Giving height to damp, shady border!

jovie

Hi All,

We have a narrow border on one side of our garden along a fence, it doesn't get any sun at all and is very damp. We have had success with hostas, ferns, bleeding heart, bergenias, heuchera and hellebores. We also have a honeysuckle which seems to be doing ok. However I want to introduce more structure and height, there are vast swathes of fence on show at the moment. Does anyone have any idea of any tall, damp shade loving plants? The wind tends to whip round our garden too so will need to be pretty tolerant!

Thank you!

Kyrae

Hiya, I have a similar area here, and I added a bit of height with some Pyracanthas, and I found Meadowsweet and Elecampane have grown well, though they die off over the winter so only good for summer wall cover!

I_have_spoken

Sounds like the 'problem corner' along the back fence of my garden which only gets a wink of sun at dawn and is sopping wet.

So far, I've found cornus (dogwood) do well and you get the winter colour of the stems.

Corkscrew willow is good too, I under-light the plant with some solar-power lamps so even when the stems are bare you get the structure lit-up.

Spotted laurel, yes it's the plant on every roundabout but is indestructible and the variegated foliage helps in a dark area.

Golden Irish Yew, not a 'instant' plant unless you pay £££s for large plant but gives a column of evergreen foliage.

I've previously planted mahonia x ‘Media Charity’ in shade, but dry shade.

On the fence itself, Climbing Hydrangea although it loses its leaves.

You have to control its root spread, the bamboo Sasa palmata is very vigorous even in shade.

I've just picked up some tall perennials which I intent to plant in damp shade -

Selinum Carvifolium, a form of cow parsley
Angelica archangelica, supposedly can get to 2m!
Peucedanum verticillare, giant fennel
Aconitum carmichaelii 'Arendsii'

I have sworn I'll never, ever give in and just plant ivy against the fence!

jovie

Thank you both for your answers, I'll get Googling :-)

I_have_spoken

I was looking at shrubs in damp shade at my local NT garden, they had -

Aronia melanocarpa, the Black chokeberry
Euonymus europaeus 'Red Cascade'
Viburnum sargentii 'Onondaga'

Probably not available at B&Q

jovie

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Spotted laurel, yes it's the plant on every roundabout but is indestructible and the variegated foliage helps in a dark area.

Ooh we actually already have a Spotted Laurel, I don't like it but inherited it with the husband!! Might see if we can move that and then get something we actually like for the back border that gets sun! :T