Shady area with over hanging trees from next door

I have a small area in my garden that needs some beautifying. Its the wee brown looking corner where I have my central heating oil tank and black compost bin, the trouble is it is very shady from being north facing, backed against a wall and has some rather large trees from next door's garden nicking its light and nutrients, my dad suggested woodland plants, and also said my potted spurge would be at home there. I'm in the NE of Scotland so I need something tough, any ideas?

 

Hi and welcome.

If next doors trees are bothering you, I believe you have the legal right to cut off the bits that overhang your side, but in the interest of not falling out with the people you have to live next door to I'd have a polite chat with them first and see what you can work out between you.

If the trees aren't bother you, I reckon you still have a number of options.

Nasturtium (my current favourite plant) thrives in poor soil and in shade. It grows very fast, looks pretty and in case you're interested, is edible (used in salads among other things). It has rather attractive large round leaves and very pretty orange or yellow flowers. It requires practically no maintenance, and left unattended will quickly fill the patch you give it, some varieties even climb up stuff. The down side given your location is that it is most definitely not hardy. While it will happily take a battering from wind and rain, the first proper frost kills it dead - in fact it literally makes it do an impression of over cooked cabbage. From late spring until the first good frost it will serve you well though, and the fact that it can't survive a British winter and seedlings are very easy to spot means that despite its fast growing nature, it can't become invasive.

 

Hi Naark,

Your Dad knows best, sounds like a good idea to me.

I see overhanging trees as a present from your neighbour so would work with them rather than against them.

 

thanks, any idea what woodland plants would do well? also want something that'll fill out quite quick.

 

Lilly of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)?

 

Hi,
I'm trying to create my bit of a woodland as well, so far the ferns and cyclamen are doing very well. I've also planted 3 christmas roses and will try foxglove next spring. Iris foetidissima would be a great plant for dry shade. Now is the perfect time to plant bulbs, I opted for bluebells but also daffodils might look "in place".

I had some great suggestions in my thread here.
(**edit** 3rd time I'm trying to link neatly. I'm not very computery. )

I must say I've fallen in love with the modest, natural plants and nowadays look at posh crocsomias etc with some superiority and disapproval :hehe:

 

If you are going for the natural look, ie don't care too much where the flowers appear as long as they are in the right area, you could sow Foxglove seeds now just by randomly chucking them into your woodland patch. Some will fail, but some wont, and they'll come up in their own time, rather than all at once.

I've got a Foxglove experiment underway on my land. Last year I just chose a spot, and threw a packet of seeds in the air. I didn't prepare the ground for them, didn't water them or anything. That patch has lots of foxgloves in it now at various stages of growth. Its an ongoing experiment to see if the bank side fills up with them naturally without any human intervention. So far so good.

 

Think ferns, lots of them. Some will grow quite tall, although they do mostly die away in autumn, but there's nothing better than watching them come to life again spring, unfurling their fronds

 

my dad's given me some bluebell bulbs so when it stops raining they're going out

 

What sort of shade is it? Damp or dry shade. If its damp then plants like primroses would do well. I also have monkshood looking fantastic in such a position, trilliums, snowdrops, astible, daffodils.
I also have a more difficult position of dry shade under trees. There I find hellebores don't do well but i have Colchicums and Cyclamen hederfolium doing magnificently well.