Novice gardener. North facing shady planting.

[EmmaS078]

Hello

We live near the sea but have a north facing garden. I'm not a great gardener and have failed with my planting. I have dug out a section that gets little sun. We look out at this area so we would love to give it some seaside themed planting or something colourful but not too formal. I was told Hostas and ferns area good start but other than that I'm at a loss of other types of plants that will do well here. I think the soil is a bit clay heavy.

 

[Logan]

Hello and welcome to GF
You didn't say if it was dry or wet but here's a video with plants for a shady area

 

[EmmaS078]

Ah it is pretty wet and the grass we had there before went all moss covered.

 

[EmmaS078]

That's a great video thank you

 

[Tetters]

Welcome to the forum @EmmaS078
The problem with clay is that it is too wet when it rains, and too dry when it doesn`t rain.
If I were you I`d dig a nice lot of grit or sharp sand in there before you plant it up, for drainage. Lots of good climbers enjoy shade. Try Hydrangea petiolaris (climber with white flowers) Clematis likes it`s roots in the shade and will grow up like crazy to find the sunshine. Several climbing and rambling roses are also happy in the shade. Self clinging Parthenocissus gives lots of autumn colour - the variety ''henryi, or henryana'' is nice with silver veins.
My own back garden also faces north, and it is a bonus during very hot summers.
The shrub Tamarix

is very popular in seaside gardens. Roses seem to enjoy being in clay soil.

 

[Logan]

You can also put a lot of organic matter in for clay soil.

 

[Sheal]

Welcome to the forum Emma.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Have a look at Mahonia. There are a few, mine was a nice evergreen shrub with yellow flowers, but the real plus was it flowered from November on when everything else was finishing. Well, I say everything, another thing you might look at is hellebore, or Christmas rose also flowers in winter as the common name implies and comes in a variety of colours.

Pieris has good brightly coloured shoots in the spring, I usred to grow bluebells under it which came about the same time and contrasted nicely.

 

[zigs]

Welcome to the forum

 

[DirtMechanic]

Welcome! We have luck with Iron Leaf, Acuba and Fatsia Japonica, Camillia, Hellebore, Tea Olive, Maohinia, Winter Daphne, Ivy and Really, Really, Tall trees.

 

[Woollie]

Our previous home in the UK was claypot type Clay soil and had 14 years of learning to live with that and also the whole land was sloped.
So dig only in the winter months as the other seasons the soil was rock hard and cracked up..Here is what we ended up with in the front
Garden. That was the hardest part of moving away...

 

[Logan]

That's really nice @Woollie

 

[Woollie]

Cannot take away your memories....@Logan ..

 

[Marck]

Hopefully the new owners will be bold & daring and keep your Monkey-puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana).