The Woodland Setting
This part of the garden was reclaimed two years ago when we built a meandering woodland path through a shady nettle patch beneath some sycamores and a tall larch. Some multi-stemmed hazels were retained whilst some twisted neglected hedging was removed.
Wild garlic had spread everywhere but selected clearance provided opportunities to add some lovely shade loving perennials. Many of the choices were inspired by reading Beth Chatto’s Woodland Garden book, which lists great plants for a shady environment. Best of all the book is organised seasonally to help the reader produce year-round interest.
Here are some of the combinations that I feel are working well.
Tiarella and Wild Garlic
This combination is as frothy as a cappucino. Wild garlic is everywhere in this woodland area and whilst I dug lots out here, I left a bit behind to see how it would look with this Tiarella cordifolia. I’m very happy with it.
Hosta and Ferns
Lush green combined with lush green – a traditional pairing that can’t go wrong. These hostas are the offspring of an original plant that I bought ten years ago. Grown on and split a few times little clumps add emerald splashes. I think the variety is called ‘Purple Heart’ and it has burgundy stems.
In the background are Shuttlecock Ferns – matteuchia struthiopteris which are lovely at any time of year but especially in spring when they first emerge from the soil. I may be imagining it but I think there are more of these dotted about than I remember planting. I believe they may be spreading.
Geranium phaeum and pulmonaria
The geraniums were last year’s purchase, the pulmonaria plants a gift from a friend but they look lovely jostled together with yet more wild garlic in the background.
I love the deep purple geranium phaeum. The purple is a bit drowned out by the busy planting in this area but rewards you on closer inspection with these delicate flowers. 
Meanwhile the pulmonaria are of unknown name. A quick internet search revealed it is probably pulmonaria rubra. The bees love it.
Soloman’s Seal and Corydalis
I planted lots of Soloman’s Seal, polygonatum x hybridum, last year and they add stylish arches all around this woodland bed. Because they are green and pale cream, they can take a while for the eye to pick them out. Yet in this little section a lovely bushy backdrop is provided by this corydalis temulifolia ‘Chocolate Stars’ – another gift from a friend. The bronzed foliage of the corydalis is pretty, as are the mauve flowers.
Wild Garlic and Pink Cow Parsley
The Pink Cow Parsley – Pimpinella rosea has fern-like flowers and frothy pink flowers. It looks very pretty next to the wild garlic but I would like it to be just a bit taller. It’s only in its second year so maybe by next year it will have strengthened a bit to compete with its allium neighbour.
This seasonal diary is part of a weekly link-up of garden bloggers from around the world, called Six on Saturday. For more information and links to other blogs crammed with gardening activity, check the blog of host The Propagator.
I love the Pink Cow Parsley and wild garlic combination. I got all panicky with a wild garlic I planted years ago and dug it up as well as the seedlings that had started to come up. I sort of regretted it but I spotted one solitary leaf and flower this morning in the shady bed. I think I’m going to leave it after reading this and let it spread a bit.
Hi Graeme, it does get about. I’m lucky that it’s OK for me to let it spread in this area because it suits the vibe down there. It is so very pretty so if you can cope with a little bit getting away from you then go for it!
My favourite : The mix geranium phaeum & pulmonaria ! A second one indeed, hosta &ferns 😍
Thanks Fred, I’m very pleased with the pulmonaria this year, as are the bees!
I must look out for pink cow parsley
It’s a winner – so far not as robust for me as the bog standard kind but a very pretty shape and colour.
Your woodland plantings are a success. I appreciate your focus on plant combinations in shady areas, which many gardeners find uninspiring, but are in fact full of potential. Your use of stumps in this area works well. Some of the roots are quite eloquent, and they help to shape the space.
Thanks Erin, most of the stumps are just normal rounds from a felled tree but some are more interesting ones, including the one near the tiarella which my husband spent a whole day digging out carefully from the ground where my rockery now is. It really adds to the atmosphere down there.
Some really nice woodland planting there, love the Tiarella with the wild garlic. Soloman’s Seal is very elegant, nice with the drooping flowers of the Corydalis. I have lots of Shuttlecock ferns, and they multiply like mad – I’m always digging them up and giving to friends. I agree they look lovely at this time of year – I featured my rather congested clump on this week’s SOS post.
Hi Sel – I’ll pop on over to your blog and take a look at your congested clump. I was worried the soil here wouldn’t be moist enough for the Shuttlecock Ferns to thrive but so far so good…
You have much more colour in your woodland than I do, and I have some of the same plants elsewhere in the garden. Might have to move a few things around, not least a good form of G. phaeum that has been swamped by ferns. Your reddish purple one is lovely.
Hi Jim, yes’ it’s a really lovely Geranium. None of these plants adds a very intense hit of colour amongst the greens and whites but it’s lovely to come across some interesting combinations.
Hmmm tiarella, I’ve got one of those somewhere. Must go find it, if it’s still there…
Hoping you find it – they look quite nice in a large clump I think.
You have some lovely shady areas, and the ground growing plants are beautiful, like the best bits of a wild wood, but with extra specials to enjoy.
What great woodland planting. It’s very inspiring.
Such lovely plant combinations in your woodland area. I can’t choose a favourite!
Nice and very decorative collections of plants you have. One part of my garden has wild blueberries. I have planted some cultivate blueberry bushes there and they give me nice berries from August till frost. American blueberries have fine red leaves in the autumn. One should have various varieties for better pollination. I have tried several ones, the best of them is “Northblue” (the earliest and sweetest), my another favourite is “Patriot” (delicious with natural yoghurt, with light touch of pine aroma). “Elizabeth” does not ripen here before frost. (I live in Scandinavia at latitude of 60 degrees.)
The other plant I like in the wilder part of my garden is a dark-leaved hazel. I have been lucky to harvest some hazelnuts in the autumn, but squirrels usually they take the advantage.
Those plants give me double delight – the color and the taste.
Hi Rainer – thanks so much for sharing details on all the plants you grow. I really like the blueberry idea in a woodland setting. I have a couple of plants in my fruit cage and the autumn colour really is fabulous, as well as the fruit. Maybe I should transplant one to the woodland area…