Hi there,

Could someone suggest a selection of plants that thrive in shaded
areas? I'm looking for something to plant at the base of a couple of
trees that would spread over an area of about 9 sq metres. The area is
at the very back of my garden so is shaded by a rear and side fence as
well as the trees. It gets sun from about four o'clock onwards at this
time of year and the chalky soil drains well. Your tips will be
appreciated - many thanks!

JG

On 28/4/07 18:09, in article
, "jd"
wrote:

Hi there,

Could someone suggest a selection of plants that thrive in shaded
areas? I'm looking for something to plant at the base of a couple of
trees that would spread over an area of about 9 sq metres. The area is
at the very back of my garden so is shaded by a rear and side fence as
well as the trees. It gets sun from about four o'clock onwards at this
time of year and the chalky soil drains well. Your tips will be
appreciated - many thanks!

I've never gardened on chalk but I think hardy geraniums are fairly happy.
How about Geranium himalayense for your purposes? If I'm wrong, someone
else will be along in a minute. ;-)


Garden Banter does not have permission to use my posts.
Join uk.rec.gardening instead.
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http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
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"Sacha" wrote in message
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Sacha


They don't need to :-))

Live with it and stop showing your paranoia

Mike
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jd wrote:

Could someone suggest a selection of plants that thrive in shaded
areas? I'm looking for something to plant at the base of a couple of
trees that would spread over an area of about 9 sq metres.

What sort of trees? Some are notorious for not liking smaller
neighbours.


Greg

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You may ask yourself, how do I work this?

No ficus = no spam

On 29 Apr, 12:15, (Gregoire Kretz) wrote:
jd wrote:
Could someone suggest a selection of plants that thrive in shaded
areas? I'm looking for something to plant at the base of a couple of
trees that would spread over an area of about 9 sq metres.

What sort of trees? Some are notorious for not liking smaller
neighbours.

Greg

--

You may ask yourself, how do I work this?

No ficus = no spam

They are two mature apple trees....

On 30/4/07 21:54, in article
, "jd"
wrote:

On 29 Apr, 12:15, (Gregoire Kretz) wrote:
jd wrote:
Could someone suggest a selection of plants that thrive in shaded
areas? I'm looking for something to plant at the base of a couple of
trees that would spread over an area of about 9 sq metres.

What sort of trees? Some are notorious for not liking smaller
neighbours.

Greg

--

You may ask yourself, how do I work this?

No ficus = no spam

They are two mature apple trees....

Vincas and hardy geraniums seem to come to my mind first with all these
things. NB That's Geraniums not Pelargoniums. ;-)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)
Devon County Show 17-19 May
http://www.devoncountyshow.co.uk/

I've got Geranium Macrorhizum living happily under a big hawthorn. Also cyclamen,(although they don't spread a lot). I've also go a hellebore in there which seems perfectly happy.

If you don't need to cover the ground all the time you could try some woodland plants which may be dormant later in the year like asarum, maianthemum, hepatica. Some ferns tolerate dry shade too.

On 30 Apr, 21:54, jd wrote:
On 29 Apr, 12:15, (Gregoire Kretz) wrote:

jd wrote:
Could someone suggest a selection of plants that thrive in shaded
areas? I'm looking for something to plant at the base of a couple of
trees that would spread over an area of about 9 sq metres.

What sort of trees? Some are notorious for not liking smaller
neighbours.

Greg

They are two mature apple trees....

The following perennials work well in a shady part of my garden under
mature elders and a damson tree, growing in alkaline clay.
- Vinca minor 'Variegata' - it's taken three years to get going, but
now it's making good ground-cover.
- Tellima grandiflora. That and the variegated Vinca have also hung
on grimly to life on a shady, rubble-filled bank under some overgrown
shrubs. T grandiflora 'Purpurteppich' has maroon-stained leaves that
turn red in winter.
- Bergenia, although they won't have such good foliage colour in
shade.
- Brunnera macrophylla. e.g. 'Jack Frost'. It's recommended for
shade, but I have one growing successfully in an area that gets quite
a bit of sun and has to cope with dry soil in summer.
- Arum italicum ssp italicum - beautifully marbled leaves and is said
to put up with dry shade, although I've only grown it in areas that
don't dry out completely
- Cyclamen hederifolium - after a couple of years it's seeded around
and makes a nice colony.
- Ferns: e.g. Asplenium scolopendrium, which will often grow in
crevices on old walls, and Polypodium vulgare which will grow in
alkaline soil and doesn't need lots of moisture.