The Shady Area
The shady area in June 2010 - and the Gunnera is starting to come out in the background
This area of the garden is against a North-facing wall and is bordered by tall conifers, trees and shrubs so is in constant shade. The ground is also very wet as there is a plate of clay just beneath the surface on which the water lies. This provides an ideal environment for our Gunnera.
We planted a couple of Tree Ferns here a few years ago. These are native of New Zealand and so one needs to cover the growing crown with straw and sacking over the winter months to protect it. The last two winters ( 2009 - 2010 ) have been particularly cold and we were worried they had succombed but we were relieved to see that they have survived.
The Tree Ferns beginning to open out - July 2010