This month is a great time to get planting perennials and last week I suggested some good varieties for sunny spots that are easy to look after and will provide lots of flowers over many months. However, most plots will have some shady spots or dappled shade, and this is where it is essential to choose plants that will enjoy and not struggle in these conditions.
Autumnal planting for perennials is recommended as the ground will be moist so there’s less chance of new planted material drying out. Nonetheless it’s important to keep new plants watered regularly while they establish.
I recently divided up some perennials and redistributed them in other areas. In the first week or so, the newly planted divisions looked very limp and unpromising. However, with some watering, they have perked up and are all set to go for next spring.
One of the plants I divided was Pachyphragma macrophylla and this is a very useful ground cover for shady areas. It’s an evergreen perennial with dainty sprays of white flowers in spring. It will grow in most soils and makes an excellent weed-suppressing carpet under trees and shrubs. It looks beautiful in a spring garden alongside hellebores, woodland anemone and daffodils.
Omphalodes is another of my go-to plants for shady spots. Also known as Navelwort, it creates a river of blue flowers, preferring moist but well-drained soil. In the same family as forget-me-nots, they are perhaps a brighter blue than their cousins. It’s well behaved, the clumps just gradually increasing. There’s a gorgeous cultivar called ‘Starry Eyes’ which has blue petals edged in white, giving the effect of blue stars.
Sometimes you need to examine a plant close up to appreciate its beauty. Astrantia is a shade-loving perennial which grows to one or two feet in height and comes in a wide variety of colours. It’s a good-value plant, flowering all summer long and will do well in full or partial shade where the soil is moist. Examine the flower more carefully and you will see lots of tightly packed pink florets arranged like a pincushion, backed by stiff cream bracts, a bit like a star burst or fireworks.
Thalictrum delavayi is an elegant tall choice for shady spots. It has very delicate, fern-like foliage with a blue-green hue and profusion of small lilac flowers. It has a lightness of touch, appearing to float through the borders. A herbaceous perennial, it is happiest in semi-shade in moist, humus rich soil.
The silvery foliage of pulmonarias will brighten up dark areas. In older times, the spotted leaves were thought to resemble diseased lungs, and so, in line with the practice of using plants that resembled the problem, they were used to treat chest infections, which is how they got their pulmonary name.
The spring flowers are reliable sources of early pollen and are generally blue, white or pink. ‘Blue Ensign’ has piercingly deep blue-violet flowers. Plant in rich soil that retains moisture and divide in autumn or after flowering in spring if required.
For those tricky dry and shady spots, Epimediums are a reliable choice — ideally they prefer some moisture but I find they can tough it out in dry shade. The pretty, heart-shaped evergreen foliage provides a thick ground cover suppressing weeds all year round. Depending on the variety, flowers are available in pink, orange, caramel and white as well as yellows, and juvenile foliage can be delicate bronze.
And don’t forget to keep planting spring bulbs — these are the perfect choice beneath deciduous trees as they take advantage of the foliage-free trees in spring and create a tapestry of blue, gold and white flowers.
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Plant of the week
Nerine bowdenii
Nerine bowdenii The bright sugar-pink flowers of nerine always turn my head at this time of year. This bulb sleeps its way through summer and explodes into colour in autumn. From south Africa, it’s not too fussy about soil but does like a sunny position — you will often see them growing happily at the base of a wall where it’s warm and dry. Once established, they will happily clump away and you shouldn’t disturb them. If you’re somewhere that gets very cold in winter, a little blanket of mulch to tuck them in for the cold season after flowering will be welcome.
Reader Q&A
I have ash trees on my property. They are dying slowly from ash dieback. I would hate to cut them down. Can I trim them back short term until they eventually die?
Ash dieback
You can trim ash trees affected by ash dieback to manage the risks of falling branches and to maintain the tree’s appearance in the short term. However, heavy pruning might not significantly slow the disease’s progression, as ash dieback typically affects the tree’s vascular system. It’s important to remove only dead or dying branches to reduce stress on the tree, but eventually, full tree removal may become necessary as the tree weakens further. Keep an eye on the health of the trees, especially near buildings or paths, as they can become hazardous as the disease progresses.
Submit your gardening questions to Diarmuid via his Instagram @diarmuidgavin using the hashtag #weekendgarden