Shady Gardens - Making the most of Shady Places

​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...

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.