Topic: Shady native (ish) hedgerow plants

[greenstar]

Hello there - I'm after some advice on what to grow next to the 5 foot high hedge that borders the south side of our plot.  We can't use it for growing much veg because even in the middle of summer there is a strip about one and a half to two feet wide and ten foot long that only gets the sun first thing in the morning for about an hour, and as our allotment regs state that our gardens have to be 25% flowers I though I could grow some dry shade loving/tolerating natives.

At the moment there are a few aquilegias, hellebores and the odd stray foxglove (which I would like more of).  Does anyone have any suggestions of what else I could plant there?  Whatever it is would need to be fairly slug resistant as I think there is a slug ghetto in the hedge full of gangsta  slugs.  I also need something that isn't going to go too mad because we need to be able to get behind it to cut the hedge.  The hedge is a mixture of privet, hawthorn, broom and I think there's a lilac trying to grow in it as well.  If anyone can suggest plants that will attract/feed wildlife, so much the better.

Thanks for your time.

Ali x

[Robert_Brenchley]

Lily of the Valley, hardy geranium, snowdrop, native bluebell, primrose, narcissus. Will that do for a start?

[small]

Alchemilla Mollis? Slugs leave mine alone and they thrive in my unpromising bits, ferns are fairly tolerant (don't know variety names, sorry) .  I agree with the lily of the valley suggestion too, and you could try Solomon's Seal - though they have their own special beastie which skeletonises them if you turn your back.

[saddad]

Jack by the Hedge.. aka Garlic Mustard... which is early and edible as well as having white flowers...  :)

[redimp]

I am currently researching gardern worthy native(ish) wild flowers for my garden.  I have got as far as H and these are the ones that like shade or partial shade:
Red Campion
Greater Celandine
Columbine
Hedge Cranesbill
Flower Cuckoo
Dames Violet
Wood Forget-Me-Not
Wild Foxglove
Wood Anenome
Wild Basil
Creeping Bellflower
Nettle Bellflower
Bugle
Dusky Cranesbill
Wood Cranesbill
Feverfew
Hedge Parsley

This is not exhaustive as I am selecting for a variety of colours, heights, foliage and flowering times

[small]

Thread hijack alert....Saddad, how do you eat garlic mustard? I always have a fine patch in my supposedly controlled herbaceous border, I leave it because I love the smell, would love to eat it too....

[saddad]

I just use young leaves in a mixed salad... for a bit of variety and it's earlier than the sorrel... and as a snackette on a walk round the lotties..  :)

[small]

Thanks, Saddad, I'll try that. Greenstar, if you do grow this then you will have a lot of seedling removal unless you are meticulous about cutting down.

[greenstar]

Thanks for all of those replies - that's quite a lot to be getting on with!

Robert B - I never thought about putting the hardy geranium there, but think I'll transplant it now.  For some reason I've never been able to grow Lily of the Valley.  Think I'll give it another try.

Small, I reckon I can nick a bit of lady's mantle from somewhere, and I'd be quite pleased if the garlic mustard spread itself about a bit, although it'll not get much chance to with me eating it!

Saddad, I have some Jack by the hedge seeds, but I think I should have sown them in the autumn.  Might try them indoors just now see what happens.

And Red Clanger  - what a lovely if slightly obsessive list, thank you.  There are many things in there that I'd love to grow, and will if my coup of the grounds committee succeeds this year.  They're very much of the straight lines and biological warfare school of gardening, and are the most stressed and miserable people I've met.  Time to put them out of their misery and let our plots run with wild flowers again, I think.

Cheers

Ali x

[GrannieAnnie]

Thanks, Saddad, I'll try that. Greenstar, if you do grow this then you will have a lot of seedling removal unless you are meticulous about cutting down.

It was introduced in America (probably by you guys! ;D) mid 1800's (they think) and has become terribly invasive all up and down the Eastern coast. I pull it out by the bag in our yard, but it comes back in from the woods and snuffs out the native wildflowers. I didn't know it was edible!  Thanks for the tip. Always learning something from these threads.

[FennelandFern]

How about sweet violets? They spread quite happily in shady hedgerows and are one of the most beautiful spring plants (well, I think they are, anyway  :P)

sounds like you've got a fun project ahead! By the way, there is a list of slug-resistant plants out there somewhere...GQT had it on their website, but I now can't find it. Might be helpful!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Garlic mustard is a major weed on my plot!