To ensure happy footings, we have dug in the contents of the latest compost
heap and leaf mould pile, adding grit to alleviate this stone-hard clay
soil, bringing the level from the fence in a slight slope. The bed faces
north-east, with only a few hours filtered sunlight each day, but luckily
these plants are shade lovers. I wanted the background planting to screen
the fence with stunning lime-green vertical stripes, so popped in half a
dozen dogwoods: Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea’ and one orange
‘Sanguinea’ in contrast. Standing back, I realised the stems didn’t show up
enough, so have painted the fence a bluish grey to set them off. I will cut
these dogwoods back every three years, in May, and look forward to a fiery
autumn foliage display.
Next in line come sturdy Euphorbia wulfenii and Robbiae and
three Skimmia japonica plants that made the journey with me here in
pots, with bright red berries against a background of leathery evergreen
leaves and a bonus of creamy fragrant blossom for early bees, all nestled in
among my star performers – the hellebores. I have planted H. x
sternii for its veined leaves on purple stems and creamy white/green
flowers; H. niger ‘Christmas Carol’ for its early performance and
various H. orientalis hybrids for their promiscuity. I even love
native stinking hellebore with its acid-green flowers and striking filigree
cut leaves.
To me, the colours of spring are a lively bright lime-green, a soft buttery
cream and bright sky-blue, so in the foreground we’ve planted variegated
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ with heart-shaped leaves and pretty forget-me-not
flowers; Pulmonaria angustifolia ‘Blaues Meer’ with blue and pink
flowers for bees and striking lungwort leaves and Arum italicum
var. pictum with interesting cream spathes, marbled foliage and orange
berries. Naturalised ground cover of snowdrops, snowflakes, veined hardy
cyclamen, ivy and woodbine already exist and I’ll add other woodland bulbs
as time goes on.
WHERE TO BUY
I bought my plants locally from Maytree Nursery, Dunkirk (01227 750353) and
Meadow Grange Garden Centre, Blean (01227 471205). Longacreplants.co.uk
specialises in unusual woodland plants and plants for shade. Bethchattoshop.co.uk
is a legendary nursery with plants for specific conditions.
Plantsforshade.co.uk has a comprehensive catalogue of shade-loving plants.
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