need help to fill dull garden

[Ellasmum]

I am very new to gardening and if the truth be known I am very excited about fruit and veg and not so excited about flowers/shrubs in boarders and beds. I have a largeish garden that has been neglected in recent years due to 2 small children. This year I really want to sort it out and need your help (The real experts) in working it out.
I have 2 large beds running along the garden nearest the house and 4 smallish shady ones at the back of the lawn, all bark chipped and weedish free but very rocky, some nice patches of soil though. I want some Colour and hight for the shady rear beds and colour and ground cover for the rocky fore beds....can you help me at all.
Sam X

[Birdie Wife]

For shady corners, I love foxgloves, Christmas Rose (Hellebore), common primrose, anemones, bluebells, ferns, nicotiniana and perennial forget-me-not (Brunnera). Ooh, honeysuckle too! I love my little woodland patch, not much good at the rest of it though!

[Ellasmum]

Thanks Birdie Wife, just the ticket...
Sam

[SueA]

Hi Ellasmum, I second all Birdie Wife's choices for shade. If you have a wall or fence behind the far borders perhaps you could grow a climbing rose like 'Souvenir Du Docteur Jamain' or another suited to shade or a climbing hydrangeas or clematis up a wigwam? For ground cover there's lots of choice depending on how much work you want to do. You could use carpet roses or alpines or alchemilla mollis or bedding plants or heathers or hardy geraniums, most of which will grow in fairly poor rocky soil. Or what about herb beds where you would get the flowers & food, rosemary,thyme. sage etc.?

[cusicusi]

i grew larkspur last year and for height and value for money was very impressed by how long they lasted and didn't require watering!

[cusicusi]

i grew larkspur last year and for height and value for money was very impressed by how long they lasted and didn't require watering!

the height was thre foot and have got lots of seed for this year

[rustylady]

Always go for perrenials, shrubs, and/or bulbs. They don't need re-planting each year and always give a good show

[Two_Sheds]

I'd go with all of Birdie Wife's suggestions, plus Russian Comfrey....likes shade, attacts bees, and produces lots of lovely mulch/fertiliser