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Shade can be a nightmare if your heart is set on growing summer bedding, fruit and veg, or Mediterranean plants, which need direct sun to flourish. But there are plenty of beautiful plants which thrive in shady conditions.Many people imagine

' as a general catch-all term for those plants that can be grown from dormant bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes. Among my regular favourites are begonias, dahlias, canna lilies and eucomis, the pineapple flower. Then there's galtonia, the summer hyacinth

There is a tendency among some gardeners to look down their noses at bedding. They sneer at the humble petunia, cock a reproachful eyebrow at a tumbling lobelia and positively guffaw at any sign of a begonia. I admit that I used to share

'. A pack of two plump, healthy lily bulbs — it's important to check if they're firm and healthy — cost £1.99. I reasoned that three packs wouldn't break the bank, and would be sufficient for me to create the lily feature I was dreaming of.Each lily

CrocosmiasEuphorbiasFernsFuchsiasGrassesHardy geraniumsHelleboresHydrangeasJapanese anemonesLady's mantleLavendersLilium henryiPelargoniumsPenstemonsRosesSedums20 top slug-beatersDon't overfeed young plants in spring, as this only encourages soft growth, which slugs love to eat.Top tips for foiling