Easy slug resistant plants please for shady clay

I posted earlier this week about my clay soil, poorly drained, so I certainly know a bit about what will grow happily in such difficult circumstances. You mentioned taller plants; three shrubs which thrive here are Sambucus, Nigra and Racemosa varieties, Viburnums - Opulus Roseum (Snowball Bush) is beautiful, and most Philadelphus, which are often slightly less vigorous than the other two.

The perennial that thrives the most is Sedum, particularly Autumn Joy, which is one of the few plants which spreads if you let it but in a non-troublesome way, so that there are a few off-shoots which if you want can be used elsewhere, and will never get annoying - not the prettiest in "flower" but quite presentable even through summer while growing. I had a friend who loved these and when I asked would he like 20 or so, he was over the moon. I just kept some at the start of the season which had seeded in the beds, and we were both happy. One of my favourites is Veronica, which does well in my soil. As for Ajuga and Buddleia, mentioned above, I have to treat them as weeds. I have more Bugle in my lawn now than I ever did when I first bought some, and Buddleia is another that becomes annoying.

 

I like the bugle that crept into my so-called lawn.

 

The very easy one I have is Constance @Mrs. B. It's been hacked back in the past, as I wanted to move the trellis in behind it, out further. The large snails were enjoying tucking in behind where you couldn't see them. It grew back to the same size by the following year. I don't have a pic of the whole plant just now, but it's dropping over the other side of the fence as well as covering a fair old space. The bed it's in is incredibly tiny, although it has access to the ground below, but that's all garage footings [from next door] and pretty inhospitable gravel etc from the original site.
I have a macropetala that's even nicer. C. macro Lemon Dream. It's in a bigger raised bed with a philadelphus and other bits and bobs. It's newer, and has spread well too. Never fed or watered either, and the other planting helps soak up any excess.

 

@fairygirl thanks! I really need to get the nasty fence covered up again!

My mum's garden has lots of clematis, they've been there since she moved in about 3 decades ago, and she doesn't know what they are. They're mostly right next to the garage wall and behind camelia bushes. She never waters the garden and all her plants somehow survive.

 

A good shrub for @Golarne 's daughter's site would be Berberis - one of the evergreen varieties, which bud up and flower around this time of year, depending on location. A nice statement in the centre of that fence. A climber to grow through that later on would also be good.
The in situ holly looks like a plain one, rather than a variegated type, which is a pity, as that would give a bit of interest over winter days, and they're pretty straightforward too. I'm guessing prickly stems/foliage isn't a problem if that's ok!

I still have problems with some clematis here @Mrs. B. simply because of the conditions. Even the large flowered ones can struggle because of the amount of rain, so it's always about adapting and experimenting. It's a bit expensive for too much of that though.

 

@fairygirl yes it seems you do well *up wherever you are* north, lol! Yes sometimes you have to go with 'previously tried and tested' and probability in difficult places. I lived with a friend in West Wales, her dad bought a nursery on a cliff, and everyone told him he'd never get anything to grow there, but he'd had a successful nursery going for forty years by the time I met him.

 

Thanks everyone, when I visit my daughter next month I’ll go armed with ideas. And gardening tools and gloves. And some of my bugle! I might as well take some London Pride too, as it’s turning into my favourite ground cover here. I hope it’d grow for her.
She likes the idea of gardening, but is easily discouraged so needs a boost.

 

Going for easy, reliable plants is always better with the scenario you have. If they do well, and your daughter then enjoys it, she'll experiment and maybe do a bit more research etc as she goes along.
My two aren't remotely interested, and I've never tried to make them because it would be like my older daughter trying to make me get involved in gaming!
It's how it is