What should I plant?
Lanarkshire,
United Kingdom 
Hi everyone
I have a long narrow (about 4' x 30') stretch of lawn at the side of my house. it is fenced on the far side (separating me from my neighbours garden) and my pathway runs along he other side. It is very shaded as, on the other side of the fence, there are trees (which I am slowly managing to get cut down) At one end I have my blue and black bins and at the other end is the start of my vegetable patch. I dont want to plant flowers as I have plenty in the front garden. My soil is very clay with little drainage. Does anyone have any ideas. Im not able to spend much money as I'm a stay at home Single mum.
30 Aug, 2008
Answers
astilbie ferns and arum lily would also tollerate shady clay.
30 Aug, 2008
How about Acer? they don't mind a bit of shade and they would proberly be happy next to a fence as they would get some protection from wind. you could also try hosta, they do flower but are mainly grown for there beautiful leaves.
31 Aug, 2008
You could try ferns. Take a frond from one that has brown patches on the underneath, the spores are in the brown bits. Put stones on top or peg with wire hoops. Eventually you'll get lots of free ferns to move around and fill up the space. The Euonymus mentioned above is easy from cuttings (from someone else's bush!) or buy the tiny pots of Euonymus and Skimmia that some nurseries sell for winter troughs etc. They will soon grow. Go to charity plant sales in spring and buy primroses and old cottage favourites like Aquelegia or Alchemilla (that grows anywhere).
5 Sep, 2008
Previous question
Euonymus fortunei varieties like 'Silver Queen' or 'Emerald 'n' Gold' will tolerate shade. They are variegated and evergreen so they'd give you some colour all year round. I hope they'd grow all right in your clay - can't be certain though, unless you can improve the drainage a bit!
30 Aug, 2008