Border advice needed for a small, shady cottage garden

[Shorty]

Hello!
I’m wondering if anyone can help with some suggestions re shrubs to plant the borders of our shady garden?

We recently got the back garden in our cottage turfed so there is more space for our young son to play. Some of the plants haven’t survived the move as they were only planted last year.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
(Our garden is north easterly facing.)

We plan to make it look nice and pretty in the long term with a trellis, pergola, garden room etc. but whilst our son is young and with pressures of working/childcare, we’re looking for low maintenance plants.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Logan]

If you want it for your son i wouldn't bother much about plants. As you say you haven't got much time for it.

 

[Shorty]

I would like to plant something though!

 

[Logan]

You don't say where you live on your profile.
Could you do a close up pic of the borders and do you want to keep them that narrow?

 

[Tetters]

What a pretty little garden Shorty. Your borders look fairly full to me, but if you're adding something, maybe Hydrangeas would fit the bill for now. They're happy with shade, but like plenty of water. Hardy Fuchsias would also be happy there. For a bit more colour, you could maybe find some hardy geraniums. They look after themselves, and will spread well and cover the ground, maybe keeping a few more weeds out. I think I'd have to make those borders a few inches wider to cram a bit more in, but there's always the possibility of an island bed somewhere.

 

[Shorty]

You don't say where you live on your profile.
Could you do a close up pic of the borders and do you want to keep them that narrow?

Thank you, I’ll post some picture of the borders now. We would like to keep them narrows
for now.
We had some shrubs planted last year but some we had to move back when we got the lawn returfed and they didn’t like being moved.

Thanks for your help.

We live in Surrey.

 

[Shorty]

You don't say where you live on your profile.
Could you do a close up pic of the borders and do you want to keep them that narrow?

Thank you for your help. I really am a novice gardener!

 

[Shorty]

What a pretty little garden Shorty. Your borders look fairly full to me, but if you're adding something, maybe Hydrangeas would fit the bill for now. They're happy with shade, but like plenty of water. Hardy Fuchsias would also be happy there. For a bit more colour, you could maybe find some hardy geraniums. They look after themselves, and will spread well and cover the ground, maybe keeping a few more weeds out. I think I'd have to make those borders a few inches wider to cram a bit more in, but there's always the possibility of an island bed somewhere.

Thank you so much for the advice. The border were much wider but we’ve neglected the lawn over the five years we’ve lived here and we ended up with just a tiny patch of grass we could use because of all the weeds.
We’ll definitely widen it in the future but just need some space for my little boy to run around in.
I’ve attached a before shot just because!

 

[Tetters]

Well @Shorty you have certainly given your little boy some space. Maybe you could put a small bench along one of the hedges and give him a few pots and a pile of soil and let him plant some seeds to watch. That may teach him about growing stuff. Something edible maybe - like a tomato plant or two. A runner bean seed would be a good idea, then he can grow some dinner up the fence!

 

[Shorty]

Well @Shorty you have certainly given your little boy some space. Maybe you could put a small bench along one of the hedges and give him a few pots and a pile of soil and let him plant some seeds to watch. That may teach him about growing stuff. Something edible maybe - like a tomato plant or two. A runner bean seed would be a good idea, then he can grow some dinner up the fence!

Thank you for the great suggestions. I love the idea of him growing his own dinner! I have plenty to keep me going.

Many thanks again.