Written by: Ashley Edwards
Three jobs for March in the garden
March heralds the beginning of spring, and one of my favourite times of year. Buds burst into life and birds begin to nest, but don’t be fooled, nights can still be chilly so protect tender plants and don’t get caught out by late frosts.
Favourite plants for a shady border
Shade can often be seen as a problem in the garden, but it opens up so many opportunities for planting that couldn't survive in full sun. Here are a few that I like to use:
Blechnum spicant (hard fern) — there are so many ferns to choose from but I love this one. A gorgeous evergreen fern with toothed fronds that add great texture and provide contrast to other plants. It copes surprisingly well with short periods of drought, once established.
Digitalis (foxglove) is a classic plant for a shady border. Many foxgloves are biennial and will self-seed if the conditions are right. They look like fairytale spires and match well with ferns and other woodland plants.
Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’ (Siberian bugloss) — the almost completely silver, rounded leaves of this plant provide ground cover whilst the dainty blue flowers dance above; they are reminiscent of forget-me-nots. This cultivar is especially good mixed with other woodland plants, and the foliage continues to provide interest even after the flowers are finished. Easy to look after and surprisingly tough once they are established, they make fine additions to the shady border.
Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clark' (meadow cranesbill) prefers light shade, but the pearly grey flowers will go on through May and June. If you cut back this hardy geranium after flowering, you’ll likely get another flush of flowers.
Athyrium otophorum var. okanum (eared lady fern) — quite a large fern, growing up to 80cm eventually — this will help to fill out those shady corners. The light yellow/green fronds help to illuminate an area, and the purple stems provide excellent contrast. The old fronds can be cut back in early spring to make way for the fresh new growth.
