APRIL is the month when a plethora of woodland (or what would otherwise be termed ‘shade loving plants’) come into their own, writes TOM ATTWOOD. This for many is their opportunity to entice pollinating insects by creating a visual spectacle. When the flowering window has finished, there are some superb plants whose foliage is just as beautiful and has been developed and tweaked yet further by nursery men and women in recent years. My love of shade-loving plants arose some time ago when I had to work in a predominantly shady garden where anything that deemed worthy of inclusion had to be a good all-rounder. The colour blue dominates many of the flowers produced at this time of year in the shade garden and among those include Brunnera macrophylla or Siberian bugloss to use its common name. They do prefer a moist soil as an overly dry site will cause the tips of the leaves to brown as will bright, sunny conditions. If the soil is a tad on the dry side then mulch as much as possible to get around this and you’ll find that mulching many shade-loving plants as a general rule will work wonders. There are several cultivated forms of B.macrophylla that are excellent: Jack Frost, Silver Spear and Dawson’s White Brunnera, while having delightful flowers are grown more for their striking leaves that look superb throughout the summer. For an intensity of blue that would give a gentian a run for its money Pulmonaria Blue Ensign packs a mighty punch and will in time form a generous sized clump. Known collectively as lungwort, there are many with bonny foliage that in a similar way to the Brunnera provide something visually impressive. The blue petals of the woodland creeping forget-me-not Omphalodes verna are small but intensely coloured and I love to plant them where they can jostle for space and vie for your attention. The shade garden is something to embrace and celebrate with foliar fuelled magnificence.

Next week: planting a pot for herbs