plants in damp and shady areas

[buggerlugges]

We have an area of the garden where the sun don't shine! The grass has died and every plant seems to keel over as well. Anyone got any ideas for plants that like damp, shady conditions against a wall? Thanks!!

[thekraut]

i'm not sure about damp, but ivy is definitely the plant for shady walls. the only difficulty is to keep it down once it's got a certain size

[woofgang]

how damp? gunnera manicata is fun (spikey leaves as big as an umbrella...honestly) but it is really a bog plant..lungwort has pretty blue and pink flowers and spotted hairy leaves, ferns, especially the hart's tongue, violets, astilbes are damp shade lovers. Think by the side of a stream in a wood and you won't go far wrong...forgot rodgersia which has snob value, leaves a bit like a scotch thistle without the spines and a scented flower, also hostas if your soil is acid, otherwise you are just setting out a buffet for the slugs and snails

[woofgang]

try googling "plants for damp shade" too!

[Robinia]

If you have room for a large shrub try eleagnus ebbingei. (I have one doing very well in the same conditions). It's evergreen has lovely grey/green foliage & tiny flowers in winter which smell lovely! Pieris is another good one too, lots or varieties, & then you could underplant with any of the plants that woofgang has mentioned. Try & go to a smaller nursery where you can get some personal attention rather than just taking pot luck! (That wasn't an intentional pun - honest!)

[apricot]

You could try erythronium, epimedium, violets, primroses, hellebores, even euphorbias are happy in my woodland garden

[woofgang]

that's useful, noddy, I have an eleagnus ebbengei still in its pot and was tossing up where to plant it. How damp is your damp spot?