What to put in these containers

Hi Woo how much sun does this area recive ?

Spruce

 

Lovely containers! You could try succulents or alpine plants, they would prefer more sun but might adapt well. Semprevivums are very modest, cheap and terribly exiting plants, and also rather addictive Aeonium for height perhaps, and some trailing Sedums...? Ebay is a good source for these. Most are evergreen so you'll get year round interest.

Sadly many shade loving plants are quite thirsty. Hardy geraniums are somewhat draught tolerant, and a nice collection of just them could look really good.

Lock the gate tonight WOO, those long planters are just what I'd need for my Semps...

 

Three hours of sunshine is fine for many plants

Use John innes and not the ubiquitous ....and awful....mpc Woo. It holds moisture and nutrients far better and solve your water problems

Stipa Tennuisima would look good there Woo. The wind would be no problem and you would add “tactility” too. Echeverias would do well too. Carex testacea too...evergreen and unique olive colour. Libertia taupo varieties are good looking architectural subjects and give some height. Many phormiums would cope there. Consider astelia too.....like phormiums but evergreen silver green foliage.
Don’t dismiss ferns either......the Japanese painted ferns are the class act but dryopteris too would look good and enjoy it there.
Hey! Don’t dismiss hostas either.....again supplement the soil a little and plant Fire and Ice; a beautiful variety. Others have blue foliage, yellow, variegated some with red stems and veins. To contrast check out heucheras....and these are evergreen. May not flower as long but the foliage looks great. Astilbes would do well there.....right now here they are producing brilliant copper red new foliage then feathery flowers in July.
Hellebores ...orientalis type...for evergreen foliage and late winter flowers.
Artemisia Powys Castle would cope with the wind
Geranium Phaem Margaret Wilson....grey foliage, neat, pinky purple flowers and enjoys shade.
In the long containers if you can add some compost, dried manure or chicken pellets to the mix you can grow hackonechloa grass....this is a superb rising and cascading and another tactile plant. Here it is lovely from early spring to late autumn when it takes on orange tints.
For a summer planting, impatiens would thrive there. I like white in shady spots!
The sweet box, sarcoccoca, is evergreen producing powerful scent in late winter and early spring, will cope with shade and wind and will grow in a container

 

Dianthus.... Pinks, Carnations, Sweet Williams or Species. Most with a wonderful scent as well and will do well in dry areas.

 

and you are planting