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Garden Inspiration, Expertise and Advice

Shady Gardens - Making the most of Shady Places

28/8/2020

 
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​If there’s one thing that every garden has it’s a shady place!  Whether your patch is overcast by mature trees, screened by a building or simply shaded by taller planting in a few places, coping with shade can seem tricky, but with a bit of know how and some handy tips, you can tackle your shady places and transform them from dull spots in to a green and verdant garden.
Shady areas are typically defined by the lack of direct sunlight to the ground. With less light, sun loving plants struggle to establish and become thin and weedy. The ground can be dry too which can cause problems for any new plants in the area as they try to compete for moisture. Despite these less than ideal conditions, there are plants that will happily thrive given the right initial care and attention.
​If you have a shady area to tackle it’s worth considering just how shady it is and what the soil is like before visiting a garden centre or nursery for plants, that way you’ll be able to choose the right plant for the right place...
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Part Shade: - If you have a border that has restricted direct sunlight for part of the day due to a garden fence or low building, then you’ll find that most plants will survive if the area is open to the sky & not gloomy. 
Dappled Shade: - If you have trees that lose their leaves in winter (deciduous) which overhang the area reducing the sunlight to dappled rays in spring-summer, then you will find that the best plants will be those that flourish in the spring before the trees leaf up.
Deep Shade: - If you are afflicted by mature conifers, hedges or overshadowing buildings you’ll find that the palette you have to choose from won’t be a gloriously colourful one but there will be plants available that will brighten the area and add interest throughout the year.
Establishing the soil condition is important too. Most shady areas suffer with dry soil as the rain can’t penetrate the canopy above or the existing mature plants suck out all moisture from the ground.  Conversely some shady areas will have constantly moist soil.  The plants that will be happy in moist conditions will be very different from those happy in dry soil.
Whatever the level of shade or the soil condition, it’s vital that the soil is weed-free; this may mean lots of hand weeding or a dose of a systemic weed killer prior to planting. It is then worth adding plenty of compost or manure and a balanced fertiliser like Growmore. 
With the soil ready it’s time to choose the plants.  Many of our local garden centres and nurseries now stock plants specially selected for shady conditions, so go along and look for the plants which will best suit the level of shade and soil conditions in your patch.
Particular favourites of mine are as follows:
Dappled Shade:  Hardy Geraniums, Anemone, Pulmonaria, Heuchera, Bluebells, Foxgloves, Aquilegia.
Deep Shade: Euphorbia robbiae, Cotoneaster, Box, Aucuba, Mahonia, Sarcococca, Hellebore, Bergenia.
Dry Shade: Euphorbia robbiae, Bergenia, Hellebores, Dryopteris ferns, Symphytum (Comfrey), Vinca (Periwinckle)
Moist Shade: Astilbe, Aruncus, Astrantia, Primula, Ligularia.
It’s vital that new plants in shady areas are watered well until they have established new roots and can fend for themselves– this could be for several months.  In dry areas a good soak once a week with a hose will allow the water to penetrate down to the roots. It’s also good to add a layer of mulch to reduce the moisture loss from the surface of the soil. With the right initial care and the best plant for the site and soil conditions, a dull lifeless shady area can be transformed in to a verdant oasis.
If you have a troublesome shady garden and you feel daunted by the task of transforming the space, contact Bel here to see how she can be of help  or tel. 07506 750250. 

Bel Grierson

Expert Plantswoman and Garden Designer with 20 years experience in horticulture.  Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.


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    Author: Bel Grierson

    Expert Plantswoman and Garden Designer with 21 years experience in horticulture.  Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.

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We are absolutely delighted with our beautiful new garden designed and installed by Bel! We had an unusually shaped garden which we didn't have the knowledge to handle, but at the same time had quite specific ideas of what we liked and disliked. Bel listened to our ideas and the challenge didn't phase her at all! The preparation of the the soil by her team, and the planting of the garden by Bel herself over three days couldn't have gone smoother. We would highly recommend Bel in terms of her expertise, conscientiousness and friendly, easy going personality and we can't stop looking at our amazing new garden!

Mrs Prist, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

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"Bel is brilliant. Easy to work with. Lots of ideas and plans but great at listening and quickly tapping into what you like, want and need. She has bags of style with a healthy dose of practicality and is 100% reliable. Totally recommend." ​

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"Bel delivered professional advice in a friendly way after she had established what her clients wished to achieve.  All in all - it has been a pleasure to work with her"

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"If you are looking for advice on your garden or a new designs then look no further than Bel Grierson. We have used her on several aspects of our garden to lower the maintenance and update the planting with spectacular results. Bel is easy to work with and is totally in tune with all our requirements."

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"Bel has delivered a delightful garden with a design that has transformed a shallow plot surrounded by fences, into a garden full of interest.  Bel listened carefully to our concerns and gave her total attention to each step of the way." ​​

Mr & Mrs Bayley - Loughborough, Leicestershire

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​​"Our 20 year old garden was looking tired and boring. No colour and a mishmash of plants that were past their sell-by date. We had no idea what to do to rescue the situation as we knew very little about what plants would do well. Then we found Bel. Our garden is transformed; beautiful colour that just keeps coming all through the year, easy maintenance and a joy to sit and look at with an appropriate glass in one hand. Bel interpreted our thoughts perfectly and has produced an extraordinary result. She is patient with non-gardeners, knowledgeable and highly professional. Not afraid to get her hands dirty and endlessly helpful. I simply cannot recommend her too highly."

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"Bel redesigned and planted our garden this summer. It has transformed it from dark and dingy to a fresh open space. Bel is a pleasure to work with, friendly and helpful, full of ideas and always ready to listen to what you want and find the best way of delivering it. Recommended!"

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​"Bel provided good advice and warm, friendly and professional support at all stages of our garden transformation. Her knowledge about plants and her design ideas gave us confidence from the outset. We are delighted with the result, and now look forward to enjoying our new garden in the months and years to come."

Mr Corner - Rearsby, Leicestershire

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"Bel has recently redesigned a large area in my garden which was previously a 'wilderness'. I was very pleased with the design that she came up with - it was clear that she had paid attention to what I had said I wanted and understood my style. Great communication throughout the process and now that the planting is finished I am looking forward to next spring and watching it develop."

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Thank you very much Bel for your design to renovate our back garden. It’s been great to work with you, we really appreciated spending time with you to hear your ideas and develop those with you for a new vision for our garden. We love the pond and wild at the back of the garden and the new plants you’ve sourced have all settled in very well and we are excited to see how they will grow!

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