Before you plant anything ua shady gardenyou need to know what shade you have.
Plant expert Stephen Ryan is one half of the YouTube channel The Horti-Culturalists, with Matthew Lucas. He also has a nursery called Dicksonia Rare Plants. He says people often come looking for plants that will do well in the shade.
“And when you question them, you realize they have no idea what kind of shadow they’re working with,” he says.
(Horticulturalists produce weekly videos showcasing individual plants and gardens, and their video of 8 plants that thrive in the shade can be found here)
What shade do you have?
Not all shades are the same. Indeed, sometimes the shade is not as shady as you think.
That’s why it’s important to think about what kind of shade you want to plant.
‘Look at where the light falls and when,’ advises Stephen. For example, don’t assume that planting under a tree will always be in the shade, because if the tree is in a sunny spot, then sunlight will often fall below the tree’s crown.’
You can have dense shade – where there is almost no sunlight or less than 3 hours of sun per day. It can be in the shadow of tall buildings or under evergreen trees.
Or maybe you have partial shade, which is 3-6 hours of direct sunlight per day. There is also dappled shade, where the light tree canopy lets in a certain amount of light.
And finally, you have seasonal shade. This is when deciduous trees shade the border in summer but lose their leaves in winter. That’s why many spring bulbs do so well planted near deciduous trees—they get the sunlight they need while the leaves are off the trees (See where to plant spring bulbs here.)
Do you have morning or afternoon shade?
What time of day is your shade? A border that has morning sun and afternoon shade will satisfy all plants that like partial shade. The morning sun is always relatively cool and gentle, and by the time the day warms up, your plants will be in the shade. Hydrangeas would be a perfect choice.
But the border between morning shade and afternoon sun can be tricky, as the morning will be cool and shady. Then there will be a sudden transition to bright, hot sun in the afternoon, as the day will be warmer by then. You’ll need hardier plants – here are some good suggestions for partial shade in 10 beautiful but hardy perennials.
‘If your border has morning shade and afternoon sun, look for sun-loving plants that don’t mind shade,’ advises Stephen. These include flowering shrubs, such as lilacs, deutzia and spirea.
Flowering shrubs do well in the afternoon sun. Try lilac, deutzia or spirea.
And do you have a dry or wet shade?
Dry shade is one of the most difficult areas to plant, but there are still options. Try bergenia, epidmedia, pulmonaria and some ferns.
Bergenia is a good flowering plant for dry shade
And if you have moist shade, then astilbes, persicarias, lobelia cardinalis and some varieties of ferns or irises can be good. As for shrubs, hydrangeas love shade and are often happiest in wetter conditions.
Astilbe – a good plant for moist shade
Planting and subsequent care are important for dry shade
When you buy a plant from a nursery, it lives in a pot, Stephen explains. It will be watered and fertilized. The plant will not be accustomed to the relatively harsh conditions of dry shade, even if the plant is in dry shade.
Therefore, you will have to keep an eye on newly planted plants. Water them in the first summer, and if planted around tree roots, Stephen would even suggest fertilizing.
Once their roots are well established, you should let them grow without too much fuss.
Should trees be cut down to reduce shade?
Trees have value in every garden. They provide vertical interest, improve air quality, help prevent runoff and offer wildlife habitat.
And as some summers get warmer, shade trees can be valuable in their own right.
But if you want a little more light for your plants, then you can often create it by removing the lower branches and raising the canopy. Or you can ‘thin’ the canopy to create dappled light.
It is important that it is done by an expert. Just chopping the branches can spoil the shape of the tree and even shock it into growing thicker and faster. Check out the best tree tips – what you need to know before hiring a surgeon.
Obviously if the shade is coming from buildings then you won’t be able to make it brighter.
It’s worth consulting a tree surgeon rather than just cutting the branches, but removing a few lower branches can let in more light. Check out this post for what you need to know before contacting a surgeon.
What can you plant under a dense evergreen tree?
“The more difficult the conditions, the smaller the range of plants you’ll have to work with,” says Stephen.
Directly under a conifer tree is not only dark and dry, but the conifer root system will compete with anything you plant.
However, you can often plant at the edge of the canopy – just below where the branches end. Plenty of sun will reach this spot and it’s further away from the tree.
Try Bergenia cordifolia, epimediums and pulmonaria. Some varieties of ferns are also good for dry shade,
Stephen says that in mild climates, clivias (part of the Amaryllis family) do well, with bright orange flowers and strappy leaves. However, it will not tolerate frost, so will not survive in many UK or US gardens.
What about raised beds under a big tree?
If the soil under and near the tree is full of tree roots, can you overcome this by building a raised bed?
Stephen says you have to be careful. If you completely cover the area above the tree roots with large layers of soil, you could be depriving the tree of essential air.
However, a raised bed slightly away from the tree, in front of it or to one side, could give you additional planting options and an area of better planting soil.
What are the best foliage plants for a shade garden?
If you are planting in the shade, always think about how different the shape, size or color of the leaf can offer.
‘There are hundreds of good choices for leafy shade plants,’ says Stephen. ‘Plants that have evolved to thrive in the shade often have large, interesting leaves to capture as much sun as possible.’
Rodgersia (right) and Hosta with dramatically contrasting leaves. Both are good shade plants for fairly moist conditions – they won’t like really dry soil.
Mahonia and ‘polystichum’ or ‘dryopteris’ ferns do well in dry shade.
Can you experiment with plants for a shade garden?
So much of gardening is trial and error. And so often plants don’t do what you expect them to do.
So, can we take a risk and try planting a plant that is labeled ‘part shade’ in ‘deep shade’ or vice versa? Or even try a sun lover in a dirty place?
Stephen says you can, but you shouldn’t spend a lot of money on it!
However, he recommends planting self-seeders in a shade garden. ‘It will often spread to some pretty tough places,’ he says. ‘And if the plant has decided to grow there, instead of being planted there in a pot, then it can be very successful.
Good shade-loving self-seeders include frankincense, forget-me-nots, foxgloves, and Smyrna. (See my Top 25 Self-Sowing Plants for more suggestions).
I have had success adding Smyrna and foxgloves to a dry shady spot near a wall. However, Smyrna can spread very quickly so be prepared to pull it out if it strays too far. However, it is one of my most commented plants.
Surprisingly, Angelica also self-seeded in this group, also for many years, although it should prefer moist conditions.
So a little experimentation can be very satisfying.
My self seeded shade group – foxgloves and Smynium perfoliatum self seed well in this dry shady spot. And Anjelika shined on her own, even though I didn’t expect her to succeed here.
Watch the interview and more about plants in the video
A video on how to plant a shade garden is here.
Pin to remember what to plant in the shade garden
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