Transforming a Neglected Garden Border | Stunning Semi-Shade Makeover & Autumn Planting Ideas 🍁

Welcome back to the channel! In today’s video, I’m tackling a project that's been on my to-do list for a while-revamping a semi-shade border in the cottage garden, that had fallen into neglect. Watch as I breathe new life into this forgotten corner of the garden, turning it into a lush, evergreen space perfect for the autumn season.
I took a trip to one of my favourite garden centres in Ratoath, where I found some stunning plants that are perfect for bringing colour and texture to shaded areas. From the elegant Helleborus Winterbells to the fiery hues of Helenium Short n’ Sassy, this garden makeover is filled with inspiration for your own garden!
🌸 Plants Featured in the Semi-Shade Border:
Helleborus Winterbells: Adds a touch of elegance with its winter blooms.
Helenium Short n’ Sassy: Bursting with warm tones, perfect for autumn displays.
Japanese Anemone: A classic choice for semi-shade, offering delicate, long-lasting flowers.
Helenium Autumnale: Brightens up the border with its rich, golden blooms.
Brunnera 'Silver Spear' & 'Jack Frost': Striking foliage with silvery highlights.
Viburnum tinus 'Lisarose': An evergreen beauty that adds structure and year-round interest.
🌷 Other Plants Mentioned:
Cyclamen: Perfect for adding colour to shady spots during autumn and winter.
Snowdrops: A must-have for early spring, bringing hope for the warmer days to come.
Join me as I share tips and tricks for creating a semi-shade haven in your garden, and don’t forget to leave a comment with your favourite autumn plants! 🍂
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For reference, my garden is located on the east coast of Ireland. We have a growing zone similar to UK Gardens.
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[@bmj1680]

Your gardening videos make a long Sunday so much better! ❤

[@wildwolf2567]

Thank you Catherine. You can definitely see a difference. It still looks lush. The plants look very healthy too. I love autumn and although it's sad to see some plants going to sleep it's nice to think they will soon be waking up again. Ha ha.

[@Toinette2883]

Oh I have been so busy in my garden transplanting and separating. I love doing this in the fall rather than the spring. It makes me excited for the coming spring to see the changes I have made. That’s one thing I love about gardening it is always changing. Glad to see you spending time in your garden. That shade border is looking beautiful❣️

[@DaintyDiaries]

It’s always changing and there’s always something to do that’s for sure ❤️

[@Simplycharlotte-s]

Hope you’re taking comfort and reflection from your beautiful garden. I’ve been planting bulbs and just tidying up for the winter. I’ve grown an avocado and a mango from seed.. keep your 🤞🏻 they flourish. I found a tiny sunflower yesterday that the birds planted for me🙂 I shall let it go to seed and plant nxt year. Thank you Catherine, take care ❤️

[@sarabright354]

I love watching your content Catherine, whether it’s working in the garden, shopping at the garden centre, garden chats with your friend or when you’re creating beauty inside your home. Your love of nature, simple pleasures and exploring other countries & cultures and is a joy to watch. Thank you for sharing a peaceful and beautiful transformation of a shady spot. It gives me inspiration for my own garden. I’m going to try mixing some Jack Frost with my fav shady flowering plant, Tiarella Spring Symphony. The leaf structure and variegation is lovely and come spring they’re loaded with white firework flowers - gorgeous. I’d also recommend Sarcococca Winter Gems for evergreen interest. They flower in winter and have a beautiful perfume. I grew them for the first time last year in autumn/ winter pots with rainbow euphorbia, skimmia, a teeny blue spruce and some pansies. Loved it 😊

[@dianebutterflykisses7582]

Glad you are back making videos.

[@marshagaravaglia8149]

Your garden will be beautiful in the spring. Great plant choices ❤

[@martinalemmerhofer6937]

Those are all sich nice additions.This will be a nice spot to see during winter. A pleasant fresh start.❤

[@martinalenz5029]

I feel it' s great that the trees are trimmed now. More light will be great next season. You've chosen beautiful plants, I like the one for the corner. And the one with the lovely foliage. ❤ The fern will be great next year, that's for sure. I mainly have fern and hostias in the shady section of my garden. They grow well there, I'm happy about it.

[@sherriebulechek8353]

Nice to see the kitties out in the garden with you, it looks beautiful Catherine ❤

[@tinaclauson5238]

Looks so lovely. No doubt Spring will be glorious there for you. Always enjoy seeing you puttering around your garden. You do a fine job young lady. 😊💜🦋🥀

[@jackiemartin5441]

Now I can’t wait to see this garden spot next spring and summer!

[@harleymac6308]

The garden centre is one of my favourite places. I've learned so much from your gardening videos. It's like watching gardeners world. So relaxing. Thank you so much for all the inspiration ❤x

[@DaintyDiaries]

Oh wow what a compliment 🥹😍 well I’m so glad you stopped by and enjoyed

[@vikkibryan2562]

Typical weather .. hope you are holding up ok dainty x

[@Jo.H.]

Hi Catherine your border is lovely, well thought out. Have a lovely week, take care

[@valeriepasbrig2864]

I love the different colors of the foliage. That's going to look spectacular in spring.

[@laurieweideman9607]

About a month ago I visited a garden center that was finishing its season and giving away a lot of very sad looking plants. I have been so happily surprised to see they have bounced back and are blooming.

[@dawndawn6946]

You breathed fresh life into that border! Looks great!❤

[@kimberdixon984]

I have enjoyed watching your garden become more complex and interesting. I have to recover a garden that went out of control. It is a complete do over because it is full of poison ivy. I can't begin though until after my son's wedding. Your pretty flowers are an encouragement to me to not give up.

[@judyparks5016]

Always nice to see you puttering around in your lovely garden. HUGS 🙏🍂🍁🍂🍁🌻🌻🌱🙏

[@kristinhughes7027]

This will be beautiful when it all blooms❤

[@lisad8388]

Was I the only one screaming inside, hurry up and get that fern in the ground, poor thing! 😂 It looks lovely and everyone looks happy 😊🪴🍁🍂

[@laneyparker3399]

Love the impact approach. That tree fern is everything! ❤

[@annbarron606]

❤ Your garden is beautiful. I love the shady, semi-shady section. Nice one getting a tree fern and brilliant that the council just trimmed the trees. I've had a garden here for about 7 yrs, and it was very sunny at first, but as everything matured, it's mostly shady now. I've a feeling your tree fern will do well ❤

[@janclark1894]

So lovely to see you ❤🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@suekey1903]

No gardening here in Tewkesbury we’ve had rain in biblical proportions and now we have floods too… walked up my garden this afternoon between rain and everything is sodden so I’m watching you for my gardening fix 😀

[@mirandabruning3953]

We are moving late October. So I'm keeping my figures crossed that I can at least put some bulbs for spring in. A new build is hard. But your garden is my inspiration. ❤

[@fionacolgan3193]

Ratoath is my local garden centre. The garden was lovely to walk through during the summer. Must pay it another visit to see it during autumn time.

[@jaynebatstone7746]

It's been the wettest of wet days here in Coventry! I was hoping to get outside and follow Monty's advice on lawn care 🥴 I bought some tulip bulbs though, for my planters. A pink peony like tulip and a white frilly one. I've spotted some really pretty white narcissus with an unusual flower and I'm going to dig up some lamium to put with them. All I need now is a dry spell for an hour!

[@Itsjessxx]

My garden lacks maturity too but I love watching it grow over time

[@AuntyE-yq5rh]

Thanks for all the ideas for a shadow corner...I've got one too and had no clue what to do with it. Your kittens have really grown they are so sweet.

[@BA-ef4pr]

I love your lil haul of plants and the tour of the garden center. Im in northern California with summers that are scorching hot, thus a hedge of young Viburnum needs to be transplanted to a shadier area. Thank you for the inspiration!

[@leanne1234]

So pleased they cut back trees for you. I have the same problem backing onto a private school but they will not get them done and have said I will have to do it, obviously far too expensive for me ☹️. Back to watch the rest of your lovely vlog. You do cheer me up 💖

[@LifeHomeandGardenwithAnaRica]

So exciting to see your garden next season.

[@thirstymercfan]

Oh yay! Love this… I often will go to parks nearby my house to het inspo on plants. It’s spring time here in oz, you reminders me I need to divide my dahlia bulbs that are in my garden. I’m getting some big clumps having not divided for 2-3 years 😊 yay more plants

[@marvettebarkerthompson455]

😂 dearest Catherine I'm so happy you are sending out garden videos and on a Sunday too but my dear 3 6 and 9 are not odd numbers 😂 it's 3,5,7 and 9...I think 😂. Do what gives you joy. I have lost my inspiration for the garden lately so I'm having to get up and go puttering in there today because I see you are garden. We'll garden together.

[@LadyKatharina]

Thank you for sharing another lovely Sunday garden video ❤ excited to see how this space fills in! I've been adding more lavender to my garden this autumn & planting some more tulips (since they tend to disappear every year 😂).

[@melaniewest3947]

The garden is looking pretty.

[@katty668]

I am digging out an existing inset pond to expand it into a much larger space. I was told October/November was a better time to avoid disrupting anything currently living in the current pond. So first I am just clearing all the weeds and ivy and lots of rocks etc 😊

[@deniseryan6764]

Beautiful and lush looking, well done!

[@shelleyscarborough9171]

It looks so beautiful!! I planted Hellobores and Hostas in an area I thought was shade but summer arrived and the sun changed so they all burned. Live and learn!

[@robynb3549]

We are having a slow, wet start to spring here in Melbourne, Australia. But the Japanese Maples and the Birch trees have baby leaves and the Hydrangeas are getting ready to bloom.

[@GinaAdams-tw7lh]

Looks great and will fill up that tricky spot.❤

[@little_misscrafty]

I was hoping for at least one more week of sun, I have so many tomatoes still on the vines. Getting ready to bring the ficuses, cacti and jade plants indoors. Spend afternoon tidying up my balcony, and the squirrels made a mess again in couple hours. They are in a full digging mode stashing peanuts in my pots 😊 I can't wait come spring your little semi shady corner would be spectacular 🫶

[@jen389lethbr]

I feel like I redo the garden every year! The life of a gardener right? I do have some plants that need to be planted before the snow starts flying. They’ve been in pots since spring and I have some grasses I planted in my garden that just aren’t doing as well as I’d like so out they come and instead a Rose of Sharon will go in.

[@conniecarter8386]

I have been doing no dig beds on cardboard with seeds of hollyhocks and wildflowers to cover over foxtail weeds

[@debbebunch9973]

GORGEOUS! 🌻

[@kaycee625]

Rachel de Thame was highlighting asters on GW this week, and there was one that even surprised her, because it was in shade of a tree and dry soil. Maybe that would work for the bit of ground by the wall in your lane way? It was a beautiful blue colour.

[@Simplyfarmhouse7]

Hello, Well it is still hot here with a lack of rain, I have been busy watering my plants, and keeping the dead cut out. I am going to redo my front garden, and like you i want to add small limelight shrubs across the back and bring the other plants near the front. Love your channel.

[@cherylmeredith2248]

Looks very pretty!

[@donnamullins2089]

Talking Tree Fern... not... he was looking at your beautiful blue eyes and giving you a tree fern to love. Glad the Council trimmed the trees so you will have a bit more sunlight. Do you fertilize or add plant food later? Catherine your border looks lovely. Now sit back with your tea and enjoy the beauty. Have a Blessed week.

[@leanne1234]

Looks really lovely. How kind to be given the tree fern ( you deserved it and more). I have lots to do in the garden. Trying to future proof it all (to reduce the work load) and have cut back a lot of the shrubs. Also need to lay some turf to reduce the size of one of the borders, its right under the very large neighbouring sycamores, so nothing grows very well there 💖

[@katieallen3927]

I’m looking for plants on sale to plant now for next year’s enjoyment. Gardening ends for me around mid October.

[@Nenelovesyou2023]

Wonderful

[@suepotts698]

We have been redoing our north wall shady border. Then putting all the leaves back before the hedgehogs go to bed

[@ErnieCG]

A lovely video

[@jackielucchesi6654]

So Pretty .....

[@katieallen3927]

I added a Mugo pine to my garden; it stays compact which was important to me.

[@jennieburbridge17]

I hope you r ok love the video

[@denisemcdonald1598]

Brunera is one of my favorites 💙 Learned of it from Laura / Garden Answer!

[@bridiewright1519]

Look after yourself Catherine, hope you're OK ❤

[@karonwostenholme6533]

❤❤❤

[@megank7235]

talking about gardeners world, did you see those grapes?!?! mad.

[@harrietcoombes5015]

Looks like John lords garden centre!

[@harrietcoombes5015]

I could be wrong but love his channel...and yours of course ❤

[@fionacolgan3193]

Yeah it is John Lord’s.

[@lindaporter6350]

Was that John Lords garden you visited?

[@sharonsunshine2532]

🥰🙏🙏🙏🙏💛

[@cathalsmyth721]

Great selection of plants.. Have you ever tried Rosa Rugosa the pink version. Looks and smells great all year