Flowers for shade?

Hey Purdy, I don't know the answer to this one but I just wanted to say I'd be very interested in the answer too! I recently planted a bush that said it would be happy in 'part shade', but apparently even it can't deal with the darker depths of my garden :(

Yes, dark/shaded often means damp/damper, and as Robbo says, will invite slugs etc.

I too am also curious, not because of the slug and other creatures problem, but because I have yet to grow anything in a shaded part of the garden, though a single peach coloured poppy does seem to thrive irrespective, but nothing else has.

I will also add, there is a sycamore tree that may be the cause, because of its water requirement, but I doubt that in view of the fact I did water the ground sufficiently, but not drenching the ground.

Ajuga is a great spreading perennial with purple flowers. It’s loved by bees and thrives in shade.

I have my chocolate ajuga in part shade where it does well compared to some I put in a brighter spot this year ... grows plantlets much like strawberries & must be treated in same way to propogate, ie not severed from parent plant til roots develop which is easy to tell as new leaves will grow in centre!
Weather was too bad this year to notice if bees found the early flowers!

Our Helianthus 'Flying Saucers' is planted in shade. It is just about to flower now. The yellow flowers really brighten up a shady spot and is loved by bees. Also perennial geraniums can be planted in shade and are loved by pollinators. They are also long-flowering. We have geranium phaeum, macrorrhizum and 'Johnson's Blue' all in shade.

Spring flowering plant for shade - Anemone blanda - which can be planted in the autumn as a 'bulb/rhizome' its a woodland plant so can handle shade as would snowdrops. Pulmonaria, hellebores, primula and cowslips are also spring flowering shade tolerant plants and good early food for emerging queen bumblebees.

Other plants that do well are foxgloves, campanula, perennial geraniums, aquilegia, heuchera & dicentra will also tolerate shade - I've avoided hostas as there is the 'slug' issue. Bees love the flowers and I let the slugs eat mine as I don't mind a lacey leaf - birds & frogs like the slugs too so I just live with them.