Are you seeking plants for a patch of dry shade in the garden? Here are some plants you might like to grow.

The earth can become very dry at the foot of a house wall, or beneath a conifer or shallow rooting tree. This can be a problem for new gardeners trying to find plants that will thrive in these conditions. Decorative ivies are a possibility, but perhaps you would prefer a plant that produces flowers - at least during some of the months in the year?

One I like is a hardy geranium of the cranesbill type. Geranium phaeum has a bluish mauve flower and soft leaves. Black-purple, white, or maroon flowering varieties are also available. This low-growing, perennial plant forms a fairly neat clump that will thrive under trees. A good tip is to trim off the old blooms when the long pointed seedheads begin to mature, in mid to late summer – a further crop of flowers is often the result. If the flowerbed gains some sun, but is in shade during half of the day, G. macrorrhizum will tolerate dry soil. Its aromatic foliage forms useful ground cover and there is a bonus of pink or white flowers in summer.

Bergenia cordifolia, the common species in our gardens, known as "Elephant Ears" - due to its large leathery leaves - will take fairly deep shade and still produce its pink clusters of flowers in mid spring. The evergreen foliage provides ground cover for the whole of the year. The variety ‘Redstart’ can be grown from seed and the glossy, bronze foliage is attractive. Or, if you enjoy the surprise of several colours, try seed mix ‘Winter Hybrids’, which contains white, mauve and lilac flowering varieties.

If you prefer to begin by buying plants, Bergenia ‘Bressingham White’ bears pure white flowers, whereas the blooms of ‘Silver Light’ can be tinged with pink.

B. Ballawley’ is the plant to look for if you favour red flowers on red stems and leaves that become tawny red in autumn and winter.

Rose of Sharon (Hypericum calycinum) is an evergreen, low-growing shrubby plant that thrives and produces its large, yellow blooms in sun or full shade. Although a commonly seen plant, it is still an exceptional choice for almost trouble-free ground cover – the one drawback is that it spreads quickly and has to be removed when it encroaches on neighbouring plants.

Saxifraga ‘Tricolor’ – an unusual plant for dry shade - is grown mainly for the bright pink, margined leaves. White flowers appear in summer. But note that this saxifrage is only suitable for borders or containers that are sheltered from the worst of the frosts – perhaps the reason it is not often chosen.

Lily of the valley is one of my favourites, due to the rich fragrance of the blooms. Sometimes stocked by nurseries under its Latin name of Convallaria majalis, this easy to accommodate plant will grow in dry areas, whether damp or sunny. Fresh green leaves arise from a creeping rhizome every spring. Little care or attention is required to produce numerous stems of exquisite bell-like blooms – although a top-dressing of leaf mould in the autumn will be beneficial. There is also a striking variety with cream-striped leaves named ‘Albostriata’ and a cultivar ‘Rosea’ which has pink flowers.

Heuchera has always been one of the plants I rely on for shade. Heuchera ‘Pewter Moon’, with its pink flowers and grey-marbled foliage, makes a pleasant contrast when sited close to dwarf box hedging. Small bellflowers on wiry stems provide further interest all summer. Semi-shaded beds and dry soil are tolerated.

This is a good time to plant hardy cyclamen. Winter-flowering Cyclamen coum will take a lot of shade and dryness in the summer. Well-drained soil is one of the requirements for the successful cultivation of cyclamen. Indeed extra grit may be required as additional drainage material in some gardens.