Ground cover flowers for shady area?

[daisybee]

Hi everyone,
I'm a new gardener and have some established shrubs in my garden, sadly the only thing that keeps growing under them is bindweed (which I am forever pulling out). Are there any ground cover flowering plants that I can put around/between them that will be ok in shady conditions? Any ideas/recommendations gratefully received

[Alison Adams]

I have periwinkle in some quite shady places behind fences and underneath trees, so not great conditions. It has established itself easily with no help from me and looks really pretty when it flowers and is an evergreen. It may be invasive in some environments, its been okay in my narrow borders.

[Sweepster]

I'd agree - periwinkle does well in shade. Also cyclamen, primroses, ferns, lily-of-the-valley, epimedium, lamium album (white deadnettle) and bulbs such as winter aconite, wood anemones, dog's tooth violets.

[daisybee]

Thank you both for your ideas - I will have a hunt round our local garden centres and see if they have any. I love the periwinkle and anemones.

[Two_Sheds]

hellebores and foxgloves don't mind shade.

[daisybee]

Thanks Two Sheds, I'm so glad I found this site!

[vicky]

And hardy geraniums and ferns are good too.

[Madasafish]

Apart from periwinkle, large small and variegated we have:
lily of valley
Aubretia (edges), bluebells(gorgeous), grape hyacinths,snowdrops, paeonies, rose of sharon and weeds...

[Spiderling]

Hi. I wouldn't have Rose of Sharon, if you don't want it taking over! I have it in my garden and it's come through from next doors...it throws up suckers all over the place and I can't get rid of it. It is a very determined plant. Pretty but invasive!! Cheers!

[Spiderling]

Forgot to add, Dicentra for shady spots. Beautiful plant and no trouble. It dies back completely in winter, so put a cane in as a marker so you dont dig it out whilst weeding. The white variety is lovely too but I prefer the red. Just an added interest, the flowers of dicentra press really well too.

[daisybee]

Thanks Vicky, Madasafish and Spiderling, I've got a fern and bluebells and grape hyacinths in the front garden, so transferring some should be an 'easy fix'. As for the Dicentra I've been looking for an excuse to buy one for ages so back to the garden centre we go. OH is starting to feel like we live there!

[RobintheBobin]

I grow geranium phaeum 'sambor' or 'Mourning Widow' and it loves the shade; flowers quite happily.
Other things are hellebores, ferns (some really pretty ones in red and yellow so almost like flowers), primroses, pulmonaria, even dratted aquilegias

I'm glad someone suggested dicentra as they have them 50% at our local garden centre - bit tatty but would be great next year! I'm off...

[Pumpkin Becki]

I've just rececently bought some creeping dogwoods for our woodland area. They have the white, four petalled flowers just like the tree form. Looking forward to them coming out.