A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Clay soil in the shade...

I don't really have a "Garden" as such, just a verge left by the builders when they finished my estate. I have however adopted it as my own, pulled out all the ugly no maintenance "landscaping" that they put in and nicked some topsoil back from their stash. This is not my first garden (I have had some success with potatoes, runner beans and strawberries before) but the soil is poor and clay and only 3 feet of it get any sun! I am looking to create a colourful garden that doesn't attract too many bees, tall stuff against the wall, bright things that won't go too wild by the path perennials mostly but annual as well so I've got something to do. Right now it's well prepared but empty! Any idea's anyone?

Can you send a picture of the planting area? Are you looking to plant a vegetable garden or an ornamental garden?

To Augustus Windsock, this is very important; can you determine your planting zone? The best that I can tell from Google Earth; you are about a zone 5; at the same latitude as Chicago,Illinois,USA.
Can you give any more information relating to our planting zones?

I'm from Glasgow, Scotland and I know that's the same zone as North Carolina.

heuchera, hosta, cimicifuga, anemone, columbine, ginger, astilbe, campanula, dicentra, solomons seal, disporum, epimedium, gallium, helebore, lamium, lily of the valley, oxalis, english daisy, rodgersia, primrose, toad lily, vpola