Landscaping
a Shady Area

Tired of looking at a bare shady area where nothing grows but moss and lichen? Looking for a more interesting shade plant than hostas? BLI's shade garden plan will help you do more with the shady areas in your yard.

[If you need tips for Mountian Landscaping, we can help with that, too.]

Working with the shade

If you live in a wooded area, you've probably noticed the forest floor is anything but barren. The same principles that make the floor or a dense forest come to life with lush greenery and delicate flowers can be applied to shade gardening at home.

Densities of shade

Not all shades are equal and the density of will determine what type of plants will grow in the area. A plant's labels may you the plant is suitable for "partial shade" or "dense shade," but it's up to you to decide what that means in practice. Usually, area that receives three to six hours of full sun during the day or dappled sun all day will be considered partially shady. Light shade is found in areas with shifting patterns of light and shadow throughout the day, usually under younger trees with low branches or mature trees with high, leafy canopies. Medium shade refers to an area that's shaded for four or five of the day's brightest hours, but receives sun in the mornings and towards dusk. Full shade is cast by the branches of mature trees with dense foliage and spreading canopies, such as maples, chestnuts, and oaks. Dense shade is the even, cool shadow beneath mature evergreens or beside buildings. Within these categories there are many choices to keep your shade garden in color all season long.

Plants for a shady area

Once you've decided what type of shade you've got, look for plants that are known to do well in exactly that level of light. A plant that would thrive in the deep, damp shade of an evergreen forest may dry out and die even in the dappled sunlight under a young maple. Just as lack of light will make sun-loving plants spindly, plants that need deep shade will wither in too much sunlight.

Some plants that prefer shady spots are violets, primroses, foxglove, narcissus, honeysuckle, and clematis will do well, along with Stinking gladwyn (Iris foetidissima), Barrenwort (Epimedium x versicolor), Lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata), Solomon's seal (Polygonatum x hybridum), Anemone (Anemone nemorosa 'Robinsoniana)', Hardy cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium), Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis), and cranesbills (Geranium sylvaticum)

Lilies such as Madonna lilies and Lilium candidum also do well in semi-shade. In milder climates, snowdrops and winter aconites will provide winter interest in less sunny spots.

Planting design

If your goal is to imitate the forest floor, common plants such as wood anemones and hardy cyclamen can be scattered randomly. Larger plants like Solomon's seal and evergreen irises can be planted in a more compact arrangement. Shade plants can grow with surprising speed, though, so don't plant them too close to one another.

A climber can brighten up a plain-looking tree, but be sure the tree can support the climber you choose and avoid very vigorous vines like Clematis montana unless the tree is quite strong. Because the tree will have to compete with nearby plants for nutrients, plant the vine a few feet from the trunk to give both plants room to survive. To encourage the climber to grow on the tree, fix a low post near the climber and stretch a wire or string up to an especially strong branch of the tree in order to guide the main stems of the climber toward the tree.

Preparing the area

If you're planting in the shade of a wall or other structure and your soil is fairly healthy, then simply mixing a little compost to the bottom of the planting holes will be enough.

If you're planting in the shade a tree, the soil may need to be reworked somewhat. Remember, the consistancy of forest floor soil is different from typical garden soil. For this reason, shade plants prefer rich, crumbly soil, rather than the fine, sandy soil that many vegetables grow in. To create this soil, topdress the ground compost, leaf-mould or manure before digging it over. Any organic matter you add to the soil should have had a chance to rot down to a more dirt-like consistancy before you use it.

Maintanence

Slower-growing perennials may only need to be divided only once or twice a decade, but faster growers like primroses or violets are best divided every year. For trees with climbers, monitor the climber to be sure it doesn't overwhelm the tree. Faster growing climbers can take over a small to mid-sized tree in just one summer. Also if you're working near a tree, keep in mind that shade near the trunk will deepen as branches grow, meaning that after some years, semi-shade plants may have to be moved out closer to the sunlight.

Shade-loving plants often don't respond much to fertilizer, but they do benefit from compost added to give the soil a richer texture. During autumn clean-up, leave a layer of leaves to act as mulch. To grow the shade garden faster, collect seeds of perennials like primroses, foxgloves and cyclamen, and plant them in trays of gritty compost, and set them outdoors to germinate.