Why Is Shade So Tricky?
And what can we do about it?
We’ve probably all got one.
That slightly miserable patch of garden where nothing seems particularly keen to grow. Perhaps it's beneath a tree, alongside a wall, behind the shed or squeezed between two buildings.
You buy a lovely plant. You plant it there.
It struggles.
So you buy another one.
It struggles too.
Eventually you decide:
“Nothing grows there.”
But that's rarely true.
The problem isn't necessarily the garden. And it certainly isn't that you're a terrible gardener.
More often, we're simply asking a plant to grow somewhere that doesn't provide what it needs.
So rather than battling with shade, let's understand it.
First of all, what is shade?
We tend to talk about a garden being either sunny or shady, but it's much more complicated than that.
A spot that receives four hours of morning sunshine can be very different from one receiving four hours of intense afternoon sun.
And shade itself comes in several forms.
Light or dappled shade
Think of the shifting light beneath an open-canopied tree.
Sunlight filters through the leaves during the day, producing alternating patches of light and shade.
Lots of woodland-edge plants are very happy in these conditions.
Partial shade
The area receives direct sunlight for part of the day and shade for the rest.
An east-facing border, for example, might receive lovely morning sunshine before moving into shade later.
Full shade
This doesn't necessarily mean complete darkness.
It usually describes somewhere receiving very little or no direct sunlight, perhaps beside a north-facing wall or underneath dense evergreen planting.
And then there's another important distinction.
Dry shade and damp shade are very different growing environments.
More about that shortly.
Why does sunlight matter so much?
Here comes a little plant science. You know I love to get a bit nerdy!
Plants need light for photosynthesis.
Inside their leaves, chlorophyll absorbs light energy which the plant uses to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars. Those sugars provide the chemical energy and carbon compounds the plant needs for growth and development.
So when light levels fall, the rate at which a plant can photosynthesise can also fall.
But plants aren't all designed for the same light conditions.
Some have evolved in open habitats where they're exposed to strong sunlight for much of the day.
Others naturally grow on woodland floors or beneath shrubs and trees where light levels are considerably lower.
That's why putting a sun-loving plant in a deeply shaded corner and hoping for the best isn't really giving it a fair chance.
Shade isn't always the real problem
This is where things get interesting.
When people tell me "Nothing grows under that tree”, my first thought isn't necessarily shade.
I also want to know what's happening below the ground.
Trees and established shrubs have extensive root systems competing with surrounding plants for both water and nutrients.
Rainfall may also be intercepted by the canopy before it reaches the soil.
So that apparently simple shady spot may actually involve:
Low light + dry soil + root competition.
That's quite a tough job description for a plant.
A shady border beside a wall, on the other hand, might have moist, rich soil and very little root competition.
Both are "shade".
But they're completely different habitats.
Start with the place, not the plant
This is one of the most useful gardening habits you can develop.
Before buying plants, spend a little time observing the area.
Ask yourself:
When does it get sunlight?
Morning? Afternoon? Never directly?
How long does the sun reach it?
Remember that this changes dramatically through the seasons.
What's creating the shade?
A building? Fence? Deciduous tree? Evergreen hedge?
What's the soil like?
Dry? Damp? Heavy? Free-draining?
Are there lots of established roots?
Digging one small planting hole can tell you quite a lot!
Once we understand the conditions, plant choice becomes much easier.
Right plant, right place
You'll hear gardeners say this all the time, and for good reason.
Right plant, right place.
Instead of trying to change the entire garden to suit the plant we've fallen in love with, we choose plants naturally suited to the conditions we already have.
And suddenly gardening becomes much easier.
For shade, there are plenty of wonderful choices.
For moist or reasonably fertile shade
Depending on your particular conditions, consider plants such as:
Hostas
Ferns
Astilbes
Hellebores
Brunnera
Heucheras
Japanese anemones
Astrantia
You can create a beautiful border using foliage shape, texture and different shades of green, rather than relying entirely on flowers.
And hostas are proof that leaves can quite happily steal the show.
Unfortunately, the slugs appear to agree.
What about dry shade?
This is often the real challenge.
Under established trees, beside hedges and in rain-shadow areas near walls, plants may receive very little water.
Plants worth investigating for suitable sites include:
Epimedium
Geranium macrorrhizum
Cyclamen hederifolium
Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae
Some ferns
Hellebores
The important phrase there is worth investigating.
"Shade tolerant" doesn't mean a plant will grow anywhere. Your soil type, moisture levels, exposure and local conditions still matter.
That's why observation comes first.
Don't forget bulbs
Shady areas beneath deciduous trees offer us a clever opportunity.
In late winter and early spring, the tree canopy hasn't fully developed yet.
That means plenty of light can reach the ground.
Plants that grow and flower early can make use of this brief window before the trees come into leaf.
Think:
Snowdrops
Crocuses
Cyclamen
Bluebells
Anemones
Narcissi
By summer, many have finished their main growing cycle just as the canopy above becomes dense.
Nature is rather good at finding solutions.
You can improve the conditions too
Choosing suitable plants doesn't mean we can't give them some help.
Adding organic matter can improve soil structure and its ability to retain moisture.
Mulching can reduce evaporation and help suppress weeds.
New plants will need careful watering while their root systems establish, even if they're eventually expected to tolerate relatively dry conditions.
And sometimes the answer isn't another plant at all.
A particularly difficult corner might become:
a seat
a path
a log pile
a wildlife area
containers
a little sculpture
somewhere for a bird bath
Not every square metre of a garden has to contain a flourishing flower border.
Look at what nature is already telling you
One of the best ways to become a better gardener is simply to notice things.
What is already growing successfully in that shady corner?
Moss?
Ferns?
Ivy?
Wildflowers?
Look at similar conditions when you're walking through woodland or visiting other gardens.
Which plants naturally grow together?
Where does the soil stay damp?
Where is it surprisingly dry?
Gardening becomes much easier when we stop trying to impose our plans on a space and start responding to the conditions that are actually there.
Shade can be beautiful
Sunny borders tend to get all the glory.
They're full of roses, lavender, salvias and colourful summer flowers.
But shade offers something completely different.
Ferns unfurling in spring.
Hostas with enormous architectural leaves.
Hellebores flowering when very little else is happening.
The tiny flowers of epimedium.
Layers of green.
Cool, peaceful corners.
And on a scorching summer afternoon, that shady seat might suddenly become your favourite place in the whole garden.
Perhaps shade isn't a problem after all.
Perhaps it's just an opportunity to grow something different.
Have a look at your garden
Find the area you currently think of as your "difficult shady bit".
Don't change anything yet.
Just observe it.
Notice when the sun reaches it. Feel the soil. Look at what's already growing. Think about where the water goes and what might be competing beneath the surface.
Then ask: What would actually enjoy growing here?
That's a much more useful question than: What can I persuade to survive here?
And if you're a member of the Happy Place Garden Project, take a photograph and share your troublesome shady spot in Garden Chat. Between us, we might come up with some ideas.
After all, that's what the project is about.
Learning from our gardens — and from each other.
