New Gardener......North facing garden help

Hi all,

New to this site and also to gardening. Since being off work since mid march due to Covid-19, I've decided to sort out my back garden. I'm wanting to make a border in my north facing garden. This border will be up against my fence to next door, so is partially shaded by that.
I signed up to ask for help with suitable recommendations for plants etc to go in there. Would like something that will look nice all year round.
Things that will be relatively low maintenance due to being a total newbie to all of this.
Tha is in advance for any help you all can provide.

 

First of all ..Hi @Mackem87 and


Secondly I'm not much help, but someone will be along soon to offer you some advice.
I did find this for you to read while waiting, hope it may be of a little help.A shady border - the best (and easiest) part of your garden? - The Middle-Sized Garden

 

Hi a warm welcome to a great forum
the soil around a north facing borders and wall can be dry but, you can transform this area into a valuable part of the garden

You need first to prepare the soil , I read and in the past year i used Crushed egg shells which add much-needed calcium to the soil as they break downand and coffee grounds which release nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other minerals as they break down – acting as a great natural slow-release fertilizer to the plants. With success in fact a minture apple fruit tree i thought was dead is blossoming better than ever so try egg shells and coffee grounds

There are many plants that can survive in dry shade One of the most dramatic shrubs for shade, Fatsia japonica is an exotic-leaved evergreen is completely hardy outdoors and will eventually make a magnificent plant.
.
Whatever plants you buy if you have pets check they will not harm them as some are poisonous

 

Hi thanks for the tips. You're absolutely right the soul does get quite dry at times along by that fence, doesnt see the sun until later in afternoon.
Regarding the preparation of the soil. Do I need to follow those steps when mixing it with compost? As I mentioned I'm a complete newbie so assumed I could just dig a border and use compost ‍♂️
I do also have a dog so will.be sure.to check on the anta before selection.
I was thinking of putting a couple lemon scented cypress in to offer a bit more privacy from next doors garden.
Anymore tips of plants etc that would work would be great. I'm wanting a different selection of heights and colours.
I did read somewhere that hellebores, pulmonaria and snowdrops do well in north facing partially shaded borders.

 

Thanks I will give it a read

 

Thanks, hoping to put this extra time on my hands to good use

 

Well I have been out to start making a border in the garden, and damn there are alot of big stones under the grass which is making it a nightmare to dig up.
I dont know if this is quite common to find when making a border or not. (I live in a new build house and have read somewhere this tends to be found under new build lawns)

 

Not lived in a new build but have heard nightmare stories about the amount of builders rubble that's dumped ,covered and hidden from sight.

 

Yeah most are fairly big, nightmare when the spade goes in and all ya can feel is like you've reached as far as you could dig, but in reality it's just big stone after stone.
Well as UpsyDaisy put it "builders rubble" by the looks of it.
Not going to enjoy this one bit haha.
Can anyone recommend anything nice for the border edge? I do like the idea of like large rounded stones all the way down the edging.
(No I dont want to use all the ones I'm going to be digging up, before anyone sarcastically suggests it)

 

That's just me joking at the end by the way ha

 

Look what I'm up against under this garden of mine. And I've barely started and foun . These already. Bloody boulders ha

 

Wow, those are handsome! Don't try to get rid of them, if you personally are not planning a rockery someone in your neighbourhood might be. You can advertise in Gumtree or Neighbourhood SM like Nextdoor. Someone might want to take them away or even swap for something useful you need.

 

I have found quite a few large ones whilst digging up, so think I may clean them up and make some form of little Rockery area.

Quality of soil is a bit of a joke the amount of rubble etc in it. Would probably be easier to remove it and just bang a load of compost there lol