Flowering Perennials for partial shade/ morning sun

Hi,

Looking for advice for some perennials that easy come up each year for partial shade area which misses the afternoon sun.

Ideally want something that spreads well and doesn't grow high. Soil is relatively clay like and doesn't have the best drainage after a downpour. Based NW England.

Would be great if they have relatively long flower life and are ready to plant soon.

Thanks for looking

 

Camelias as shrubs, just need acid soil added when potting.
... and forgot to mention callas. Classic and very spectacular large Hercules variety (need leaves covered during the frost, goes dormant in summer). These are doing well for me.

(oh, sorry, these are high... )

 

They is quite a lot of plants suitable , What's blocking the light in the afternoon ? I have a bed which is shaded by the house with a range of plants . Your garden sounds just like my garden and I am in the NW . What height range are you thinking ? Adding manure / compost will improve the condition considerably . I'll find some pictures latter to put on

 

It's the front and pretty much north facing. Gets the morning and later evening sun as the back garden is south facing, house blocks the afternoon light.

Ideally 20-30cm and something that could potentially spread and bloom each year

 

Vinca (periwinkle) is one obvious contender - the link is to the larger form, but there are smaller ones, variegated ones, and ones with different coloured flowers to be had too. Pretty plants which make great groundcover, but can become invasive.

 

I think periwinkle might be out because of my cats and dogs, sadly as the look fabulous

 

Maybe look at Ajuga reptans, Lamium maculatum and Ophiopogon planiscapus, you could also plant some small spring bulbs grape hyacinths, snowdrops, small daffodils.

 

Hardy geraniums and Pulmonaria too?

 

I'd be looking at Astrantia - Brunnera - hosta - geraniums - hellebores - pulmonaria - most spring bulbs will do ( not tulips ) - tiarella - heuchera / heucherella - primulas lots to look at - some sanguisorba - astilbes chineses / other - lirope . Digging in compost / manure will help .

couple of pictures I were refering to earlier , some of these are much bigger than 30cm but the smaller are around that size .

 

That's great thank you everyone

 

Astrantia definitely gets my vote too

 

We have a similar situation at the back of our house. Soon after moving in I planted Persicaria affinis 'Darjeeling Red'. It loved the semi-shaded, water-retentive position and it started to spread. I helped it along by taking cuttings (dead easy) and now it covers an area around 10' by 4'. In flower from May to November. Superb plant.

 

Geranium macrorrhizums should be happy there too. Might be taller than you want but Eurybia divaricata aka wood aster would also do well