A Good Weed? Planting the Dry Shade Garden, by Graham Rice

Last year Husband researched dry shade planting (shaded border, neighbour’s trees, tall fence). As is the way of these things I, perforce, accompanied him on his intellectual route-march, so I picked up Graham Rice’s Planting the Dry Shade Garden with more than ordinary interest. How would my Plant Enthusiast’s choices rank?

Graham Rice is a pillar of the garden world and, not only gardens in shade himself, but, he admits, peers over fences to check what’s growing in other people’s shady bits. Frequently, he finds nothing. Hence this book.

Dry shade might make gardeners groan loudest, but plant choices aren’t nearly as small as you possibly imagine. Rice gives the low-down on around 60 different plants; before this, your shade is put firmly on the couch. Is it by a wall or trees? Under early-leafing shrubs, or late? Deciduous or evergreen? Is it happy or sad? (Yes, I’m making the last one up.) All these should make a difference to your view of your problem patch.