Topic: growing under conifers

[poppie1]

my back garden is surrounded by vast conifers and i have a bare patch(apart from weeds)a good six feet wide underneath them,the only plants that seems to grow are red hot pokers and what looks like tarragon(this doesn't have much flavour tho.any suggestions what else to plant to make it a little more appealing?

[Obelixx]

I have an inherited conifer hedge in part of my garden and nothing grows well right next to them but I haven't tried red hot pokers as I don't like them.

Within 3 feet on the leeward, dry side I have helianthemum Lemon Queen doing very well.  On the windward, damper side there is an unknown shrub growing well 3' away but not much else doing well so we spent this weekend clearing out the plants and weeds and making a 3' wide path with bark chippings.   We then forked over the next 6' of bed, added wheelbarrow loads of garden compost and I planted 2 rhodos in the shade of a parrotia persica tree and ground cover geranium phaeum, Japanese anemones and the short persicaria with small glossy leaves.

[poppie1]

i also,do not particularly like the red hot pokers,but they do add a bit of much needed colour.and the birds like them.
we also inherited the conifers.who ever planted them wants a d**n good thrashing with some spring nettles.(however they do act as a good windbreak at times).
oh and i have just noticed some elderflower saplings growing in a sunnier part,on the edge of the conifers.
when we first moved in we cleared the area beneath these trees and layed down bark,and a boulder edging,however after a winter in the garden the bark is now covered by dead conifer clippings that fall from the trees in a good wind (like the past few days).

[Andy H]

We have big conifer which is a pain, but in the dark corner in a slightly raised bed (I think it was on top of paving slabs)! I put bamboo, sounds nice in the wind and is now about 20ft, I harvest it for bean poles on the allotment.

It is creeping along each year so I will have to stop it at a certain point or I may get moaned at.

[raisedbedted]

I have a similar border and have found the following work,

Helianthus Lemon Queen
Rudbeckia
Michelmas Daisies (too well in fact)
Red Hot Pokers
Stipa
Dwarf Comfrey
Pulmonaria

[poppie1]

ooh many thanks to all,will give them a go :D.anything better than a bare patch interwoven with weeds ;)
recently looked on internet didn't realise how many colours of red hot pokers there are,some are quite stunning,certainly diff from the norm.