Shade Border facelift.

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I’ve decided to revamp my shade border as the weather has at last dried up today. Last week I had got in under the variegated Holly tree and next door’s overgrown Maple to whack back a few branches and let some dappled daylight back in. I rarely venture in to that area as I always come out bitten alive despite copious amounts of “skin-so soft / shift etc” and applying what the vet across the road recommends as an aftercare for all bites… (Ascabiol Emulsion)

I had already taken quite a lot of photos and had plotted out what I thought was where in the last few rainy days. Today I checked my plan…

Something wrong with the date on the camera for the collage, definitely not February…. I was trying to get a running effect over the whole border that could be cut and pasted together for my plan, lol…

After removing some of the alstromeria that had taken over in that area and cutting back some of the perennials that were taking over from their alotted spots I could see that I had some room for moving plants about and hopefully adding interest to this side border.

This painted lady fern is spreading well under the rhodies in another border and I think it would also look good in the shady border and probably do well too.

I have already moved a couple of hostas in to this border and I think “Great Expectations” could go there too. The fern is Dryopteris Erythrosa and I liked the bronze effect it has which could work there too.

The Heuchera “Green Spice” would pick up on that effect as well, so I might try them together. Though the copper Heuchera behind could do well in their too, I might see if I can get an off shoot….

I have moved this little Hosta “White Feather” from my gravel as it needed room to grow and other hostas and heathers were cramping it. It should get enough sun and being at the front of this border I’ll can keep an eye on it for slugs and so forth!

The variegated dead nettle is taking over near my asparagus so I think it’s due for a move to be closer to the compost bin in the shade border, then it can roam to its heart’s content as I think the variegated laurel / bay is now well enough established to give it a run for its money!

This is one of the new Hellebores I have – “Emerald Queen” – lovely green flowers and a bit like the stinking hellebore I already have in this border but I think this one flowers later. I have several hellebores in this border and along the back path and all do well in the moist shade… Their leaves add a different dimension when they aren’t in flower too, though you have to get up close to really appreciate the flowers.

I forgot I’d put a couple of astilbes in this area – the one at the back is tall with white flower spikes and others nearer the front are dark leaved varieties with pink or red plumes. These worked quite well last year with the purple acer which has survived the winter intact.
I planted a small box hedge along the path here about four years ago, but I have gradually removed them to other areas of the garden as it’s really too shady for them there and there are just two left waiting for a better spot.

So seven bags of garden refuse later the border now looks like this…

I have another couple of brunnera which are variegated (but more like the Hosta variegation) and I think I may put them in behind the Heuchera….

I’m not sure about these Iris… I think it’s still to dark in here for them so….

Was it Rhett who said “tomorrow is another day!”

• 20 Jul, 2010
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