By Bramhallbill
Cheshire,
United Kingdom 
We have mature Lilac clums at the bottom of the garden by next door's 6ft fence. Before the fence was built it was a lilac hedge & there was reasonable light.The growth was crooked as everything tried to get out of the way of a sycamore. The giant weed was cut down several years ago & I cut all lilac down to 3 ft. The fence devastated the area, Some stumps are totally dead and the lilacs are growing to find light again. The trees are quite high & I need companion plants. Vinca was very invasive & did not flower so I took it out. There is some Ivy over the odd stump.Foxgloves are making a comeback. I could transplant some aquelegia. Its quite dry & some soil is leaf mouldy rich. The vinca over ran 2 clematis. Wild roses & honey suckle were destroyed as the fence went up. I could try & put some back...Any ideas please?
On plant
Srynga
10 Aug, 2014
Answers
I had dicentra in the front garden for 2 yrs or so. Then it just went. Interesting plants listed. Tongue twisters. Thalictrum looks meadowy & it is called "Meadow Rue".Epimediums look interesting...never seen 'em
11 Aug, 2014
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Monarda might brighten it up in summer. Euonymus fortunii. There's a new dwarf Mahonia that seems pretty tolerant and flowers Aug-Oct but as its new can't recommend it. (I've got it on order though from Suttons!)
Some of the perennial geraniums. Lily of the valley if it thinks it will, who knows? Some of the ferns - not all need wet ground. Epimediums. Thalictrum's worth a try, I had one once in dry ground under trees. Dicentra spectabilis ditto, though it will die back earlier in the season than it would in moister ground.
10 Aug, 2014