[guajolote]

i just dug up some ugly holly bushes next to my garage and have some more space in my garden. most of this space is near or under a 40 ft. pine tree.

any ideas what would thrive here?

I'm thinking about:
hostas
rhodendendrums
buy a trellis and plant clematis
astilbe

I live in zone 5b (-10 to -15 F)

[Rail Paul]

Well-Sweep Farm has a extensive selection of plants which thrive in woodland, or shady conditions. Many of them are flowering plants, such as Lily of the Valley, Wintergreen, and several Brunnera. There's a summary at the back of the catalog, which you can view online.

Depending on how close the pine tree is, you might want to consider a raised bed for your plantings. This will allow you to tweak soil pH, etc more easily



Well Sweep Farm

[Melonious Thunk]

Astilbe is a wonderful shade plant and comes in early mid and late season bloomers and in a range of colors. You might interplant these with foxgloves. The delicacy of the astilbe sprays with the pastel bells of foxglove would make a nice combination. Lilly of the valley are more for front of garden ground cover, They'd get lost amid taller plants. Clematis needs a lot of sun. There is a variety of hydrangea that thrives in shade. It is a vine that wil cover a rock or low trellis.

[clb]

Melonious Thunk, on May 1 2004, 01:48 AM, said:

There is a variety of hydrangea that thrives in shade.  It is a vine that wil cover a rock or low trellis.

There's also a hydrangea relative (I think) called Schizophragma hydrangeoides which I have growing up our house wall in conditions of total sunlessness. Good leaves, red stems, long-lasting white hydrangea-like flowers which apparently last longer than those of the climbing hydrangea itself. Another advantage is that it's self-clinging, so no need for trellis.

But you'd need to check the frost-hardiness: I think London's in the equivalent to US zone 8.

clb

[Robert Schonfeld]

There are many possibilities. If some of the space is against the garage wall, you might consider cherry laurel.

Lily of the Valley makes an excellent groundcover beneath pines. It's nice together with Solomon's Seal. I like the variegated variety. Hostas would go well with this combination.

Astilbe is more of a border plant.

Here is one good nursery that carries native shade perennials: Toadshade Farm