Plants for Shady Spots

Display Table

Gill’s  Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation' is a classic yellow trumpet-type daffodil and one of the earliest blooming

 

Floating Hellebores plus 
Mary’s Aeonium which has  flowered again this year

Carol’s Daphne bholua forms an upright growing evergreen shrub with leathery mid-green oval leaves. 'Jaqueline Postill'  and viburnum Dawn

Jenny’s Daphne has lost her leaves and would welcome possible causes and solutions

Janella's S. Arnott snowdrops in a pot

Gill read from Christopher Lloyd’s book where he derides the plant passion that's become known as Galanthomania and says he likes snowdrops to be straight.  Andy Byfield wrote in an article that although Lloyd mused lovingly about some of the snowdrop varieties that flourished at Dixter, but I am also sure that it was he who coined the phrase Galanthobore, disdainful of those gardening folk who come out of hibernation around this time of year, and do nothing else other than eat, drink and sleep snowdrops until February draws to a close.

Discussion on plants for shady conditions

A couple of members brought Beth Chatto’s catalogues which gives recommendations and a list can be found here:

http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/plants-for-specific-conditions/shade-loving-plants.htm

Some other ideas given for dry shade were:

geranium nodosum	cyclamen	arum
pulmonaria	aquilegia	lunaria
choisya sundance	Brunnera Jack Frost	epimededium
euonymus	Stylophorum diphyllum	Trillium
Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lanterns'	euphorbia	luzula
bluebells	pachysandra	bergenia

Advice given in the RHS magazine Garden included improving the soil and irrigation.

Ideas put forward for damp shade included meconopsis, primulas, astrantia, persicaria, and gunnera (which Carol manages to grow in a pot). 

 Jenny uses ivies in her shady spots including Paddy's Pride (a non-climber whose colours change according to the amount of sunlight) and Melanie for dry shade

 Peter displayed his beautiful, handmade decoupage cards and posters

*** NEW initiative ***

It was suggested that illustrations of the plants being discussed would be beneficial and Graham proposed the following.  Members should send Graham (by note or email wheatleygraham@yahoo.co.uk ) the name or even a picture of the plant they wish to discuss at the 6^th March meeting “Greatest gardening disasters/Plants I wish I had never grown” before that date and preferably at the 20^th February meeting.  We will also try using mobile wifi to display plants on RHS Plantfinder.

No one can accuse Friday Forum of not having a go!

Next Meeting:  20^th February - a presentation on Bradford Parks by David Elcock