'Kitchen Corner' is a shady area near the house - the area I've heard referred to as a 'tunnelback' - the narrow part at the back of many Victorian houses, alongside the kitchen (hence its name, in this case).

This area is approximately 4 metres by 6 metres, and is enclosed on three sides. The fourth side joins the rest of the garden - another small area, wrapped around the two outhouses that extend from the back of the house.

Though the area faces east, so gets sun in the morning, the house itself blocks the light from the south, meaning that 'Kitchen Corner' is shaded for most of the day throughout the year.

Where this area joins the rest of the garden on its remaining side, it is partly divided off by an overhead trellis structure over which a climbing rose and other plants are now well-established. This, in summer, adds to the shade in this area as it blocks some of the morning light from the east. This area is similar in many ways to my first backyard garden.

In this area I made a small raised bed, opposite the kitchen window. The raised bed remains in a condensed form, having been reduced to make way for the old bathtub. There's also an area of hard surfacing to stand pots on.

Against the walls grow Garrya elliptica, Clematis montana and climbing hydrangea. In the raised bed I've planted ivies, epimedium, Arum italicum "Pictum", woodruff and snowdrops. In late winter the snowdrops and arum leaves are visible from the kitchen window and the dining room window, both of which look out onto this corner. Later this area, just like Woodland Corner, fills with green, with the occasional white flower.

Plants in the raised bed in Kitchen Corner

Arum italicum 'Pictum'
Euphorbia robbiae
Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop)
Garrya elliptica
Humulus lupulus 'Aureus' (Golden-leaved hop)
Hydrangea petiolaris (Climbing hydrangea)
Ivies

Plants in pots in Kitchen Corner

Bulbs (various spring-flowering)
Euonymus japonicus microphyllus variegatus
Fatsia japonica
Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose)
Helleborus niger "Potters Wheel" (Christmas Rose)
Hostas (various)
Ivies (various)
Lilium regale (Regal lily)
Mahonia x media "Charity"
Sarcococca confusa (Christmas box)

Kitchen corner, with hostas in pots.

Above: 'Kitchen corner', with hostas in pots.
Top left: Detail of hosta leaf.