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Planting advice - tall but not dense shrubs/hedge for shady side of garden

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DorsetLass · 15/02/2013 13:38

Please help! We have a south west facing garden (coastal) but one side has a very tall fence and is therefore in the shade, but does get a good amount of light still (ie not dense, dark shade). The fence is apporx 10-12 feet high and I need to grow something in front of it to take the harshness away, but not dominate the garden. It is just grass up to the fence at the moment, so can create a whole new planting bed if required to get some other plants in. Any ideas really welcome!

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DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 15/02/2013 19:16

Buddleia? The 'butterfly bush' can get leggy but it's not too dense a shrub.

If you fancy a change from purple flowers, 'White Profusion' is fast growing, has tiny, white scented flowers grows to about 4m tall and 4m wide.

About the same size, 'Lochinch' is covered with violet/lavender flowers into September and has silver-white foliage during winter.

A buddleia with pink flowers that grows to only 2m tall and wide is 'Summer Beauty'.

A much smaller type has gorgeous plum coloured flowers, 'Sugar Plum' - there's also a taller 5 ft variety called 'Adonis Blue' with has slate blue spikes of neat flower.

Buddleia has lots of nectar so great for wildlife. It likes well-drained alkaline soil and thrives in sunny spots. Buddleia does get large and leggy ? I prune about two thirds off ours in April (Scotland) or late March further south. Dead-heading is worth it for a second burst of flowers and if you're lucky, another.

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Pannacotta · 17/02/2013 15:26
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