Shade Gardening

Dictionary synonyms like ‘soft’, ‘calm’, ‘balmy’, ‘soothing’ certainly help to make ‘bland’ a little more attractive, but I’ll admit, ‘insipid’, ‘wishy-washy’ and ‘drab’ are there too. In the shady areas of our gardens, the luminous orange-red Scadoxus blooms have died off, leaving the Bell Clivia, C. miniata, to carry on the vibrant display. But, when those flowers fade and plants recede once again into the monotonously green backdrop, what then?

The Plectranthus  species, arguably the showstoppers of the shade, are at their best in April, their gorgeous colours making them...