Q What will do well in a conifershaded bed with clay soil?
A MATT SAYS The combination of clay, conifers and shade means the soil is going to be dry. To increase your options, create raised beds using nontreated railway sleepers, which you can then fill with well-rotted organic matter or ericaceous compost, and install a seep-hose irrigation system. As you prefer evergreens, try Bergenia ‘Bressingham White’ with purewhite flowers in spring and Liriope muscari, which boasts vertical spikes of small, deep-lavender flowers in autumn. Also try Nandina domestica ‘Fire Power’ with red berries and leaves that are tinted red in spring, and Fatsia japonica. If the soil’s acid, Rhododendron ‘Koichiro Wada’ is a must, with silvery new shoots that turn a glossy green, followed by pink buds bursting into pure-white flowers. A ANNE SAYS This border sounds troublesome, with clay soil potentially being dried out by conifers. You say you have a small magnolia that’s doing well, so to continue the theme of a shady, woodland-style border, you could plant a Camellia x williamsii hybrid (as long as the soil is acidic to neutral, so do a pH test first). Coming down in size, the deliciously fragrant Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ is worth a go for early, pink blooms. Plant deciduous Clerodendrum bungei and let it sucker – its stems will pop up here and there, rising to 1.8m and topped with heads of fragrant, exotic-looking pink flowers in summer.