Shadey Side suggestions

[Scubapauly]

Excellent, thanks for all theposts folks

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by Cotham Marble

As far as daytime feeders are concerned I've only noticed a few types of small hoverfly (not sure about species), however many white flowered plants are specialist night time attracters and I would guess that applies to woodruff, although I've not tried to establish what the nightshift might consist of in my garden. The Natural England website records the Elephant Hawk moth as being associated though I've yet to see one: Woodruff - Galium odoratum - Natural England

Woodruff is very useful in a planting scheme because although it works as very low ground cover, it does not grow so dense that other plants can't be grown through it, so one can create vertical layering. Woodruff is also, unlike a lot of shade tolerant flowering plants, pretty drought tolerant.

CM

Ooh, I love Hawk Moths so I shall keep an eye out for that!

[Susie]

I've bought both autumn and winter flowering cyclamen today. They are lovely for brightening up a dark corner when there isn't a great else about.

[Susie]

I have a small hedge of christmas box (sarcaccoca confusa) which I grew from cuttings and seeds and it grows very well in permanent shade. It has fragrant flowers in late winter/early spring which are attractive to insects and black berries over the winter which judging by the way the thrushes and blackbirds were tucking in to them yesterday are yummy (to birds).