I love my Rhodendrums as they give foliage all year then blooms spring and summer.

And Daphne for perfume and foliage .

Skimmia too foliage is stunning all year .

Clematis on fence area .

Could go on an on .

Enjoy your heucheras they are so beauitful I have helabores behind mine in my shade area and spring bulbs.

Can picture it Skotcat. Gorgeous! Both of the latter are my favourites too.

But - Breda, if you do decide on Rhododendrons, they need acid soil, so put ericaecious compost in pots.

I like the newish Photinia 'Pink Marble', which doesn't seem to mind some shade, and the leaves are beautiful. I'd also go for Skimmias, and if you get two plants, one male and one female, you get bright red berries! :-))

Camelias will be super in this situation if you have an acid soil. Can be large shrubs, wonderful flowers and bright, glossy leaves. Williamsii varieties are better than the Japonica as they drop their dead flowers while Japonicas keep theirs.

I am worried when you say 'very shady area'? Purple leafed Heuchera tolerate more direct sun, the amber and gold leafed ones prefer semi shade, the more yellow the leaf colour the more shade they will tolerate. Its my experience that in full sun or full shade, most will usually survive, but smaller and not look as good.

That's true, Denise. Heucherellas or Tiarellas would cope better in that situation - or Tolmeia.

Thank you all so very much. I will go to garden centre ( on Goy of course ) and look up all these varieties ) and then get cracking. Lol...

I have looked at the varieties suggested and, while they are all very desireable, they are all pot grown and what I really need are some suggestions for tall flowering shrubs. I want them to grow to about 6 feet and I would love some colour and a flowering period. I will, however get some Skimmia too as they would look great in the shade. Thanks again. Lol.

Tall flowering shrubs for deep shade is not an easy one. Have you thought about one of the mahonias? They have yellow scented flowers in winter. My "Charity" is in full flower right now, rather earlier than usual. If you decide on skimmias, they also prefer an acid soil and you might have to give them a dose of iron a couple of times a year if the leaves start to look a bit anaemic. I have to do this and my soil is just on the acid side of neutral. You might try pyracantha too - white flowers in late spring and lovely berries in autumn, and they withstand heavy pruning.

My Skimmias are fine in neutral soil - another case of 'plants can't read' do you think? lol.

You can get a variegated form of Viburnum tinus - I have it, and it's lovely. Be careful of Pittosporums - some are just not hardy enough to cope with severe weather. I lost two. :-((((

Thank you, Spritz, Meadowland, Stera,DRC, and all others who replied to my plea. You are all so wonderfully helpful.

And yes, Spritz, I have decided to have Viburnum. I actually had some of these many years ago but had forgotten about them, and I agree, they are lovely. Thanks again all...

:-))

I will stop the plants' reading lessons from now on Spritz, lol.

LOL. Talk to them instead, Stera! ;-)

OK - but not about pH!

I think we should be told what HRH says to his plants, don't you? ;-)

HRH probably reminds his plants of their Royal status so that they will redouble their efforts. Wouldn't you????

Errr....no. I pity them having to do what they're told or else! Mind you, I told a Hellebore off 2 years ago - it hadn't flowered after 3 years in, and lo and behold, it flowered in the spring! Lol. I must have scared it.

I wouldn't mind a team of gardeners to do the jobs I don't enjoy and can't do, Breda - like picking up 'every' fallen leaf. LOL.

not only for the leaves, but also for all the things I drop in the kitchen - drives me potty - and I'm going to look really mad in the spring, for what with shouting at the plants and telling them off and beating up the trunk of my ailing, so - called - cherry tree to encourage it to put on a spurt, my neighbours really will be making emergency phone calls, and gardening is going to become very noisy!!

P S> I WAS advised to treat the poor little tree in this way. I'm not just being a vandal; Honest;...

Let us know if it works then! I have never tried shouting at mine. However I did have two small white cranesbill which never flowered, though the pink ones were great all summer. Recently I gave one away, with the warning that it did nothing.Lo and behold, within a few weeks there were flowers on the other one!