Front Garden only gets 2-3 hours of sun per day

[SheffieldBloom]

Hi -

I've recently moved in to my first home (60s terrace in North England). The front garden is small but gets 2-3 hours of direct sun each day (the back garden is sunny from sunrise until around 3pm, luckily).

I have a 1m wide section between my front wall and front window with prepared soil underneath, and would like to plant a flowering shrub that has the potential to grow fairly tall without having to grow too wide (it could grow over the window a bit though). Picture below.

Any recommendations of what could work? Folk have suggested a camelia. I would also be open to planting a small tree, perhaps one with rubbery leaves. The house is of modern design, so a creeper/wisteria type plant wouldn't really work with the overall look.

Suggestions gratefully received, there is a garden centre nearby who have been helping me to get a few bits even during Covid!

 

[oneeye]

Camelia, Gardenia, and Rhododendrons and Azaleas would work well however the soil pH must be modified to 4.5 to 5.5 and no higher than 6 pH. The way to lower the pH is remove the soil you have and replace it, with a mix of, one part of peat moss, to one part ground pine bark and mix a cup of Osmocote (14-14-14) time release fertilizer together. Plant anyone of the plants above using this method and you will have a beautiful flowering plants.

 

[Sean Regan]

This is our small front garden, which only briefly gets the sun first thing in the morning.
The big acer tree, several azaleas, two rododendrons, two viburnums and one rose bush by the brick pillar, do very well.

Can't say the same for the bit of the small lawn immediately under the azaleas now they've grown so much. Though it recovers by mid- summer.