Love Your Garden’s Katie Rushworth shares her three top plant picks for a shady garden

Rushworth was eager to work on the “cool, shady and still” focal point at the end of the plot, suggesting three plants that could thrive in its darker conditions. Here’s what she chose…

Rushworth loves hydrangeas for a shady spot: “They’ll be really happy here,” she said of Bennett’s garden. “One of my favourites is this Hydrangea quercifolia – it’s got lovely cones of white flowers, which almost look like a Mr Whippy.”

The colour of the flowers is key for Rushworth. “White in a shady area like this will really illuminate the space,” she explained to viewers.

Our Gardening Editor Simon Akeroyd agrees: “This is one of my favourite hydrangeas. It has a bit of everything; gorgeous, autumn colour when the leaves turn a reddish purple, quirky-shaped leaves and beautiful, large white flowers.

“The bright white colour really stands out beautifully in a dark corner of a garden. Out of interest, the botanical species name ‘quercifolia’ literally means ‘oak-shaped leaves’, because they are very similar to the ones found on our native oak trees.”

Rushworth proclaimed tree ferns to be “wonderful plants”, and we agree. Their stunning fronds look beautiful in all lights and weathers, and their suitability for shady areas makes perfect sense – you’ll often find tree ferns growing under the canopy of a rainforest.

However, as Rushworth warned: “They don’t much like the cold, so you have to protect them over winter.”

“You really can’t have a shady border without a couple of hostas,” said Rushworth. “I’ve gone with a variety that’s got this amazing white leaf margin to it. You can get them in different heights, different leaf colours, and they’ve got pretty, pretty flowers. The only thing is – slugs think they’re wonderful, too!” Thankfully, however, Rushworth had a solution for that.

Rushworth didn’t specify the variety she’d chosen, but our pro Akeroyd recognises it as the variety Hosta ‘Patriot’. He also points out that: “There are other hostas with white edges or markings that would work equally well. The white helps the dramatic, large leaves stand out when planted in the shade.”

Want to see more of this Love Your Garden project? You can watch the episode in full on ITV X – sign up is free. Make sure you’re got your tissues at the ready though, as it’s an especially poignant one.