Shady side of garden

Looks so Springy, very nice bed.
I'd love some Epimedium in my woodland but I know nothing about them, must research, I want a variety that gets big and spreads.

Thanks. I wish I could help, but (sorry) don't know the individual names. Some years ago I had a 'helping hand' in the garden who was very knowledgeable (has her own garden open for the Yellow Book), and she recommended having a varied mixture of several Epimedium in a very shady patch . . . she was right!

Thanks Sheila, I think they would like my garden then as I have alot of shade around but hope they like clay. I'll read up on them :-)

Looks very colourful Sheila lovely :-),
Yes glad Monty reminded us to take the leaves off I did mine yesterday in the nick of time I think, the buds are all showing underneath, shame though the leaves were lovely colours.
Ooo yes Dawn you need some epimediums in your wood I've got 5 different ones now, 'Frohnleiten' s a lovely one yellow flowers and bronzy foliage in autumn and winter (that I've just cut off), I bought 'Fire Dragon'last year, wanted that one for ages first flower opened today:-)

Hello Kathy :-) You know exactly what I need dont you? So the two above are good then? Do they spread? So do you cut off last year's flowers each spring? Sorry for all the questions but I know you know. :-)

I used to grow epimedium in my clay shady borders. It thrived. Epimedium x warleyense was my one. I also tried to grow a purple one, E. Grandiflorum 'Lilafee'. It just disappeared after one weak year when it hardly grew. It makes very fast and pretty evergreen cover under trees.

Yes they spread by rhizomes Dawn so you can split them and move them about not that I've done this yet as mine have a fair bit of room to spread and aren't that huge yet, they aren't really fast growers, well mine aren't anyway but as you know mines fairly dry shade so may increase quicker in your wood,you cut the old foliage off early spring as it tends to hide the emerging flowers and new leaves which can be lovely colours, there are evergreen and deciduous ones, all mine are evergreen accept 1, I spotted a white at a garden centre the other day but came away with something else instead I may have to go back lol ;-)

Excellent info, thanks Kathy, Karen.
Right, I'm going to get some :-)))))

Just like Simbad, I was cutting off leaves today - lovely bronze ones - and I had to be careful to miss the little yellow flowers! So another year, must start earlier . .

Btw, mine are in clay and shade.

Thanks Sheila, sounds good. I look forward to seeing pics of the yellow flowers, glad you didnt cut any off.

Dawn - epimediums take dry shade, and grow so thickly that no weeds can penetrate them. Ideal for difficult spots in the garden where nothing else will grow. There are several with yellow flowers, also varieties with pale yellow, white or pink flowers. Anything with E. grandiflorum or E. x youngianum in the name will be a good one.

My two favourites are E. x warleyense (orange flowers), and E. acuminatum 'Galaxy' where close up, the flowers look like something out of Star Wars!

I've got two epimediums in pots on my very shady patio, and so far they haven't done very much in the way of growth.One has got a nice lot of bronze foliage, whereas the other is green.Should I cut the foliage off, event tho they aren't growing too much,or leave on?

I think just enjoy the bronze foliage, Gralew! I'm no expert, but I think you'd only need to cut the leaves off if you could see buds coming. Maybe put up a question??

I've had a look at them this morning and I have little yellow flowers...I'm going to enjoy the foliage Sheila :-)

:))

Hello Andrew, thanks of the info above.