Hi Popi
I'm far from experienced, but I have exactly that situation in my garden. Exactly! So here's what has worked for me. I'm a bit of a native plant enthusiast so my choices are native, but look them up because they are beautiful all year around and flower profusely.

Correas - will get about 1- 1.5 meters high. I have a few of 'chefs cap' correa (pretty lime green flowers, glossy olive green foliage and burgandy stems) and Correa dusky bells with red/fushica flowers and dusky green foliage. These shrubs will flower prolifically even in winter in the full shade (well they do in my garden)

Also I recommend Westringa or Prostanthera, they will easily survive the winter shade and some of them flower in a breathtaking way esp Poorinda ballerina, a white form of Prostanthera (this is also hardy in the full summer sun - well mine is) These are from the mint bush family, so the foliage smells beautiful, especially if it rains or if you brush against it.

The westringa and correa can also survive on little water compared to a lot of other plants. The westringa love being pruned and come back form the hardest of cuts to form lovely bushy shrubs. The prostanthera and Westringa can grow up to 3 mtrs.

Check them out, most are available at nurseries.

Now, I've also some experience with a crows nest fern in this area. They were in this area when I moved in. but did suffer and burn in the spring/summer, but were under a deciduous tree so recovered when the leaves came to shade them, so I suppose in my opinion they wouldn't survive the sun in summer. Having said that, I suppose that depends on the sun, is the 5 hours morning or afternoon?

I hope this helps, these plants really perform for me and are very fast growing.

cheers

Andrea

Andrea

Many thanks for your fantastic suggestions for my garden dilemma. You have been fantastically meticulous in your reply and I thank you for taking the time to do that.

I know Westringia and Prostanthera, I agree with you they are very delicate and graceful shrubs.

I was thinking about this garden bed this morning, and I have come to the conclusion that I will put some ferns in, and keep an eye on them in the summer. If I mulch I think they will be fine throughout the hot months.

All the best with your garden, Andrea.

Miss Popi

corriander, vietnamese mint, any sort of fern, we've even got a gardenia doing pretty well in a similar spot

and lemon grass, a snow bush - agarve??(sp) tree ferns, bromeliads, elk horns, stag horns, palms

we've got them all in a similar spot - though they don't get much more sun in the summer.

there's also ground covers such as mint - even nasturtiums grow well in that sort of area. our strawberries grow well as a ground cover - we don't get much fruit but we do get plenty of runners for transplanting later on

Popi
I'm embarrassed now as I realise you would know well the plants I suggested. I didn't think about who was asking, just launched right into it.
They do well in this spot in my garden though as it is west facing against a brick wall, and gets very hot in summer, which would be why the birds nest ferns shrivelled I suppose.
happy gardening.
Andrea