bad area

Hi San ~
Can't quite tell from the photo, but try not to leave any soil actually piled up against wooden fencing or it will rot the panels quite quickly...

I guess hardy geraniums could be in one corner of the area. I'm sure members will have lots of ideas for you..

You've worked hard on this, but it will be worth the effort when you see it planted up... :o)

its ok TT, it isnt actually against the fence also the fence has concrete base,,but geraniums would be good as i like them thanx for that ,x

Ferns and hostas will look great there Sanbaz, They love the shade and you can get some really bright leaf one's, i will post a pic up of whats growing in the shade in my garden, (underplanting).. 2 mins :)

great Dee, thankyou, will take a look when pic comes up,:o))

hi Sanbaz if you look at the plants i grow you will see many are growing under the shade of a beech tree and beech hedge. most of my plants are shady ladies.

thankyou sea.... i will sure take a look and thanks , everyone is being great, so helpfull :o)

you have a lovely selection of plants and flowers Sea... and some good ideas for shady spots thankyou so much,, sandra

Hello Sandra, looks like you've been a busy girl again :)
You could consider: fox gloves, lady's mantle, solomon's seal, euphorbias, elephant ears and Tellima grandiflora. x

Nowyou have another problem Sandra, What plants to choose :)

Well Sanbaz I m going to throw a spanner in the works and suggest you lose the tree .I m surrounded by monster sycamores many of which have self seeded and been left unchecked for years.

If the tree is manageable now Id recommend removal because they grow huge drop tons of leaves and seed pods - beautiful in parks with acres of ground but not in small gardens .

It will shade your deck all summer and you ll be clearing up after it through the winter.Your plants will be buried by leaf fall. Not pleasant to clear up if wet for long periods .

If you dont want the problem of removing the stump although this would be ideal , you could create a seat across the stumps.

thanx for that BB, and i do agree about the tree being to big , it hs seeded from next door by all accounts,we cut quite a big chunk of it off this year but i know it wont take long to grow again, so will think about this one,,

thanx dawn didnt realise there was so much choice, im over welmed,,
yes your right dee, lots to think about here lol

I know what you mean BB, I had the same problems with the tree in my front garden and im happy its gone now, Looking forward to not sweeping leaves up this year, not to mention the mess the berrie's made on the car, (im convinced they were acid bombs :) .. Maybe live with it this year Sandra and see how much mess you have to clear up on your decking etc and make it your new project for next year, you see we have to have a new project every year to keep the garden alive..Also thats a good idea of BBs, leave a stump and turn it into a seat, because the roots would probably go under your decking anyway..

In agreement with Bb I,m afraid,I help look after my parents garden and its overshadowed by a massive sycamore which is on their boundary but not owned by them,its an absolute nightmare removing all the little ones that sprout up,its a thing of beauty in the right place but can ruin an ordinary sized garden.Sorry.

Sorry Sanbaz I am with Lincslass, Sycamore is a nightmare, and if it was me it would have to go, I see BB says the same, esp Sycamore....bite the bullet girl!!!

thanx lincs.. and dotty.. you are all right i know and been talking to hubby and think we are going to cut it right down and convert into a bird feeding platform,, the neibours still have a sycamore but if ours is down its less to clear up after, so still going to plant around it, :o)
and thanx dee, nearly missed you then, not big enough for a seat , but i think bird table of some kind will be good,

Hi Sanbaz...nice to meet you... I noticed in one picture a wooden deck with a Japanese Maple in a planter???...if so perhaps you would consider what I have done under a maple...and keeping with the oriental idea...this should be quite easy to establish and you can add interest with a few well chosen stones and a torii or something like that...how about Irish Moss? it is an excellent ground cover, will tolerate less light (Scottish Moss...is a lime green colour and is even better with less light than the darker green Irish Moss) It is shallow rooting and will not compete large scale for the moisture that the Sycamore will suck up...and it is sooo easy to keep! I have a pic of it but don't remember which page of pics it.s on... Just a suggestion...I interplanted clumping Blue Fescue for fountains of blue among the yellow green! Don't know if this would appeal to you...but it has worked for me...
Happy Gardening!!

thankyou lori any suggestions have been gratefully recieved, i have just returned from the nursery and got a few plants to start me off, but i will look at your plants because it gives me ideas for future planting, i will have to get some more, thanx again :o)

Have to agree with BB there is one of those trees a few gardens up from me & the seed pods land all over the place they even land up in my hanging baskets.

Sorry Sanbaz...if you are shopping ask for Sagina subulata...it looks like grass...grows very close to the ground...like a carpet...it's excellent coverage as a ground cover... not as hard to maintain as true mosses...and will tolerate some dryness. looks wonderful with blue fescue, rocks and pottery or wood...

thanx claice and lori, everyone has been great :o))

Heuchera are good in shade and come in so many wonderful colours these days. Astillbe are also very nice in the shade. Japanese painted fern or Cardinal flower (LOBELIA cardinalis) are also nice.

cheers gilli, i did get a lobelia,, dark reddish leaves, but its good to get other names, im writing them all down to lol

Ha ha ha....Sanbaz, you are just like me.....I'm learning as I go along. Over here, not many people use the latin names. Everything is known by it's common name. Being on GoY has resulted in me Googling latin quite frequently. :oD

still not sure the names will sink in gilli,, by the next day they are gone lol

I thiink we'll have to start reciting them before bed every night San. That way the subconcious mind will mull them over all night!!! LOL

then baz will think ive lost the plot he he he

Yeah!! So would Murray.....I'd never hear the end of it. LOL

lol gilli,,easier to keep the tags and notes i think :o))

I saw a pic in a book last week...and I thought of your predicament because it was a photo of a Japanese garden corner...you already have the pea gravel...it was moss clumps interspersed with the fine pea gravel! will have to look up the book...perhaps I can scan the pic for you.

thanx lori,, its still a bit sparse but cant think what other plants to put there,

I bet that would look lovely Lori.