Great ideas wanted for this small space

[TeaMonsta]

I'd like to grow something that's easy to look after in this partially shaded space. I've been considering a mini wildflower/grasses area as our son (who owns the house in the photo) loves creepy crawlies but I'm looking for suggestions of all kinds. If anyone could help with ideas, I'd be very grateful. Thanks!

PS. It's just been cleared of grass.

[Martin H]

Pretty dark under there. Anything tall will flop out towards the light. I would go for something tough and creeping like periwinkle (Vinca minor) or a variegated ivy. Bugle (Ajuga reptens) would be OK too, either the green or the purple-leaved one, both have nice spikes of blue flowers in the spring.

You could grow a variety of ferns, but you'd have to water regularly in summer to stop them drying out.

[TeaMonsta]

Thanks, Martin. That's the kind of advice I'm after. I want to avoid anything flopping over. The grass that was in there before was about 9-10 inches high and was trimmed to make a nice flat top. But it was alot of maintenance and if it got too long would flop over. Over time this happened too often and the grass that had flopped over blocked out the light and smothered other sections of grass so it ended up patchy. The idea of tallish grasses with wildflowers is nice in theory, but I need something that's likely to work and look good so I'll give your suggestion some consideration. Thanks again.

[muddled]

Okay...bear with me,
It's for a boy right?

I would line the space with perforated plastic then fill with compost and leaf mold to make a deliciously boggy area.

Then I'd plant up with bog loving and carnivorous plants and some big flat rocks and upturned terracotta flowerpots.

Then I'd sit back and wait for the toads and the creepy crawlies to move in and buy the boy one of those little 'bug detective' magnifier pots....and a couple of plastic dinosaurs

[TeaMonsta]

I love it, Muddled. Sounds great. I could use that idea in other places around the garden, too. Thanks for your input.

[Greenleaves]

I think you could incorporate elements of both ideas and add a few small logs, wont take long for woodlice etc to move in

[TeaMonsta]

Best of both worlds.....

[Containergardener]

Def with muddled. I get a lot of wood lice amongst broken terracotta pots and logs, so slugs ...yuck will appear and frogs/toads/hedgehogs. Could you have a tiny pot pond with pebbles attracting pond life etc.

[jackarmy]

Make it a tad bigger and put a subutteo pitch there