Shady/Damp gardens
Local Plants for Local Gardens
Shady/Damp
Produced in Association with AFDS
A little time and research in choosing the right plants for your garden can prevent frustration and failure .
For the best results you need three things
- Quality plants locally grown ;
- A well prepared site;
- Weed control to prevent competition and allow establishment.
The three main factors controlling growth of a plant and consequently its selection are
- Soil;
- Situation;
- Hardiness.
Soil
These come in many variations but if you have one which is either light or heavy, acid or alkaline (limy) extra care needs to be taken over the choice of plants. A heavy soil will feel really sticky and damp, a sandy soil will feel gritty and will drain quickly. You can easily find out whether your soil is acid or alkaline using a test kit from your local garden centre or by observing hydrangeas in your area - they will be pink if the soil is limy, blue if it is acid and purple in neutral soil.
Situation
Whether exposed, sheltered, shady or sunny a plant in the wrong situation will not thrive. It may either not grow or grow long lank stems, fail to flower, fade or lose variegations.
Hardiness
We have a mild climate in Ireland as a result of the Gulf Stream but inland areas can suffer from frost and the most tender plants are not recommended inland especially those susceptible to spring frosts such as Pieris.
Not only do plants grow best when they are given the right conditions but they also look their best.
Most plants are now sold with informative labels – always read these as they are a good source of information.
The following plants are all grown locally and recommended by growers as hardy and suitable for shady and damp areas:
Trees
- Sorbus aucoparia ‘Dirkenii’
- Sorbus aria ‘Chrysophylla’
- Betula pendula
- Betula papyrifera
- Salix viminalis-
Shade shrubs
- Aucuba japonica Variegata
- Bergenia cordifolia Purpurea
- Camellia ‘Debbie’
- Camellia ‘Donation’
- Elaeagnus pungens aurea
- Choisya ternata
- Cornus canadensis
- Euonymus ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’
- Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’
- Ilex aquifolium
- Leucothoe scarletta
- Lonicera nitida ‘Baggeson’s Gold’
- Lonicera pileata
- Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Gulftide’
- Pachysandra terminalis
- Prunus laurocerasus ‘Otto Luyken’
- Prunus laurocerasus ‘Zabeliana’
- Skimmia Foremanii
- Viburnum davidii
Herbaceous
- Anemone sylvestris
- Aquilegia vul. ‘Nora Barlow’
- Aquilegia vul. ‘NB Burgundy’
- Aquilegia ‘Woodside’
- Aquilegia ‘White Angel’
- Aquilegia ‘William Guinness’
- Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’
- Astilbe x arendsii ‘Snowdrift’
- Astilbe chinensis pumila
- Astilbe japonica ‘Deutschand’
- Astilbe japonica ‘Rheinland’
- Astilbe japonica ‘Venus’
- Astilbe simp ‘Sprite’
- Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’
- Dicentra formosa ‘Alba’
- Dodecatheon meadia
- Doronicum cauc. ‘Magnificum’
- Helleborus argutifolius
- Helleborus orientalis
- Hosta ‘Aurea Marginata’
- Hosta ‘Gold Standard’
- Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’
- Hosta sieb. ‘Elegans’
- Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’
- Houttuynia cord. ‘Chameleon’
- Kirengoshima palmatum
- Primula japonica
- Primula viallii
- Tolmiea ‘Taff’s Gold’
- Trycytris hirta ‘Mayazaki’
- Trollius ‘Golden Globe’
- Hardy geraniums
- Lamium ‘Chequers’
- Vinca minor ‘Variegata’
- Vinca minor ‘Alba Variegata’
Climbers
- Chaenomeles ‘Knaphill Scarlet’
- Chaenomeles ‘Nicolene’
This small selection of plants are all grown in Northern Ireland by professional growers and are available from good garden centres.
Local growers growing for you
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