On 2013-06-17 15:42:37 +0100, kay said:

Codster;985254 Wrote:
Hi, I have an area at the back of the house that does not get any sun
and feels quite cold and damp with moss thriving on the concrete. So I
was looking for an alternative way of brightening it up with some
container plants rather than digging it up. Though this could be the
way forward dependant on replies.

Is there a good selection of plants available for containers that would
do well in this type of environment or is the option to bleed some sweat
and dig the concrete up for better plants? The area is approximately
8'x8'.

If I was to dig this area up, I would need plants that wouldn't have
invasive rooting system to threaten the wall structure of the house.

I have only really started getting green fingers and just managed to
fill most of the borders at the front with plants, so my knowledge is
limited to choosing the right plants for the right environment.


A lot of plants can be planted in containers if they don't grow too
large. Conversely, a lot of plants sold for containers are tolerant of
sunshine and drought because this is what they'll get on more people's
patios. So "container plants" as such are probably not what you're
looking for.

If nothing else, the yellow welsh poppy Mecanopsis cambrica tolerates a
good deal of shade - I have it growing in the join between tarmac and
wall in the narrow lane alongside my house.

In our experience - a happy one - M cambrica tolerates just about
everything but deep sea immersion! It has seeded itself all over the
place in our garden. We have it in beds facing east, south weat and
north, in pots and slightly posher containers, in wide borders and in
something closely resembling a gravel path and it seems to be having a
particularly good year this year. It's a fabulous plant and if it
wasn't so generous with its favours, people would be fighting over
obtaining seeds, imo. It's probably Ray's favourite plant AND to cap
its virtues, it's a rare day in the year when you can't find one in
flower somewhere in the garden. Every garden should have one - to
start with! ;-)
--

Sacha
South Devon