Shedding light on those dank, shady corners
ASK someone to describe their dream garden and they are unlikely to suggest a shady plot. It’s no surprise, really. The lack of light in north or east-facing gardens, or a patch of dry soil under a tree or alongside a wall, are not the easiest of places to establish a fantastic display of plants.
Yet there’s no need to give up hope. It’s possible to create a beautiful garden by improving your soil and manipulating the space to increase existing light levels. Once the groundwork has been done, adding some low-light loving plants will help to bring the gloomiest of spaces to life.
Improving the amount of light your garden receives greatly increases planting possibilities. Obviously, there’s nothing you can do about shadows cast by buildings but plants that block out the sun can be manipulated by pruning – thin out overgrown shrubs to allow more light to penetrate and lower the height of hedges.
Low branches of some trees can be removed to improve light at the base, creating perfect conditions for some bulbs, perennials and shrubs. Known as ‘lifting the canopy’, it involves removing branches up to half the height of the tree. Don’t get carried away or you’ll end up disfiguring the tree.
It’s important to understand what type of shade you have before selecting plants suitable for a specific position. There are two main types determined by your soil – damp and dry shade. If it’s the latter, improve soil by digging in leafmould or garden compost to boost water-holding capacity.
The amount of shade is governed by aspect and the proximity of trees and buildings. Semi-shade is when gardens get two to four hours of direct sunlight, while dappled shade is where the sun is filtered by deciduous trees. Heavy shade can be found under evergreen trees, in the shadow of houses and on the north side of walls. A common misconception is that only ivies, ferns, hostas and a handful of other foliage plants will do well in the shadows. In fact, many architectural plants, shrubs, climbers, flowering perennials, grasses and bulbs will flourish to provide colour and, often, year-round interest. Witch hazels, hydrangeas, hardy fuchsias and camellias are among shrubs that do well in semi-shade, while Japanese maples, tree ferns and cordylines are happy in dappled shade. Acanthus, bleeding heart, brunnera, erythronium and heuchera are fabulous perennials to brighten-up low light conditions.
Establishing plants under evergreens isn’t easy as the soil is usually bone dry, and planting is hindered by a mass of roots close to the surface. Fortunately, there are several ground cover plants and shallow-rooted perennials that will prosper, including Vinca minor ‘Illumination’, Ajuga reptans ‘Alba’ and Bowles’ golden grass.