Shady characters
February 20, 2025
Shade is something every garden has, be it cast by the canopy of trees and large shrubs, the south side of a building or tucked under the side of a deck. Many gardeners struggle with the shady garden as the range of plants on offer to them have a limited suitability to a shaded garden. Thankfully things are changing with the recent introduction of many great woodland plants becoming available to a wider audience.
Here at Stoneman’s Garden Centre we have recently received some great new shade loving plants that will bring life and colour to any shady spots in your garden be they damp or dry.
Epimedium ‘Pink Champagne’
We have a fantastic range of Epimediums in stock in a range of flower colours and leaf patterns including Epimedium ‘After Midnight’ with new foliage boldly margined with a deep brown black bar acting as a perfect foil for the pure white flowers. The glowing bejewelled Epimedium ‘Amber Queen’ with pale copper new growth and as the name suggests golden amber flowers. Epimedium ‘Spring Wedding’ has delightful sprays of white flowers highlighted with just a touch of bridal pink. This teams beautifully with Epimedium ‘Pink Champagne’ with speckled new leaves and large sprays of champagne pink flowers. Epimedium’s are easy to grow in the garden with a minimal amount of fuss and they are also great in pots and we have a fantastic range in stock now with many others available.
Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’
If striking bold foliage is your thing come and check out our Podophyllum’s these relatives of the Epimedium (both belong to the family Berberidaceae) can have leaves the size of a dinner plate arranged as a pair on the leaf stalk with the flowers dangling below the foliage in the apex where the leaf stalk branches or just below one of the leaves. The exceptional Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’ has geometrically patterned foliage which remains in place all year round and seems to hold more intense colouration the heavier the shade. In late spring it produces its deep wine red flowers with long ribbon like petals. You may also like the glossy green foliage of Podophyllum pleianthum with glorious shiny foliage that performs extremely well in the dryer shade of mature trees and is complemented by deep burgundy goblet flowers with an almost crepe paper like edge.
Disporum cantoniense ‘Night Heron’
Disporum’s can add an almost bamboo like grace to the woodland with some additional poise added by the weeping heads of limey cream flowers in the spring.
Disporum longistylum ‘Green Giant’ will shoot up stems to 1.7m in the early spring that almost look like asparagus when they first emerge, then the foliage emerges and the side branching on the stems followed by the dainty flowers. Disporum cantoniense ‘Night Heron’ is a fabulous introduction from the Garden of the Legendary Dan Hinkley. Disporum ‘Night Heron’ is a little shorter in stature than Disporum ‘Green Giant’ at around 1.5m in height however the new stems emerge in the springtime with a deep purple staining acting as the perfect foil for the flowers.
Sarcococca confusa
Shrubs that perform in deep shade to an exceptional standard can be difficult to find however Sarcococca confusa or Sweet Box is a reliable choice. Sweet Box as its name suggests is a relative of English Box although there are few similarities apart from the fact that they both clip extremely well. Sarcococca has glossy deep green leaves and in the winter the plant is smothered in clusters of tiny white flowers with the most delicious scent I find reminiscent of Hyacinths with a Vanilla kicker mixed in. A small sprig of flowers brought into the house will flood your rooms with scent and the glossy black fruits from the previous seasons flowers add to the effect.
Ruscus hypoglossum
For a really dry shade garden it is hard to beat Ruscus or more commonly known as Butchers Broom.
Ruscus hypoglossum is one of those botanical curiosities as the plant has no true leaves but instead has flattened modified stems known as Phyllodes. When the Ruscus is in bloom the flowers appear to be sitting on the ‘Leaf’ however they are actually on the stem.
Ruscus once established will survive prolonged drought and is a real battler in a dry shaded garden and teams well with Clivea.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘Valentine’
If you have a moist shady garden then ferns are often an option however they can be integrated with some gorgeous flowering options to give the garden some pop.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis or Bleeding Heart is a wondrous choice with soft blue grey foliage and delightful heart shaped bright pink lockets with a drop of white bleeding from the base. Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘Valentine’ is a beautiful red flowered form.
Hosta’s team up beautifully with the Bleeding Hearts and offer a myriad of foliage patterns and colours with blue grey’s, chartreuse greens, lime greens, deep greens, creams and whites and endless combinations of them all. As a bonus Hosta’s produce long flowering stems in the Summer Garden and some varieties have some delightful scents
If you find your appetite has been whet to garden a little more in the shade, then please feel free to join me on Saturday the 24th of March 2018 at Stoneman's Garden Centre for a free workshop on Gardening in the Shade.
View Workshop details & register your interest here: https://www.facebook.com/events/416122462171144/
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