5 essential … plants to brighten a shady corner

Many people panic when faced with shady areas to plant and seem to think ‘nothing will grow in shade’.  SO not true!  It’s a fact that flowering interest is limited by shade (mainly to spring time), but by focusing on contrasting foliage colour and textures it’s possible to create a lovely scheme for shady areas.  Here are just some of the plants I rely on to brighten up gloomy borders.

Although it may not be top of the Most Exciting Plants list, Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’ is completely invaluable in difficult areas of the garden (including dry shade) and brings light and texture to even the gloomiest corner.  Somewhat misleadingly named, its evergreen foliage is actually dark green with white margins and may flush to a deep rose pink in winter that looks beautiful next to deep pink Helleborus orientalis.   Happy in both full sun and shade, this tough and obliging shrub will grow in any reasonably well drained soil and requires no more care than a light clip if it gets out of shape.

Grown against a fence or wall (where it will spread to roughly 2 metres), ‘Emerald Gaiety’ makes an excellent backdrop for other shrubs such as white flowered camellias, Fatsia Japonica or Choisya Ternata.  As a bush its low spreading form (about 80cm high by 1m wide) provides truly low maintenance groundcover.  Top tip: prune out any plain green shoots to the base as soon as they are spotted.

Hosta  ‘Francee’ is a vigorous variety that makes an elegantly striking specimen in a shady spot in the garden.  Its large heart-shaped, puckered leaves are olive green in colour with well-defined white margins that stand out in the shade and provide an interesting contrast in shape and texture to those of other shade lovers such as ferns. They retain their freshness well into September provided they are protected from slugs and snails.  In July and August, impressive spires of pale lavender flowers rise above the leaves.  Hostas are fully hardy and very tolerant of soil type as long as it is reasonably moist.

As we all know, the big problem with Hostas are the dreaded slugs and snails which just can’t resist those luscious leaves. ‘Francee’s’ thick, puckered leaves make it more resistant to damage than some other varieties, but protection is still a must for it to look its best.  Applying a nematode treatment in spring helps ward off slugs or try a generous mulch of ‘Strulch’, a mineralised straw whose texture and iron content does seem to be effective in deterring both slugs and snails.  Top tip: thicker, lusher leaves will be produced if your Hosta gets a good feed so mulch well around the base in autumn with a 5-10cm deep layer of organic compost or leaf mould.

Always an oddity amongst the asters due to its love of shade and its distinctive form, Aster divaricatus, or the white wood anemone, has finally been found out and reclassified as Eurybia divaricatus.  Whatever it might be called, it remains one of the prettiest of all the shade-loving plants, its branching, dark red/black, wiry stems and evergreen olive leaves contrasting perfectly with the frothy sprays of dainty white flowers produced throughout summer and autumn.

Once established this hardy perennial is tolerant of dry shade and reaches a height and spread of 60cm x 45cm.  Top tip: grow along the edge of a shady border amongst Bergenias where the white flowers will provide a change of texture and a splash of light towards the end of the season.

Hakonechloa macra Alboaurea is a small, slow spreading ornamental grass that forms tufted, emerald green hummocks (40cm high x 35cm across) and creates light and texture on the edges of a shady border.  It is native to Japan and planted en masse makes an eye catching carpet of bright green that does indeed lend a Japanese feel to planting groups.   Added interest and movement are provided by sprays of fine lime green flowers in July and August while the gracefully arching leaves gradually turn rich russet shades as autumn progresses.

This grass makes a lovely soft edging to paths and steps and its clean, neat form makes it a good choice for formal patios and courtyards and contemporary, minimalist plantings.  It prefers a cool, moist position and will benefit from a humus rich mulch in autumn. Top tip: cut old foliage back to ground level in early spring before the new leaves appear.

In early spring large, heart shaped deep green and silver leaves are followed by bright blue, forget-me-not flowers, making Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ one of the loveliest spring flowering perennials around.  It’s wonderful planted under deciduous trees and shrubs or front of border to create pools of light in shady borders or along a woodland path and looks especially effective intermixed with yellow Narcissi.

For best performance, plant this hardy perennial in moist, humus rich soil.  Height and spread: 60cm x 45cm. Top tip: cut back any plain green leaves to the base as they appear.

 

Picture credits: Janet Bligh & Firgrove Photographic

5 essential … plants to grow under trees

One of the trickiest places to grow plants is under trees and shrubs where moisture and light are at a premium.  Here’s a small selection of plants which are perfectly suited to this difficult environment.

They say there’s a hardy Geranium for every site and Geranium maccrorhizum thrive in full shade and dry soil.  Add to this their long season of interest and deer resistance and it would be hard to find anything better to provide reliable and attractive ground cover under trees.

The semi-evergreen leaves of ‘Bevan’s Variety’ and ‘White Ness’ are attractively divided and aromatic and often take on orange/red shades in autumn.  Both also flower from late spring to mid-summer.  ‘Bevan’s Variety’ produces bright magenta red blooms with deep red sepals and conspicuous veining, while ‘White Ness’ will brighten the shade with its profusion of pure white flowers.  Both grow to around 30cm tall and form spreading, rounded mounds.

Epimedium x versicolor ‘Sulphureum’ is a reliable and long-lived perennial known for its ability to deal with dry shade.  Its heart shaped semi-evergreen leaves are dark green when mature, but are at their most beautiful in early spring when they first emerge with a strong bronze red tinge.

Just before the foliage appears, in mid to late spring, tiny clusters of creamy yellow, fairy-like flowers appear close to ground level and last for several weeks.  Slow growing initially, it will form low, bushy clumps with a height and spread of 30cm x 45cm.  Top tip: use shears to cut the old leaves back to ground level in late winter in order to see the flowers as they emerge.

Also known as Variegated Wood Rush, Luzula sylvatica ‘Marginata’ is a great addition to the woodland garden providing textural interest with its dense, carpeting tufts of wide, evergreen strappy leaves.

As well as providing excellent, weed-suppressing ground cover, the glossy green leaves edged with creamy yellow will shine through the shade and in spring airy sprays of brownish flowers add height and movement.  Excellent in dry or moist soil, and happiest in partial to full shade.  Height 40-50cm.  Top tip: Comb or rake off any old, tired or dead leaves and flowers in spring.

Tiny, but perfectly formed, Cyclamen hederifolium (the ivy-leaved Cyclamen) provides very valuable perennial colour for the autumn garden. There are pink and white varieties to choose from, both growing to about 12cm high and making a stunning carpeting effect when planted en masse.  The dainty upright flowers last for several weeks from early autumn and are produced in succession to give a long lasting and beautiful display.  Heart shaped leaves with a silvery marbled pattern follow the flowers providing light and pattern on the woodland floor until they disappear in summer.

Planted as tubers and spreading over time, these hardy Cyclamen enjoy sun or partial shade, and are very drought tolerant in shade.  They thrive especially in soils with added leaf litter so are perfect grown under trees and shrubs.

This is a bit of tongue twister since its renaming (it was previously known as Stipa arundinacea) so you might prefer to stick to its common name of pheasant’s tail grass.  However tricky its name might be, Anemanthele lessoniana is very easy to care for and provides year round colour, texture, structure and movement.  Its fountain of slender, fresh green foliage turns red, orange and yellow throughout the season and the colours intensify over the colder months.  It forms a clump of about 1 meter in height and spread and in late summer sprays of airy flower heads appear.
 

Pheasant’s tail grass is a fast growing and versatile evergreen which grows very happily in partial shade and dry, moderately fertile soil.  Also a great plant to grow in a container, its only weakness is that it isn’t reliably hardy in prolonged cold periods when it may need some protection.  Top tip:  In spring, tease out dead foliage by gently running your fingers through it as if it were hair.

Fabulous plants for November

All is not lost!  Although there’s no denying there isn’t as much colour and interest to enjoy in the garden at this time of year, there’s still a number of valuable plants worth considering planting.  Here’s a small selection:

Fagus sylvatica

Beech columns and hedges at RHS Wisley

Beech (Fagus sylvatica) makes a great hedge for the garden, offering interest more or less all year round.  In spring the young leaves of common Beech are soft green, gradually brightening and becoming a richer green.   Later in the year the colour changes into the yellows and russets of autumn, and the dry coppery brown leaves are usually retained throughout the winter, glowing in winter sun, and continuing to provide wind protection and screening.  So although a beech hedge is technically deciduous, it offers many of the advantages of an evergreen hedge but with additional seasonal interest.

An alternative to the common beech, is Copper beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropurpurea’) which has attractive purple leaves in spring, gradually darkening as the season progresses.

Beech is native to the UK and tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, including well-drained chalk, although on heavy clay, or very cold, exposed sites and in frost pockets, Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is a better choice (and to be honest, it’s quite hard to tell the difference with hedging unless you look very closely at the leaves).

Beech is best planted in full sun or partial shade, and if you’re planning on planting a hedge or tree, November is the best time to be doing it as bare-root plants are now available and the soil is still fairly warm. These plants are not only cheaper to buy than container plants, but quick to establish.

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Malepartus’  (Japanese Silver Grass)

‘Malepartus’ is a vigorous, free-flowering deciduous grass growing to 2m tall, with broad arching leaves and prolific pink-tinged flower heads in summer (somewhat earlier than many other grasses). In autumn the flowers start to turn silvery white for the winter.  This is a bushy grass spreading to about 1.5m and is tolerant of most soils if well drained but not too dry. It is happy in either exposed or more sheltered situations, it can take a little shade but prefers full sun.

Graceful and stately, Miscanthus ‘Malepartus’ can be used in borders, screen plantings and backgrounds and it works beautifully as an accent or specimen plant – but give it plenty of room to really do its thing.  It is generally pest free and very easy to grow, only needing the dead foliage and old flowered stems removing in spring as new growth appears from the base.

Cyclamen hederifolium

The ivy-leaved Cyclamen is a beautiful tiny perennial that provides very valuable low-growing autumn colour for the garden.  Each flower lasts for weeks and the display is lengthened by the succession of flowers.

Both the pink and white varieties grow to about 12cm in height, and make a stunning carpeting effect when planted en masse.  The silvery-green patterned leaves are usually produced after the flowers.

Planted as tubers and spreading over time, these hardy Cyclamen enjoy sun or partial shade, and are very drought tolerant in shade.  They particularly thrive in soils with added leaf litter so are fantastic to grow under trees and shrubs.

Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’
This lovely Clematis is a wonderful climbing plant for the winter garden.  Not only is it evergreen, but also flowers between November and February when most gardens are crying out for some colour.  ‘Freckles’ needs a warm, sheltered and preferably sunny position and thrives in any fertile, well-drained soil.

It is seen to best advantage scrambling over an arch where you can walk underneath and look up into the dainty nodding creamy yellow flowers all speckled with red inside. You could also allow it to grow through shrubs, or a hedge, which need brightening up over winter. After the flowers attractive silky seedheads are produced.

There is no need to prune Clematis cirrhosa unless it is getting too big, and hard pruning is not recommended. ‘Freckles’ will usually reach about 3.5m in height.

Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’
Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’ is a tough, popular evergreen shrub. The bright green variegated foliage has white leaf margins, which on some, but not all, leaves flush to a deep rose pink in cold winters.

It could never be called exciting, but it is a hugely valuable shrub for difficult areas (such as dry shade where it is also useful for brightening things up) and it is a truly low maintenance plant, just needing a light clip if it is getting out of shape.

If planted next to a wall or fence it will spread upwards to about 2m, otherwise it forms a low, spreading bush about 60cm high by 1m wide (in time).

Click on the links below to read about more great autumn plants

Acer Palmatum
Hydrangea quercifolia
Vitis ‘Brandt’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Sedum
Schizostylis
Liriope muscari

Trees for autumn colour

Photo credits:  Janet Bligh & Firgrove Photographic

Fabulous plants for October

As the days grow shorter and things start to wind down in the garden world, there’s still a lot to enjoy before Autumn truly kicks in.  Here are some of my top planting recommendations for October.

Verbena bonariensis
If I had a pound for everyone who has told me they love Verbena bonariensis I’d be a rich woman!  Its popularity is hardly surprising really as this is a plant that goes on and on – and on! It starts flowering as early as June, and often goes on into November. Talk about good value.

It’s tall (at approx. 1.2m) but one of those very useful plants that adds height and hazy colour to a planting scheme without blocking out views or becoming too dominant.   It’s also a real magnet for bees and butterflies, so it’s a wonderful plant for wildlife gardens.

 

Verbena bonariensis is the sort of plant I like to sprinkle through borders, but it works equally well when grouped en masse.   Thriving in sunny sites with well-drained soil, the lavender flowers of this Verbena are a perfect companion for ornamental grasses such as the equally statuesque Stipa Gigantea, and other late flowerers such as Perovskia and Gaura lindheimeri.  I also like it mixed with orange or red Dahlias for a real splash of vibrant late summer colour.

The only downside to Verbena bonariensis is that it’s not totally hardy (so it may need protecting in winter with mulch, and not cutting back till spring to avoid dieback).  It does seed around quite freely though, so even if you lose the original plant, chances are there’s another one popping up nearby to take its place.  If you’re looking for something shorter, then the newly introduced Verbena bonariensis ‘Lollipop’ may be of interest, standing just 60cm high.  I think the flowers are a touch more pink than the original, but to be honest it’s virtually identical – only at half the height.

 

Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’ AGM
This is a versatile plant that loves moist alkaline soil in partial shade, although it will tolerate full sun and a reasonable garden soil.  Commonly known as ‘White Snakeroot’, it is often still sold under its former name of Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’. Whatever you call it, it is an easy to grow herbaceous perennial with lovely chocolate-brown tinged leaves topped with fuzzy white flower heads that are very attractive to bees and butterflies.

‘Chocolate’ has a bushy upright habit (only starting to flop a bit right at the end of the season) and it grows to about 1m tall, with a spread of 60-80cm.  You will find information saying it flowers from July to September, but in my garden it definitely only starts to flower in late September and early October.  But to be honest the flowers are almost incidental – this is a plant to grow for its coloured foliage and good upright shape all summer long.

Looks great with Knautia macedonica and ornamental grasses, such as Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’.

Ceratostigma willmottianum
Few flowers have the ability to linger late into the year. But as autumn progresses the gentian-blue heads of Ceratostigma willmottianum attract butterflies in search of the last nectar before hibernation, and the foliage turns a rich russet-red.  This presents opportunities for zazzy combinations with orange-reds, such as Crocosmias like ‘Star of the East’, or more muted schemes with Aster novae-angliae ‘Violetta’, and Penstemon ‘Raven’.

Ceratostigma (commonly known as ‘hardy plumbago’) is a small deciduous shrub growing to about 1m high with a similar spread, and grows best in a sheltered sunny situation, in free draining soil. If a hard winter kills the top growth it can be cut hard back and should shoot again from the base.   You can also find a spreading ground cover version of this plant in the form of the herbaceous Ceratostigma plumbaginoides which should be cut back over winter when all the flowering action is over.

Euonymus europaeus
Euonymus europaeus, commonly known as the spindle tree, starts to go psychedelic this month, with its fruits deepening to hot pink before splitting open to reveal red-orange berries which are very attractive to birds. As the fruits begin to split open, the foliage tries to keep up by turning its own shades of purple, hot pink, and deep red.

It is an easy spreading shrub (or hedging plant), tolerating a wide range of soil conditions and will flourish as long as it has at least part sun, although the show of berries and foliage will be best in full sun. Euonymus europaeus ‘Brilliant’ is a very narrow, upright selection, reaching a height of 2 – 4 metres.

Hakonechloa macra Aureola AGM
Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ is one of the most gorgeous ornamental grasses, and also one of the few that prefers shade.

This deciduous perennial grass forms a neat clump of arching stems with cascading layers of narrow leaves striped with bright yellow and green that are reddish-tinged in autumn and early winter.

Easy to grow in moist, well drained soil, reaching about 50cm in height and spread. Looks good with Geranium such as ‘Rozanne’ and works well as ground cover.  I like to grow it in pots in shady areas where it really brightens things up and contrasts beautifully with the red foliage of Japanese Maples.

Hydrangea quercifolia
The oak leaf Hydrangea is a statement shrub for a partially shady area, but it can get quite large so it needs sufficient room to spread (1.5m +).  At this time of year the large leathery leaves start to turn deep purple and its long-lasting creamy white flowers gradually change through shades of faded pink as they die.

The leaves hang on quite late into the winter and the cinnamon-coloured stems are attractive in their own right too. This is a Hydrangea that copes well in slightly drier conditions than most other Hydrangeas so all in all I find it a very worthwhile shrub to grow.

To find out about other fabulous plants for this time of year, click on the links below:

Top plants for autumn colour featuring
Acer palmatum
Vitis ‘Brandt’
Sedum
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Malepartus’
Schizostylis coccinea

Autumn Glow featuring
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’
Betula jacquemontii

Picture credits:  Janet Bligh & Firgrove Photographic