I have a new build house with a tiny 20 foot by 16 foot north facing garden. I`m currently planning to convert it into a beautiful courtyard with decking, pergola and patio and have no lawn.

As I know nothing about gardening I really need some advice on the types of plants I will be able to have in my garden when its done. It doesn`t get much direct sunlight being on the north side.

I would love a climber to run up the pergola but whats the best kind and after that I`m planning on having various plants in pots around the garden but which should I go for, it seems when I look at the advice labels on plants that they all need to be in the sunshine. I really want to have lavendar and I like bamboo and grasses and I would like a little herb garden but will this work?

I basically need to know plants that thrive in the shade.

You can find lists of shade-loving/tolerating plants. Dry shade is harder, but there are plants for it.

In the bamboo family, Fargesia and Thamnocalamus bamboos will be happy, and also are unlikely to try to take over the world. There are some really nice ones in these families. Check out a specialist mail-order seller such as Jungle Giants. I like Fargesia Juizhaigou, Fargesia rufa (a small one) and Thamnocalamus "Kew Beauty".

Climbers to try: Hydrangea petiolaris, Berberidopsis corralina, Mitraria coccinea. There are also some camellias, chaenomeles, clematis and even some climbing roses which will tolerate a northern aspect, especially if they get a little bit of sun, but you need to choose the variety carefully.

Several Chilean forest plants like Chilean Lantern Bush (Crinodendron hookeriana), Chilean holly (Desfontainea spinosa - not holly at all) like quite a lot of shade. Real holly will also do. Also things like Euonymus fortunei.

Daphne odora only needs a little sun, preferably morning sun, and is wonderfully fragrant.

Most ferns are happy in shade, you need to check the right ones.

Find some shade-loving plant lists on the web, and you'll have a lot more.

If you want lavender and most grasses, you'll just have to find that sunny spot on the far south-facing wall.

hedgehawg writes

I have a new build house with a tiny 20 foot by 16 foot north facing
garden. I`m currently planning to convert it into a beautiful courtyard
with decking, pergola and patio and have no lawn.

As I know nothing about gardening I really need some advice on the
types of plants I will be able to have in my garden when its done. It
doesn`t get much direct sunlight being on the north side.

I would love a climber to run up the pergola but whats the best kind
and after that I`m planning on having various plants in pots around the
garden but which should I go for, it seems when I look at the advice
labels on plants that they all need to be in the sunshine. I really
want to have lavendar and I like bamboo and grasses and I would like a
little herb garden but will this work?

I basically need to know plants that thrive in the shade.

Among herbs, marjoram will grow in the shade. I'd guess that mint and
parsley are probably OK too. Even things that want sunshine will often
grow in the shade, just not flower as much, may rot in a cold winter -
worth trying, but don't spend to much, eg start with one plant not half
a dozen.

There are plenty of grasses which will grow in the shade, they're just
different species from the ones that like sun. In particular, there's a
wood sedge (OK sedges aren't grasses, but in terms of garden effect
they're the same) which has quite improbably white flowers - very
attractive. If you can't find another source of information, try
Chilterns seeds - the descriptions tell you whether they're grasses for
sun or shade.
--
Kay

In article ,
says...

I have a new build house with a tiny 20 foot by 16 foot north facing
garden. I`m currently planning to convert it into a beautiful courtyard
with decking, pergola and patio and have no lawn.

As I know nothing about gardening I really need some advice on the
types of plants I will be able to have in my garden when its done. It
doesn`t get much direct sunlight being on the north side.

I would love a climber to run up the pergola but whats the best kind
and after that I`m planning on having various plants in pots around the
garden but which should I go for, it seems when I look at the advice
labels on plants that they all need to be in the sunshine. I really
want to have lavendar and I like bamboo and grasses and I would like a
little herb garden but will this work?

I basically need to know plants that thrive in the shade.




--
hedgehawg

A lot will depend on where you are in the world but if its a city you
should be able to grow most shade plants (Ferns, Treeferns, Bamboos,
Camellias) and lots more besides, a lot of roses and clematis will grow
and flower well north facing. I suspect the herb garden may prove
difficult as they are mostly sun lovers (How about a herb window box on
the sunny side?)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Thanks for the suggestions. My garden does get some direct sunlight, but its at the back of the garden and only at certain times of the day and year. It gets brighter in the afternoon from about 3pm but the sunlight becomes dappled as it has to shine through some trees so theres not that much intense sunlight but its also not that dark either. I`m in uk so temps get freezing in winter. I`ve already got an acer plant which was supposed to prefer shade but every year it puts on a lovely show of leaves then early on they dry up and fall off even though I water it regular, I have no idea what I do wrong. I dont have much room for all that many plants in my garden, thats why I want to get it right, and choose plants that will put on a good display of colour and make my garden smell lovely without taking over the garden. My other problem is that I got a doggy last year and he ruined the lawn, thats why I`m currently decking and flagging it over. Yes Mint does grow in the shade, dont I know it. At my last house I planted some in the shady side and it grew like mad, I had to pull the flags up to uproot it. If I have any mint it will be grown from a pot then it wont take over like the last lot did. I thought that ferns would grow well in the shade because thats where they grow in the wild, under trees etc but when I looked at some in the garden center it said they prefer full sun but I will keep looking. I like the thought of my garden looking all green and lush and would like to see some really beautiful flowers from the creeper that I want to train up the pergola. The pergola will be where the most sun gets, I saw a lovely creeper plant on the internet called purple haze, do you think I would have any chance at growing one of these in my garden?