7 Shade Garden Questions Answered
Your shade garden questions, answered! One of the top garden inquiries we receive at gardenologie is about shade. Not all of us are blessed with garden beds that bask in full sun, so let’s explore this topic and dive deeper into shade gardens.
What is a shade garden?
Let’s begin by defining the types of gardens based on the number of sunlight hours they receive.
A full sun garden is one that receives 6+ hours of direct sunlight
A partial shade garden receives 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
A shaded garden receives 3 hours or less of direct sunlight and may also receive some filtered sunlight
In urban gardens, there are lots of reasons that one might have a shaded garden. We live closely together so physical barriers like walls and fences tend to create shaded spaces. Your garden might get mostly morning sunlight and receive filtered or indirect sunlight the rest of the day. Shaded areas can also be the understory of larger trees and shrubs where it’s difficult to grow grass, let alone plants.
What are some of the challenges with growing in shady areas?
Shady areas have gotten a bit of a bad rep because they represent areas where many plants don’t thrive. While it’s of course possible that your favourite rose bush might survive in partial or full shade conditions, it is not likely that it will thrive. The same can be said with the edible garden. Prized crops like tomatoes simply prefer to grow in full sun and will produce better harvests in ideal conditions.
Further, shady areas can also represent spaces where there is competition for nutrients from root growth of other plants and trees present.
What edible plants will grow in the shade?
Our shadier gardens can be a place for perennial edibles such as alpine strawberries and black raspberries. You can also plant a whole host of edible greens in shadier spaces. Lettuces, spinach, mustard greens and arugula all thrive when there are few leaves on the trees in the spring and then appreciate the shade as the temperatures rise in the late spring and early summer. In general, herbs have a good tolerance too for partial shade.
We can help you plan your shade garden with abundance in mind. Check out our Master Classes and Services more information.
Does a shady garden mean you can only grow hostas?
No! There seems to be this ubiquitous notion that only hostas will grow and thrive in shady areas. We know that we all default to our creature comforts when it comes to planting in shady areas and for that reason we see a lot of hostas in shade gardens as they grow large AND fill in very difficult and problem areas of the garden.
In order to expand from hostas and increase the variety of plants in your shade garden, one of the best things you can do when visiting a garden centre or plant nursery is to be prepared when shopping for your shade plants. Figure out the size of the area that needs planting and be sure to note whether your space is full or partial shade. Garden centres often group plants by light needs and most plants come with a tag that explicitly states their light requirements.
What plants are good in the shade for the perennial garden?
There are a whole host of great shade tolerant plants and plants that thrive in the shade.
Ferns: a great choice if you’re looking for a lot of coverage; ostrich ferns are even edible
Bleeding Heart: come in a variety of colours, the white is a bit less common than the traditional hot pink and white
Hellebores: beautiful spring blooms in an array of colours, they are also called Lenten Rose.
Solomon’s Seal: wonderful height and early blooming
Astilbe: stunning, albeit short show of colour
Climbing hydrangea: works for vertical spaces
Sweet Woodruff: lovely for ground cover and also can be made as a tea
Native species to North America that are shade tolerant:
Bloodroot
Foam Flower
Giant Yellow Hyssop
Snakeroot
Which flower annuals suit a partially shaded or fully shaded garden?
For annuals you can’t go wrong with beautiful wax begonias. We like to plant them in pots so that they trail over the side and we are partial to the beautiful pale shades. The variety ‘Angelique Hanging Begonia’ is quite stunning. That being said, they’re readily available and come in a variety of colours and textures. Coleus also does quite well as do Fuschia and the traditional Impatiens.
What are some of the benefits of having a shadier garden?
Melissa worked with a landscape architect to create a shaded back garden for her Toronto home. She has a partner who dislikes being out in direct sun and little kids who don’t always keep their hats on. Having a beautiful shaded space adjacent to her kitchen allows her to eat outdoors for many meals. A shaded garden can also be a great place to observe wildlife in your outdoor space with some critters taking refuge from the midday sun in the more temperate shade.
We hope that this blog post has inspired you to embrace your shady garden and think about all the wonderful possibilities. If you have questions about how some of these principles and ideas can be applied to your space, you can book a consultation or consider our Master Class, which includes a garden planning session tailored to your space and conditions.
