone know of some good shade loving plants I can put in this bed? I prefer plants that flower but if that isn't possible due to the light restrictions, plants with pretty leaves. The bed is 3m deep and 6m wide. I think the soil is alkaline (how do you determine this? I was told this by the previous owner so not totally sure)

I initially wanted to go for the cottage garden look but the plants I put in are struggling.

Any advice will be greatfully received.

Many thanks, Merroney.

 

Have you tried any of the hardy geraniums? Many of those like dappled shade. Then for later on in the year there are Tricyrtis. If you can get it, Kiringeshoma palmata is a beautiful tall herbaceous plant with yellow flowers. Then there are hostas if it is damp, arisaemas, trilliums, arum, woodland lilies, ferns of all sorts, hepaticas, wood anemones in other colours than white just to begin with.
Also can I recommend a couple of useful books, Gardening in the shade by Jane Taylor. An Encyclopaedia of Shade Perennials by W.G Schmid.

 

I have an area to the north of my garage, that is also shaded by the house as the sun moves round. Consequently it get only about 10 minutes of sun per day - though the shade is not as deep as under a tree. Its fairly damp. I have no problems with it. In it I grow Aquelegia, Astrantia, Dicentra, Astilbe, Adenophora, Hemerocallis, Crocosmia, Lobelia Syphalitica, Lobelia Fan Deep Rose, Lythrum, perennial Geranium, Persicaria, Primula Vialii, and Japanese Anenome.

 

hi, a list of plant that i would use are
Bergenia,Cimicifuga simplex, Corydalis solida,Doronicum,Epimedium,Erythrnium,Filipendula,Impatiens walleriana hybrids, Trilliums, Waldsteinia ternata,
hope this helps

 

Those are some great plants for me to look into, thank you very much for your advice.

I am guessing that I have to wait until spring before I start to put any of these in? I really am very new to all this I am afraid.

Are these plants best found at a local nursery or is it better to buy them off the internet? Can anyone recommend any good sites to buy plants?

Thank you again. I am very grateful.

 

I would say that nearly all of the plants mentioned are available in most garden centres/nurseries rather than having to go to specialist outlets. It is probably getting a little late now for planting out and many places do not carry stocks over winter.

 

I would agree with Palustris, but take it a bit further and when you are at a gardencentre/nursery ask questions. I always like to chat to the staff. And don't be afraid to ask the same question at several different places. The answers will vary. You will find some do not know what they are talking about, but more importantly some really do.