East / N.e. Facing Patio Garden

RGN

Hi

I have a small East / North East facing patio garden in Kingston, Surrey with a " U " shape of 2ft deep beds ( of about 8-10 ft each run to the North, East and South) with a clay soil. We only get sun to the North bed and partial sun to the East bed in the morning only.

I basically would welcome any advice as to what flowers, shrubs, plants and small blossom/fruit trees I can grow under these conditions to have flowers/colour throughout the year and as much fragrance as possible. I would also like to encourage butterflies and birds.

Your own personal/practical experience of growing plants in East and North facing gardens and recommendations would be invaluable.

Many thanks

RGN:think:

RGN

HI

Just making request clearer !!

Thanks

RGN

karagm

Hmmmm....clay soil and shady.....not ideal, but there are plenty of things you can try. My front garden has the same aspect as yours.
Firstly for the shady area: try cordylines, phormiums, Box (buxus) Euonymous & cotoneaster. These are all hardy evergreen shrubs and should be fine in your soil. Camelia, Rhadedendron and Azalia all evergreen and have beautiful flowers, but will only grow in certain soils, you will have to do a ph test. A winter jasmin makes for a nice climber on a shady wall or ivy, which will grow anywhere.
For partial sun: I have a weeping cherry which gets the morning sun and blossoms beautifully. Actually so long as it gets some son, you can try most things, just remember to plant anything into a big hole of good quality compost and well rotted manure to give it a good start against the clay.
Through the spring and summer plant bedding flowers in between your shrubs and at the front of your borders for a shock of colour and to bring in the insects. Cosmos & osteospermum are my favourites.
Sorry, I could go on, but I'll be here all day.

RGN

Karagm

Thanks for taking the time and for your kind advice, which is highly appreciated.

Is the winter jasmine you recommended, fragrant ?

Also does the weeping cherry tree produce fruit you can eat?

I've always wanted to grow a mulberry tree so may try that in a pot and possibly some lavender in the beds.

Karagm - your a diamond, thanks.

RGN :T

absfabs

Don't know re winter jasmine and weeping cherry, but if you want fruit, RGN, morello cherry tree will do well in the shade. Not very sweet cherries -the advantage is that birds tend to leave them for you - but lovely when cooked.

In narrow clay bed, make sure to add lots of compost as suggested above, and chose a tree with a dwarf type rootstock, so you know it grows not too big! You can fan train against the wall/fence.

For flowering easy to grow shady plants, there are begonias and busy lizzies (annuals), they always work.

"Bleeding hearts" is a lovely perennial plant, really graceful and flower early in the year.

For scent, you could try nicotinias or stocks ( no personal experience with the later, got a seed tray on the go at present, packet says okay in partial shade).

absfabs

RGN wrote: »

Karagm


I've always wanted to grow a mulberry tree so may try that in a pot and possibly some lavender in the beds.

RGN :T

Lavender is a sun-worshipper, I'm afraid. Still you can try, I would put it in a pot, though, then you can help it along by pushing it onto sunny patio when convenient.

Just out of curiosity, what's the attraction of a mulberry tree? Other than for silk-worms?

Fern_Merkin

I recommend a Fatsia (fake castor oil plant). They are very undemanding about sun so your shadiest place could suit it well. Mine grows north facing with high walls round 3 sides so no direct sun at all and is 6ft tall in a pot. Very exotic looking with large oddshaped cream flowers in Oct/Nov.

This thread may also help
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=761755&highlight=north+yard

RGN

Thanks - absfabs
Thanks - Fern Merkin

Really appreciate your recommendations !

Re: Morello Cherry - wonder if more fruity/eatable cherry tree might be available ?

Want Mulberry tree - I gorged on mulberries/loganberries as a child - one of those deep down desires I guess !!

Take your point about compost/manure /dwarf root stock.

Like the ideas for annuals/perennials/scented plants and the Fatsia.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

RGN:j