Shade Gardening

Gardening in shade can be a bit confusing at times.  Shade comes in a variety of forms and is caused by numerous factors.  Determining what type of shade you have is the first step in planning your shade garden.  Many sun-loving plants are perfectly happy in partial shade (3-5 hours sun), so plant selection is not very difficult.  A full shade garden (under 2 hours sun) often proves to be the greatest challenge for gardeners, but can also bring great rewards!

Shade gardening is often viewed as undesirable, especially by those who are used to gardening in the sun.  True, many brightly flowering plants will not be happy in a shady location.  However, shade gardening provides us with the opportunity to play with texture, leaf colour and form.  The shade garden may not be quite as colourful as a sunny border, but it has a subtle beauty all its own.  You can create interest in the garden by pairing fine and coarse textured plants, such as Ferns and Hostas.  For some added drama, include some deep burgundy Coral Bells or silver-leafed Lungwort.  If all else fails, add some annual colour!  Pretty Impatiens or colourful Coleus can brighten up any shady spot that needs some excitement.

Perennials

Hostas
The staple of any shade garden, Hostas come in a wide variety of colours, shapes and textures.  They are tough, easy-to-grow plants which can provide you with wonderful leaf interest.  They also flower in the summer, sending up slender spikes of either lavender or white which are often fragrant.

Ferns
Ferns are another wonderful foliage plant for the shade.  They offer great texture, leaf colour and a graceful silhouette.  Tall ferns such as Ostrich fern can serve as a wonderful backdrop for other shade-lovers like Astilbe and Coral Bells.  Smaller ferns like the Japanese Painted Fern are perfect for the front of the shade garden, where their beauty can be fully appreciated.  Most Ferns prefer an average to moist location in partial or full shade.

Coral Bells
Coral Bells are probably the most colourful foliage plant for the shade.  These leafy plants come in a rainbow of colours, ranging from peach to jet black and everything in between.  They are easy to grow and combine well with Hostas and Ferns.

Spring Bloomers
Many flowering shade plants put on their show early in the season, making spring one of the best seasons for the shade garden.  Hellebores are one of the earliest blooming perennials, with some varieties blooming as early as December!  Bleeding Heart, Bugloss and Lungwort are also great choices for colour in the spring garden.

Dry Shade
Gardening under trees can be a challenge.  Greedy tree roots are water and nutrient thirsty, leaving little left for your plants, which often end up struggling to survive.  Planting tough, drought-tolerant species under trees will greatly improve your gardening success.  Try Pachysandra, Periwinkle, Lungwort, Hosta, and Barrenwort.

Shrubs

Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are gorgeous, long-blooming, adaptable plants.  A very diverse group, Hydrangeas come in all shapes, sizes and colours.  Most Hydrangeas are perfectly happy in full shade.  To produce the most abundant flowers, higher light conditions are better.

Yew
Yews are truly amazing plants.  These evergreens will thrive in sun or shade and are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.  Dense Yews make a great low hedge while Cone Clipped Yews are neat focal points.  Their texture is wonderfully soft and they are easily trimmed into whatever shape you please.

Virginia Creeper And Boston Ivy
These two vines share many similarities; they are self-clinging and fast-growing, they will grow in sun or shade and they turn a beautiful reddish colour in the fall!  These vines are great choices to cover shady masonry walls or fences.

Euonymus
These evergreen shrubs can add so much to the landscape.  They come in a wide variety of variegated forms, and are great for brightening up a shady spot.  Some varieties are vine-like and can be trained up a trellis or masonry wall, while others are shrubby, perfect for the mixed garden or foundation planting.