Larry Hodgson
Larry Hodgson, president of Garden Writers Association, a nonprofit organization. Based in Quebec City, Canada, he is author of Making the Most of Shade and former editor in chief of Houseplant Magazine. GardenWriters.org
You can successfully and easily garden on land that gets little direct sunlight. Shade gardening is a great option for yards bordered by tall, sun-blocking trees or buildings. It’s also a good way to garden through the heat of summer without sweltering in the sun. Gardening in the shade can dramatically reduce the need to weed, too—weeds generally don’t flourish in shady spots.
The key to an easy, successful shade garden is selecting plants well-suited to low-sunlight locations. Opt for mature plants rather than seeds or seedlings. Very young plants sometimes have trouble establishing themselves in the shade, particularly when tree roots are present. Plants sold in one- to two-gallon pots are a better bet than those sold in smaller pots. And choose varieties of plants that are extremely tolerant of shady locations, such as…
Hostas, also known as plantain lily, are hearty, low-maintenance perennials that are well-suited to shade. Depending on the variety—many different types and sizes of hostas are available—they can provide beautiful blue, green or yellow foliage with white or lavender blooms. Water regularly in the first year if there are tree roots present. Otherwise, hostas require very little care. Once a hosta reaches four or five years old, it can be divided, ideally in the spring.
Ferns are low-maintenance, extremely shade-tolerant and available in a wide range of varieties and sizes. There even are ferns that provide colors beyond green in the garden—the Japanese painted fern has reddish-purple stalks and foliage that’s almost silver. Unlike hostas, ferns rarely are eaten by deer. Ferns prefer soil that remains evenly wet. They are not appropriate for dry spots in a shade garden.
Shrubs typically will grow in the shade, though shade-grown shrubs will not be as dense as those grown in the sun.
Boxwood and Viburnum are two shrubs that do especially well in shade. Boxwood is fairly deer-resistant and typically dense enough so that you can’t see through it even in the shade. Water boxwood regularly in the first year, but after that, it can take care of itself. Boxwood is a slow grower, so some patience is required.
Viburnum produces flowers in the spring and bird-attracting fruits later in the season. It tends to become a bit gangly in the shade, so occasional pruning is a good idea. Both boxwood and viburnum prefer well-drained soil.
Ground covers including Pachysandra and Vinca Minor are excellent options for shade gardens. Even shade-tolerant plants tend to produce wispier foliage and fewer blooms in the shade than they would with more sun. Shade-tolerant perennial ground covers such as these can fill in any gaps in the green so that your shade garden always looks thick and lush. Pachysandra and vinca minor are extremely easy to grow—just put them in the ground, and your great-grandkids still could be enjoying them long after you’re gone. Like most ground covers, they are very aggressive, however, so steps should be taken to prevent them from taking over the garden. Insert plastic lawn borders into the ground around pachysandra to limit their spread. Surround vinca minor with tall plants or a rock border. Pachysandra can take a while to fill in. Position your plants so that they touch each other if you want high plant density from year one. If you plant them 12 inches apart, they will take four to five years to fill in. Prune vinca minor’s stems back a few inches for a denser look—doing this will encourage it to fill in with additional stems.
Other perennials well-suited to the shade include…Goatsbeard. This huge, shrublike perennial has attractive deep-green foliage and charming cream-colored flower plumes. It can reach four feet in height in year one and six or seven feet in future years. It’s a hearty plant that rarely requires attention. Don’t remove goatsbeard’s flowers after the spring bloom—the faded flowers can remain on the plant and continue to look attractive right through the winter. Cut the plant back early the following spring.
Anemones. These are available in many different types. Depending on the variety you select, your anemones might bloom in spring, summer or fall…they might be tiny, huge or anywhere in between…and they might produce beautiful flowers of red, pink or white at the top of long, thin stems. Tell the nursery what you’re looking for, and ask how best to care for each particular variety. Most anemones are slow off the mark, so don’t expect much in the first year.
Masterwort. This perennial produces an abundance of small pink-, red- or ivory-colored flowers. It can tolerate full shade but prefers semishade. If you position it where it gets some sun, it could bloom all summer long. Masterwort can self-sow but not to the point of weediness. Remove the stems of spent flowers if you want to prevent additional masterwort plants from growing.
Rodgersia. This big plant has huge, stunning, primitive-looking wrinkled leaves. It produces fluffy two-foot white or pink flower spikes each spring, too, but the leaves are the star of this show. Rodgersia is well-suited to the dampest corner of a shade garden—it doesn’t like dry soil.
Annuals, vegetables and herbs tend not to do well in the shade. Wax Begonias are an exception. These annuals can produce bright colorful flowers even with very limited direct sunlight. They require no special care and are available in a wide range of colors.
Warning: Impatiens, traditionally an appropriate annual plant for shade gardens, has been devastated by the plant pathogen Plasmopara obducens in recent years. Check with your local nursery before planting.
