Plant a colourful shady border Follow

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Shade-loving shrubs and perennials can be used to add colour and interest to your garden for long periods of the year. Many shade-tolerant plants have beautiful leaves in interesting shapes, as well as eyecatching flowers.

Spring-flowering plants such as hellebores appear just as winter begins to ease, and the large and flamboyant blooms of hydrangeas come into their own in September, after many other summer flowers have faded. Add a beautiful white-stemmed birch tree for a ghostly winter shimmer, and you’ll have something to admire all year round.

To get started, make your border as wide as you can – ours is roughly 1.2m from front to back – so that you can plant in ‘layers’ or bold ‘blocks’. Position contrasting leaf shapes and colours next to each other for added impact, and customise the effect by swapping plants from our suggested border plan with those of a similar shape and height.

Astrantia Sparkling Stars series (1) H: 60cm June-Aug

Howto

IMPROVE A SHADY BORDER

Mulch over the soil surface, with farmyard manure or landscape bark, to help conserve moisture and reduce weeds.

Remove the old leaves of hellebores before the flowers appear so you can see the blooms at their best. Plant spring-flowering bulbs between shrubs and perennials – daffodils and dwarf iris work well.

Feed plant roots with a general-purpose fertiliser, such as bone meal, in early spring.

Making British gardens great

At home in your garden

Now more than ever our great British garden are being used as extension of our living space. Whether you want to create a shady spot to relax in or start to grow your own produce Forest offers a range of products that can create instant updates as well as for those more extensive design makeovers. One of the easiest ways to transform your garden is with a feature or structure. An arbour can provide a focal point, or somewhere for relaxing and entertaining. An arch can frame a path or entrance. These beautiful curved structures can also be used as a vertical space to grow climbing plants up to a create stunning scented floral display.

Venetian Corner Arbour Firenze Arbour

RRP. £1011.49 OUR PRICE. £899

Ground Ground fixings fixings available

Ryeford Arch Parisienne Arbour

RRP. £999.99 OUR PRICE. £899

Ultima Pergola Arch Lyon Arbour OUR RRP. £408.99 PRICE. £279

Planters can give your patio or deck an instant lift, adding a splash of colour whatever time of year. Use singularly to grow flowers, herbs or even vegetables in, or together to divide sections of the garden. There’s no better feeling than the overwhelming sense of pride and achievement of growing your own. So, whether you’re starting out with a small herb garden, or keen to go all-out with a veg patch or greenhouse, we’ve got just about everything you need to get your fingers even greener. The simplest of jobs can totally transform your garden – from adding border edging to tidy up flower beds to decorative trellis that can be secured to a wall or fence to support climbing plants. Larger trellis panels are also ideal for boundary screening and by using fence posts can partition parts of the garden off to create that space to get away from it all and relax.

Durham Rectangular Planter

RRP. £190.99 OUR PRICE. £139.99

Set of 3

Kendal Square Planter

RRP. £158.49 OUR PRICE. £99.99

Set of 3

York Hexagonal Planter

RRP. £159.49 OUR PRICE. £99.99

Venice Planter

RRP. £437.49 OUR PRICE. £319.99

Toulouse Planter

RRP. £203.49 OUR PRICE. £129.99

The simplest of jobs can totally transform your garden

Traditional Trellis

RRP. £22.99 OUR PRICE FROM. £19.99

Available in 4 sizes

Heavy Duty Trellis

RRP. £17.99 OUR PRICE FROM. £11.99

Hidcote Lattice

RRP. £40.49 OUR PRICE FROM. £19.99

Available in 6 Sizes

Available in 4 sizes

1m size available

Deep Root Planter 1.8m

RRP. £183.49 OUR PRICE. £119.99

Caledonian Trough

RRP. £216.99 OUR PRICE. £129.99

Caledonian Tiered Raised Planter

RRP. £194.49 OUR PRICE. £119.99 1m size available

Kitchen Garden Planter 1.8m

RRP. £159.49 OUR PRICE. £139.99

Grow Bag Tray Container

RRP. £116.99 OUR PRICE. £89.99

Caledonian Rectangular Bed

RRP. £218.49 OUR PRICE. £119.99 Rosemore Lattice

RRP. £30.99 OUR PRICE FROM. £18.99

Slatted Trellis

RRP. £29.99 OUR PRICE FROM. £19.99

Border Section

RRP. £23.49 OUR PRICE FROM. £9.99

Available in 4 sizes

Available in 3 sizes

Available in 3 sizes

Domed Top Edging

RRP. £23.99 OUR PRICE. £11.99

Log Roll

RRP. £20.49 OUR PRICE FROM. £9.99

Available in 3 sizes