Favourite for partial shady border?

[Tulipa]

I have a 70' border about 6' wide under a mixed hedge to plant.  I want to put in shrubs, some evergreen to give us more privacy, and smaller plants, bulbs etc in front.

What is your favourite or works well in your garden?  I am grateful for any ideas or help you can give.  I have started to make a list but know you all may have better ideas.

There will be a path between the shrubs and the hedge to allow for OH's step ladder for cutting the hedge (I am no good on ladders!) and also means the roots will not be fighting for the nutrients from the soil too much - I hope!

[Tulipa]

[jennym]

There were some suggestions on this previous posting:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,12686.msg118720.html#msg118720

[Obelixx]

I have a shady bed planted up with choisya ternata "Sundance", skimmias, viburnum "Eve Price", aucuba, winter flowering heathers, a few ferns which arrived by themselves and golden variegated ivy for ground cover.   If the soil is moist, you could try chelone which grows about 60cms high and has deep purply pink flowers in late summer.   I have some very happy Japanese anemones, dicentras, lily of the valley, snowdrops, leucojum, aquilegia, hellebores, pulmonaria, comfrey.........................

[Tulipa]

Oooh Jenny and Obelixx some good ideas there, thank you.  :)

[beejay]

Gosh, your border is as big as my garden (envy, envy). Anyway some plants I've used: Ceratostima (looking lovely now), Philadelphus coronaria Aurea, Euonymus, Alchemilla mollis, Liriope muscari, Polygonatum, Iris & Helleborus foetidus & of course ferns, grasses, geraniums........... That will do for now!

[flowerlady]

Your border IS bigger than my garden, thats why I grow things in pots :) !!

My best shade loving plant has to be an Acer dissectum atropuruium.  5' x5'  fabulous when the crocus are out ;D

[Tulipa]

I'm really glad you said that flowerlady, I had forgotten about acers and I have often thought I would like a space for that one so I will definitely put it on my list.  I first saw it at Westonbirt about 15 years ago in October and it looked stunning and I have wanted one ever since, now I have the perfect place.  Thank you.

Beejay thank you for yours too, some brilliant ideas - Morrisons had lots of different ferns for £1.49 each today so I shall go back and get some now I have seen your post, and I love philadelphus which will be lovely to brush past when in flower.  I am getting really excited, the trouble is this is going to be expensive finding all the plants, I don't think my OH has realised that yet!

[flowerlady]

Definitely a need for HRT ...   :o

Horticultural Retail Therapy ...   ;)

well, that's what I read on here somewhere.   :)

Have a great time.   ;D

[Tulipa]

I will! ;D  I have a day earmarked next week to go and investigate which plants are available to make a final plan.  I am really looking forward to it.