Do you have a garden, but most of it is always in the shade? Does this bother you because of the neighbor’s house or the trees behind the fence or from the nearby forest that you cannot cut down so that they do not shade your garden? There’s probably not much you can do about it. But if you choose the right shade-tolerant plants, you can decorate even a gloomy and dark corner of the garden.
Hydrangea – Beautifully flowering, shade tolerant, very hygrophilous shrub. It is valued for its beautiful foliage and rich inflorescences. Garden hydrangea or paniculate grows in a bush up to 2 meters high.
| Photo: Shutterstock
“The quality of the soil is very important for plants placed in the shade. Most prefer rich and moist but well-drained soil. Poor soils should be enriched with compost or humus,” says Aneta Křováková, garden designer.
You also have to take acidity into account. If you fail acidify the soilit is worth preparing planting pits for perennials and filling them with a suitable substrate.
Shade permanents:
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“Gardens in the shade it is similar to a wet garden, although sometimes the conditions are different, because it can also be dry and shaded together, which is more complicated. In short, shade-loving plants are used to moisture in their natural environment,” says Jitka Nováková.
Therefore, many of them have developed broad, massive leaves that help collect the rare sunlight. And even though evaporation of moisture is much less in the shade, even plants in the shade may need heavy watering, especially in dry and sandy soils.
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With standing water, poor drainage and drainage, their roots are prone to rotting. Therefore, when preparing the soil, in very wet places, put drainage from pebbles or broken bricks at the bottom of the planting pits.
Do not sow the plants, but plant them
If sunlight penetrates a part of the garden for only 3-4 hours a day, it is called shade. If the sun is on a shaded area for more than 4-5 hours, it is already penumbra. The most problematic places are on the north, north-west or north-east side. In the spring, the snow lies there for a long time and slowly melts, in the summer the soil does not have time to dry again between the rains.
Rhododendron is suitable for a garden full of shade.Source: Courtesy of František Šimon
“Look for shade-loving plants. In these conditions, guests, bluebells, ferns or sedges grow well. Salad, beans, celery or leeks will also do well. Flowers include forget-me-nots, violets, costaces and bushy hydrangea,” says Aneta Křováková.
Some species need direct sun, others have learned to get by with diffused or reflected sun. They are usually understory dwellers and it is these plants that we can classify as shade tolerant. On the other hand, plants that feel worse in the open sun than in diffused light are usually referred to as shade-loving.
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But watch out! Most shade-tolerant plants do not seed because there is not enough light for the seeds to germinate. Plants that bloom in summer and fall are planted in spring, and those that bloom in spring are planted in fall.
“It depends on how much the garden is in the shade during the day. Some plants like so-called stray shade, which is a forest-like environment where the sun occasionally shines through the leaves. If the plot is shaded by deciduous trees, they can use, for example, bulbs in full sun in the spring, and after the leaves have leafed out, the shade will no longer bother them. In the complete shadow of, for example, buildings on the north side, almost nothing grows,” says Jitka Nováková.
Most shade-tolerant plants do not seed because there is not enough light for the seeds to germinate.Source: Shutterstock
Although the basis of a flower garden are unpretentious plants resistant to shade, it is still true that the longer the light falls on the place in the morning and evening hours, the more colorful and lush the arrangement will be.
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Or simply choose a minimalist style. Plant a quality lawn, focus on potted plants or decorative elements made of stones and wood. A large terrace and a pool with water heating will solve the problem of how to fill the space and how to spend time pleasantly.
Nine plants for shady gardens
1. Fern – in nature it grows exclusively in shady places, between forests and near rivers, it is also very resistant to drought.
2. Lily of the valley – it is extremely frost-resistant and not susceptible to diseases, it thrives ideally in semi-shade.
3. Rhododendron – likes moderate partial shade, and excessive sunlight can lead to drying and death of the plant.
4. Flamingo – feels comfortable both in the sun and in semi-shade, just water it regularly and weed the soil around it.
5. Root flower – it benefits from partial shade, exposure to sunlight can kill it.
6. Actinidia – can grow up to eight meters and decorate fences and walls of houses. Its fruits are also rich in vitamins.
7. Chechrava – blooms for a very long time, does not need a lot of sun and can tolerate high soil moisture.
8. Debtor – it is resistant to shade, cold and diseases. Dozens of different types will make it possible to realize almost any gardening project.
9. Hydrangea – is a charming and unpretentious shrub, despite its beauty, it does not need much light and is very resistant to adverse conditions.
Do you have a problem with your garden that you don’t know how to solve? Maybe our web series will tell you how to solve the situation A troubled garden.
