edible/fruity groundcover advice needed please

[jaimie]

I have a raised bed built round the bottom of a pollarded (10/12 feet) sycamore. It is in front of a 5 foot close boarded fence, faces north east and consequently is in shade much of the day. I am growing a thornless blackberry up the trunk and along the top of the fence. There is also a morello cherry which I hope to fan. I would like to grow something fruity, or at least edible, in the bed. I have some alpine strawberries just peeping through in their seed tray and wondered if there is anything else that would grow in these unpromising conditions.

[Jeanied]

I was going to suggest the strawbs but I see you already thought of that. One off the wall idea may be to grow some of the pulmonaria varieties as well which are fine in shade and also are a comfrey relative with some of the benefits? Not edible by humans but very useful for other plants.
How about some herbs? Borage springs to mind.

[chris]

Rubarb? Bit taller, so may shade the alpines..

[jaimie]

One off the wall idea may be to grow some of the pulmonaria varieties as well which are fine in shade and also are a comfrey relative with some of the benefits? Not edible by humans but very useful for other plants.
How about some herbs? Borage springs to mind.

Thanks Jeanied. Must confess I had to google pulmonarias. And yes, they do look interesting. A borage plant might go nicely too.

[jaimie]

Rubarb? Bit taller, so may shade the alpines..

Now that's a good idea. I have three rhubarb plants in containers and I am sure they would like a bit more freedom. If I put them at the back they wouldn't shade the alpine strawbs any more than they will already be shaded.

[ammi]

gooseberries and wineberries are not so picky on their growing needs ( ive grown both in the shade before and have still got reasonable crops from them) so I would have some of them (gooseberry to back of border and wineberry to middle of border). I would also grow some nasturtiums as you can use them in salads and use their seeds as capers. I would also have a few small clumps of herbs as quite a few of them need less sunlight than you would think. I would also consider Sloe and Bilberry as they both grow well in the bottom of hedgerows and seem to need little light to succeed.
I would also mount a mirror on the fence ( one in a very pretty metal frame) so that it would reflect some light and make the border seem to get more sunlight.

[jaimie]

Thanks ammi - lots of good ideas there.

[sarraceniac]

Bilberries creep along the ground and are unusual to grow in 'domestic' conditions. I made some bilberry gin last year and we often have bilberry (or blaeberry as it is also known) tarts with clotted cream, if we can get them. Delicious.

[Nicos]

How about a few pots dotted amongst the plants? It'd give a nice 3D to the area- and you could plant something which is a bit more demanding of water!
Cranberries are low growing, but need acid soil

[flowerofshona]

How about huckleberrys ? easy from seed

[northepaul]

I have a very similar situation to you, needing ground cover, shady etc. I planted a cranberry in the hope it will be both attractive (with red leaves in autumn) and give me a small amount of fruit.They are low growing too. However it needs acidic soil (which I have) so may not be suitable?
I did look for a bilberry but was unable to find any...

[sarraceniac]

I just noticed where you are northepaul. Bilberries are rather rare down there. Round here they grow wild, in profusion, on moor and heathland. It is illegal to dig plants up I think but as far as I know it is OK to take cuttings or, from the number of people that do it, pick the berries and they of course contain seed. Never tried it myself, as I say you don't need to here, but you have now awakened my interest so I may try some seed this late summer, and a couple of cuttings as well. I'll let you know, if I do, how I get on.

[Scarlet]

Are bilberries the same as wimberries?

[sarraceniac]

Blueberries, blaeberries or bilberries, lingonberries and huckleberries are all members of the vaccinium genus. The wimberry is another, rustic, name for the bilberry along with blaeberry which is usually its name in Scotland.