BRIAN KIDD: A swathe of colour for deep shade underneath a hedge

It can be difficult to choose plants which will survive in shade and in particular beneath a tall hedge where the roots are close to the top of the ground and there is little soil to cultivate.
Triteleias - perfect for dry shade under a hedgeTriteleias - perfect for dry shade under a hedge
Triteleias - perfect for dry shade under a hedge

One of the best spring-flowering bulbs are hyacinths believe it or no. They can be planted now for flowering next March.

If that's beyond your budget what about triteleias, also called ipheon? They'll make lots of leaves with little white flowers with pale blue lines. They're not the sort of thing you would buy, but one someone else would be glad to get rid of! The point is, it will grow and be no trouble to you.

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If hedge roots are close to the surface, chop some off with a stainless steel border spade and use the contents of old growing bags on top of the ground. Mix this into the area where some of the hedge roots have been cut off to provide a bit more depth for the roots of other plants which will provide a mass of colour.

For a super spring show you can't beat wallflowers but the variety is important. Mixed is fine, but hang on a minute, is the object to add lightness or a swathe of sunshine along the base of the hedge?

If this is the case, avoid mixed and find either Golden Bedder or Cloth of Gold. Believe me they are super for the job. Planted eight inches apart in three rows they will be wonderful next April. We've just planted ours.

This spring display can be followed by a summer spectacular.

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Everyone knows how wonderful bedding begonias are in the summer and are one of the best display plants in shade. The truth is however, they do love water too and it may be a lot of work having to keep them moist because a hedge will try to pinch all the water available.

My point is that you don't have to rely on some boring rubbish when you have a wide choice.

For those with the same problem there are some perennials which will be really good in dry shade. One of these is the ladies' mantle which will be found as alchemilla. It will grow to 15in high with a misty cloud of greenish-yellow flowers and a fan-shaped lea. If planted next to flag iris, the two really do contrast well. You won't get many flowers on the iris but the ladie's mantle will make up for that.

Campanula portenschlagiana might be difficult to remember but it's a common and superb plant with blue flowers all summer. It's still in bloom under our hedge at home.

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For berries, what about cotoneasters? They will grow on the moon if we could get them there and out of all the plants these are the most tolerant species ever grown. The types vary but if it's needed for covering ground in poor soil under dense shade, two are really good. Autumn Fire is the smallest one with the largest leaf and it's only 15in high. The leaves look just like weeping willow leaves and there is the bonus of bright red berries. The round-leafed Coral Beauty has orange berries. Again it's short, ideal underneath that hedge.'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹

THIS WEEK'S TOP TIP

Garden centres have azaleas in pots. If you think you're not green-fingered, think again. These will do well in your home. Choose one with just one or two flowers open with lots of buds to come. They love rain water. Keep them in a light, cold place just above freezing, in a window but not direct sun.'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹