Ground Cover

[tearinghair]

I have a small area shaded on three sides (garage, fence, bamboos), slightly sloping and not very easy to get at for regular maintenance. Any suggestions, please, for low ground cover, preferably with a bit of colour?

[shoota]

Cotoneaster Horizontalis.

[shoota]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cotoneaster+horizontalis+image&tbm=isch&tbo=u&;source=univ&sa=X&ei=wfLAU-bVMcXmPPP8gbgO&ved=0CDMQ7Ak&;biw=1231&bih=540

[SlackAlice]

Bergenia
http://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-results?form-mode=false&;query=bergenia

Pulmonaria
http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/14153/Common-lungwort/Details

[woofgang]

periwinkle underplanted with bulbs. variegated ivy underplanted with bulbs if you can stand the vigour of it. Hostas if you don't have a slug/snail problem,
here's a good list, although the actual nursery is a bit expensive.
http://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/category.cfm?cat_id=83

[tearinghair]

Many thanks for the rapid response and great suggestions. I'm hoping to keep the area fairly low-growing, as the bamboos on the one side are already tall and require a lot of work to keep them at a reasonable level.There is also some ivy coming through from next door, so that's there already. I'll investigate the lists further and see what would complement everything best.

[Peaspeculiars]

Alchemilla Mollis is an easy low grower - looks after itself and spreads along at about calf height with a nice neutral green colour to go with the bamboo :o)

[naomi24]

'Alchemilla Mollis'. Does that grow fairly quickly, Peaspeculiars?

[woofgang]

not in my garden naomi, for some reason I can't keep it.

[naomi24]

I have an area separate from the rest of the garden about 30ft long x 8ft wide lined by lilac trees which have just been cut back leaving the ground beneath them looking pretty messy - ivy and all sorts of bits and pieces. I'm thinking that might do for there. There's not really anywhere else it could invade apart from an area of lawn - and that's mowed regularly. What do you think? (Tearinghair, hope you don't mind me jumping in here for some similar advice).

[ladybirder]

Use this fab website. Put in plants for shady/sunny/dry/wet whatever areas, N/E/S/W facing and get a list of plants suitable for that area.
http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.plants-for-shady-area/sort.0/

[Chipchopper]

A good ground cover plant that needs little maintenance I find, is Symphytum ibericum which is a type of low, creeping comfrey. It does not set seed but instead spreads by creeping runners/stems.
Like Bergenia (suggested by Slack Alice) you just plant it and virtually forget it.

[tearinghair]

Thanks for additional answers. Can see I'll have to spend lots of time checking out various websites, but it'll certainly be worth it. Naomi 24, please feel free to join in the query any time!

[Clanad]

Not all hostas are subject to the nibblings of the snails and slugs… any of the thick leaved variegated types do well here in the U.S. I've seen lungwort already mentioned and it's an attractive shade plant that does well. Additionally, Variegatum sets of nicely with its varying shades of green and whites.

[woofgang]

Clanad you must have choosier gastropods than us. Planting any hostas in my garden is like ringing a dinner bell. The only places I know that the do well in the UK are places where the soil is very acid. I have got friends with an acid soil garden and their hostas make me green with envy

[woofgang]

PS mine don't get nibbled, they get eaten off to the ground

[shaneystar2]

Hardy Geraniums are nice .They require very little attention ,just lots of water in the summer. Lowish growing and bushy ,they soon spread .Cut them down in the autumn and up they come again in spring and flower right through the summer .They don't mind being in the shade either and come in various colours .

[naomi24]

Thanks tearinghair.

Shaney, that sounds good.

[iggymiggy]

plant oxalis bulbs