One of the things we sometimes obsess about is shade. What can we do with the shady corner? Will anything grow? What can we plant in the shadow of that wall or tree? It’s why most plants are labelled as to whether they will tolerate shade or semi-shade.

Most of us will have one or two shady spots in the garden. It’s probably inevitable especially in urban spaces which can suffer from dry shade. Planting can sometimes be tricky as plants don’t like the colder conditions and lack of light created by shade and of course the soil is either very dry or very wet.

But, having said that, there are plenty of plants which will tolerate shade and there are things we can do to reduce the amount of shade and shadow cast into different areas of your shade garden.

Types of garden shade

Shade is shade – right? Well, yes. But like most things there are different degrees and levels. The amount of shade varies from dense to light and is usually measured over the four to six hours during the height of a summer's day.

Dense shade – probably speaks for itself. This is when the tree cover is so thick very little light gets through.

Light shade – the tree cover is broken letting in light but not direct sun.

Semi-shade – the area does get some sun during the day.

Dappled shade – no direct sun but sun and light does penetrate the light canopy of trees.

Buildings, walls and hedges can all throw shade of course but the degree of shadow and coverage will be match one of the above.

Dry and damp shade

Depending on the amount of shade the soil will either be predominantly dry or wet. Areas at the base of large trees or high walls tend to suffer from dry soil so dig in lots of compost or manure in the spring to add moisture to the soil. Add plenty of mulch around your plants too and keep new plants very well-watered.

If you have a clay based soil or your garden is near to water or prone to flooding you may have an issue with damp shade. This could also be true if the area is in a natural dip or so densely shaded the soil never dries out. Again, digging in plenty of compost or manure will help the soil and improve the natural drainage.

Making the most of a shady area

Although you can’t knock down walls or fell trees there are some things you can do to make that often-neglected corner of your shade garden more attractive and lighter.

Firstly, although you probably can’t cut down trees you may be able to trim low hanging branches or, if it’s your hedge causing shade, cut it back as far as privacy allows. Even raising the tree canopy a little will allow a lot more light to penetrate.

Something else that works well is to make that shadowy corner into a feature. A water feature or some electrical lighting if mains power is available can transform a dark area. A lit waterfall or small pond can quite literally transform what was previously a forgotten part of the garden. 

Enhance it with potted plants which can be moved into the sun when necessary. Adding light gravel and painting the boundary fence or wall can brighten things up even further.

What about shrubs and plants for shade?

We’ve talked about brightening up a shady corner of the garden with lighting and decorative gravel but there are shrubs and other plants which can be grown in shady areas. Many plants can flourish in semi-shade but even in more shadowy areas some plants can still flourish.

Shade tolerant plants won’t usually produce masses of blooms but different colours and textures of foliage can make a delightful display. Hosta is a plant that many home gardeners will be familiar with and is very shade tolerant. Depending on the variety it can spread nicely and has very attractive foliage.

Ferns are very hardy and whilst most will require plenty of moisture they do very well in the shade and their wonderful foliage and vibrant green colour will be a fine addition to any shade garden. Grasses will prosper and if you’re looking for a flowering plant, hydrangeas can do well in light shade. A Japanese maple or birch tree can also prosper and can be a feature in a lightly shaded area.

Head on over to our shopping pages to see more shrubs and trees suitable for your shade garden.