The ground cover looks fine to me, the Lamium maculatum seems to be spreading well. I would move the Crocosmia, under a tree is probably not the right place for them. There are quite a few hardy geraniums that would be suitable instead, in pinks or blues.

An Epimedium would be nice too. There's and evergreen one which has lovely bronze mottled foliage in Spring and if my memory wasn't so bad I could tell you which one it is!
Funnily enough I have a few crocosmia in a very similar position,not sure why, and they seem to do OK. Surprising really. I agree with Landgirl about the others - what exactly disappointed you about them?

The tree roots are taking the goodness and moisture out of the soil.
If you plan to replant, dig lots of rotted manure/good compost into the ground, then put the new plants on top.
Better still put them in planters with their own nutritious soil. This will keep the tree roots moist and well fed.

Apart from the Lamium, its quite hard to tell what else is growing there, we're not close enough to see detail properly and the sunlight bleaches detail from the pic too, but whatever is there looks like its growing just fine, given the constraints of the tree roots nearby. You could try watering it more when the weather's dry in summer if you're not happy with the growth.

That picture was taken 2 summers ago, probably about July or August 2012. I'll take a picture at the weekend its just a bare patch at the moment and it does not seem to get going very well. Picture looks better than what it is

Does it get full sun at any part of the day and is there any humus in the soil? Diane's right, that position will need some good compost every year to make up for the trying conditions.

Instead of buying new plants I would give the ones already there a better chance. Spend money on Ericaceous compost to be on the safe side, as they may be lime hating plants, put them into large planters.
Stand these on the same ground, helps to conserve moisture underneath.
I have removed plants from my Clematis tubs, and done this to stop their roots taking the goodness from the
host plants.
Plants such as Cyclamen and Crocuses have shallow roots, growing underneath 50 year old trees are usually alright as the tree roots go much deeper.

Hi

No, it is quite shady in that area, does not get much sun at all.

PS , those plants to the left are Iris

I planted a few around the garden without much success. They either blow over or don't flower

I'll probably pull them out this year

Also, there was quite a bit of Geranium robertianum in this area so there was a constant competition for space. I think I have managed to get rid of most of it now

The longer, variegated leaved plant might be Pulmonaria - along with the Lamium, these are good plantings for damp shade (although Lamium tolerates dryness quite well too). I can't tell what the plant in sunlight at the front is though, nor the taller one behind the Lamium. Neither Pulmonaria nor Lamium are fussy about soil ph, so I wouldn't be adding ericaceous compost, although adding good, well rotted garden compost wouldn't be a bad idea, if you can get it into the soil (probably full of roots from the tree).

I have updated the pictures with what it looks like now. Some of the Lamium are starting to show, but I fear that most of them have gone. It will be thinner than last year

Yes, does look bad, doesn't it, now. Odd that the Lamium has disappeared so much - it often looks a bit straggly and shrunken in winter, but I wouldn't expect to see only a couple of stems.

If you can dig around in the area, and there's sufficient loose soil not filled with roots from the tree, consider planting Mahonia aquifolium - gets about 4 to 5 feet high and a little wider than that (if you let it), evergreen, produces yellow mimosa like clusters of flowers around now or later in March/April, depending on the weather. That should, eventually, fill that space - but only if the roots can spread out properly.

Strange you should say that, I had a large Mahonia aquifolium in that area before we remodeled the garden.

Something to consider

Thanks

John

Well, its a good old workhorse for difficult areas like this one, where little else will tolerate the conditions.

How about London Pride? I have some flourishing underneath a big mahonia and in full shade from that and the shed next to it.

London Pride? I live in London, and was brought up believing that Heuchera 'Coral Bells' was London Pride, but in other parts of the country, and on the internet, London Pride is actually Saxifraga urbium. They both grow in similar situations anyway, but I wondered which plant you meant, Steragram, just out of curiosity.

Its the saxifrage. Having known it all my life I'd never thought of it having another name! It used to be grown a lot in Sheffield where I grew up, in sad little front gardens with badly designed rockeries. I think the "rocks" were lumps of slag from the steelworks. Seems to stand any amount of neglect and always turns up trumps with its pretty little flowers. Its doing really well for me in that dark little corner.

Reading up on Saxifraga Urbium, it recommends a sunny spot for it. I may give it a try as there is a local supplier.

Does it spread ?

J

http://www.bluebellcottage.co.uk/plants/ERI100-Erigeron-karvinskianus-Fleabane

Also discovered this whilst looking for the Saxifraga

Yes, that Erigeron wants very good drainage and full sun if its to survive our winters, doesn't like the damp... and yes, Saxifraga urbium spreads like a mat, up to a metre, though it spreads more and does better in sun.

It probably would do better in sun but it manages here very well in constant shade. It began with one rosette about six years ago and the clump is now 2 feet across. I would also really recommend you look for one of the evergreen Epimediums. The leaves are lovely all year round and there are flowers in Spring as well. They do spread into nice clumps, more quickly than the saxifrage. One of the really pretty variegated pulmonarias would go well , and don't forget ferns, there's a big choice of sizes,deciduous and evergreen and a few of them don't mind dry soil - Polystichum setiferum is a good one for dry shade though it isn't evergreen. You could liven it up in summer with some foxgloves, and you'd probably get away with a hardy fuchsia if you improve the soil a bit. Add some little daffodils for spring and you're in business.

Sorry I didn't mean to do this twice and now its too late to delete the first one. I pressed Add Comment before I'd finished.

Saxifrages in general do like full sun, but this one is as tough as old boots and as I said is spreading slowly and happily underneath a large Mahonia charity in heavy shade.
That's why I suggested it because the site looks so similar to yours except that its quite a lot darker and gets no sun at all.
Not saying it wouldn't do even better in sun but that doesn't help you.I put a single rosette in around six years ago and the clump is now two feet across.

I would also recommend one of the evergreen epimediums, a pulmonaria with attractive variegated leaves and perhaps a fern - polystichum setiferum will grow in dry shade, unlike most ferns. Its not evergreen though. Add some little early daffodils, and then have some foxgloves for summer. You might also get away with a hardy fuchsia for later summer - Dollar Princess is a good doer - should be OK where you are if you plant the crown four inches below soil level and give it a mulch of something over the winter. You could put some primroses round the edge in autumn for some spring colour to go with the daffodils.

A little evergreen variegated shrub such as Euonymus fortunii would give you some winter cheer.

With these you would have year round colour and all you hav e to do really is to improve the ground somewhat and then just feed it every now and again.