Deep shade planting

I have an area of decking, probably about two feet wide, at the side of my pond. The shed casts a lot of shade on it, and a corner of the pond, for most of the day. So, I've been researching plants for deep shade. I haven't liked the pond edge since it was put in, because it's straight. I wanted a natural-looking pond, but my partner doesn't listen. 🤷

I‍ figured I would try to soften the edges with some planting, but with it being as shady as it is down the side, the reality is, it leaves few options. Add to this the fact there's very little planting room, the options dwindle further! 

If I can find something that's evergreen rather than deciduous, that's always my preference.

Plants in pots

I got a Clematis Montana Mayleen last year because I read it is suited to growing in a large pot and it will tolerate a lot of shade. The shed is covered in trellis, and the clematis is in a pot in the centre, with a Helleborus niger 'Christmas rose'. I bought some more of the same hellebores early this year, one of which went into a pot in front of the shed. 

I've recently added three more pots. Each has a hellebore seedling so they won't be empty in Winter. I've no idea how they'll turn out because It was just a packet of mixed seeds. They may well be sludge brown. 🤷‍️

I also bought four hardy ferns; Athyrium filix-femina 'The lady fern', Asplenium scolopendrium 'Hart's tongue fern', Polystichum polyblepharum 'Japanese lace fern', and Matteuccia struthiopteris 'Shuttlecock fern'. 

The lady fern and shuttlecock fern went into pots with a Hellebore seedling. The final pot and Hellebore seedling was joined by Epimedium × youngianum 'Niveum'. I'm looking forward to watching them grow!

Shady border plants

I wrangled the Harts tongue into a gap in the rocks around the pond, and put the Japanese lace fern into the border at the corner of the pond. I figured that because these are evergreen, they should soften the edges of the pond and stick around through the winter months. 

Three of the Christmas rose Hellebores, plus one Helleborus orientalis went into the shady part of the border. I also have Physalis Alkekengi "Chinese lantern", Bergenia 'fire and ice', snowdrops, Aquilegia, and a pond plant - marsh marigolds, that went in there simply because it's damp. I took them out of the pond when we remade it and didn't have anywhere to keep them. I figured I'd throw them in and see what happened, and they have flowered this year so I'm chuffed that the experiment worked! There's also another Clematis Montana and some foxgloves, another hart's tongue fern, shuttlecock fern, 2 Japanese painted ferns, and a Himalayan Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum venustum).

Wow, that's a lot!!

Another area of the border gets a little more sun. I've tried to place plants where they'll be the happiest. In this area, I've planted some Snowdrops, Fritillaria, Crocus, a Hosta, Cyclamen, Primula "Little Queen" and Liriope muscari. I adore the new white growth of the Liriope muscari, and am really excited to watch it change throughout the season and flower in Autumn! 

My next challenge is a shady trough, which I will link here when I've written about it!