How to Create a Lush Garden in the Shade
From pretty flowers to full-on foliage, check out these shady garden ideas to help you plan a beautiful space
Even if your garden’s a bit short of sunlight, it can still be lush, as long as you choose the right, shade-loving plants. Here are just a few suggestions of varieties you could try.
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
Work in a winter rose
Hellebores can be planted in almost any situation – they’re tough, adaptable plants, although they do have a tendency to self-sow in a variety of unpredictable colours.
For dry shade, it’s best to opt for Helleborus niger, or Christmas rose, as it’s often called. This vigorous evergreen plant has white flowers that fade to green.
If planting in a container in a shady spot, opt for the Helleborus × ericsmithii ‘Winter Moonbeam’, which has the advantage of marbled foliage and green and white-eye flowers that turn red, held on pink stems.
Need some help in your outdoor space? Find landscape contractors and gardeners in your area.
Hellebores can be planted in almost any situation – they’re tough, adaptable plants, although they do have a tendency to self-sow in a variety of unpredictable colours.
For dry shade, it’s best to opt for Helleborus niger, or Christmas rose, as it’s often called. This vigorous evergreen plant has white flowers that fade to green.
If planting in a container in a shady spot, opt for the Helleborus × ericsmithii ‘Winter Moonbeam’, which has the advantage of marbled foliage and green and white-eye flowers that turn red, held on pink stems.
Need some help in your outdoor space? Find landscape contractors and gardeners in your area.
Opt for zingy foliage
Astilbes come in many different varieties and make really good plants for brightening up shady areas in a border. They’re relatively trouble-free, as long as they’re planted in a moist, well-drained soil. These lovely plants attract butterflies, are resistant to deer and rabbits, and have a long flowering season.
Astilbes rise gracefully, with their fern-like foliage and plumes of flowers, and look best planted in groups. The white variety seen here is planted next to some Dicentra, or bleeding heart, another useful plant for light shade in the garden during spring.
Astilbes come in many different varieties and make really good plants for brightening up shady areas in a border. They’re relatively trouble-free, as long as they’re planted in a moist, well-drained soil. These lovely plants attract butterflies, are resistant to deer and rabbits, and have a long flowering season.
Astilbes rise gracefully, with their fern-like foliage and plumes of flowers, and look best planted in groups. The white variety seen here is planted next to some Dicentra, or bleeding heart, another useful plant for light shade in the garden during spring.
Squeeze in small plants
Often called by their more common name, lungwort, Pulmonarias are adaptable to partial and even full shade. The terminal clusters of funnel-shaped flowers appear from late winter right through to the spring, some varieties having striking patterned leaves.
Many varieties are pretty indecisive in leaf form or flower colour, but Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’ is a great choice, as it produces compact clusters of rich blue and violet flowers on narrow, dark green leaves in early spring.
Epimediums are another type of small, shade-loving plant, especially good in dry shade. Planted en masse, they will easily smother weeds, and they’re happy mimicking their natural habitat under the dappled shade of deciduous shrubs – even on the north side of a building. Remember to cut back the older leaves before the flowers appear.
Be inspired by these beautiful small urban gardens.
Often called by their more common name, lungwort, Pulmonarias are adaptable to partial and even full shade. The terminal clusters of funnel-shaped flowers appear from late winter right through to the spring, some varieties having striking patterned leaves.
Many varieties are pretty indecisive in leaf form or flower colour, but Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’ is a great choice, as it produces compact clusters of rich blue and violet flowers on narrow, dark green leaves in early spring.
Epimediums are another type of small, shade-loving plant, especially good in dry shade. Planted en masse, they will easily smother weeds, and they’re happy mimicking their natural habitat under the dappled shade of deciduous shrubs – even on the north side of a building. Remember to cut back the older leaves before the flowers appear.
Be inspired by these beautiful small urban gardens.
Shape up
Structural evergreens, such as Prunus lusitanica, Buxus, Aucuba japonica, Elaeagnus, Fatsia japonica and Ligustrum lucidum, to name a few, are all good plants for shady areas and can be pruned to shape.
Structural shrubs like these will help to add a touch of architecture to a space, divide areas, and bring weight to the garden.
To add a different texture next to a pruned evergreen, look for the cascading green or golden variety of Hakonechloa macra, the Japanese forest grass seen here, which will happily grow in light shade.
Structural evergreens, such as Prunus lusitanica, Buxus, Aucuba japonica, Elaeagnus, Fatsia japonica and Ligustrum lucidum, to name a few, are all good plants for shady areas and can be pruned to shape.
Structural shrubs like these will help to add a touch of architecture to a space, divide areas, and bring weight to the garden.
To add a different texture next to a pruned evergreen, look for the cascading green or golden variety of Hakonechloa macra, the Japanese forest grass seen here, which will happily grow in light shade.
Add an aroma
Scented plants and flowering shrubs that do well in the shade include the sweetly scented flowers and lustrous evergreen leaves of the Sarcococca or sweet box. There are some lovely varieties, including ‘Purple Stem’, and, if grown by a door, the smell is intoxicating.
Kerria japonica has bright yellow flowers in the spring on a slender thicket of stems and will thrive in shade. In fact, Kerria is best kept away from the sun, as the rays can bleach the flowers.
Tellima grandiflora, with its scented flowers, is an invaluable plant for dry shade. The scalloped leaves are evergreen and, from late spring to midsummer, they send up tall spires of dainty, whitish/lime-green flowers.
If your soil is acidic, then camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas will be happy in the shade, as long as the soil is moist and is kept that way – especially during the summer months.
Scented plants and flowering shrubs that do well in the shade include the sweetly scented flowers and lustrous evergreen leaves of the Sarcococca or sweet box. There are some lovely varieties, including ‘Purple Stem’, and, if grown by a door, the smell is intoxicating.
Kerria japonica has bright yellow flowers in the spring on a slender thicket of stems and will thrive in shade. In fact, Kerria is best kept away from the sun, as the rays can bleach the flowers.
Tellima grandiflora, with its scented flowers, is an invaluable plant for dry shade. The scalloped leaves are evergreen and, from late spring to midsummer, they send up tall spires of dainty, whitish/lime-green flowers.
If your soil is acidic, then camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas will be happy in the shade, as long as the soil is moist and is kept that way – especially during the summer months.
Fill with green feathers
Ferns are fantastic plants for creating an abundant, luxurious feel. The male fern, or Dryopteris filix-mas, will cope with dry shade, which means it will survive under a tree.
For colour, look for the smaller Athyrium niponicum var. pictum, or painted lady fern, which has grey-green fronds tinged silver and purple.
Other varieties that can cope with deep shade are Matteuccia struthiopteris and Asplenium scolopendrium.
You might also like 8 Professional Tips for Novice Gardeners.
Ferns are fantastic plants for creating an abundant, luxurious feel. The male fern, or Dryopteris filix-mas, will cope with dry shade, which means it will survive under a tree.
For colour, look for the smaller Athyrium niponicum var. pictum, or painted lady fern, which has grey-green fronds tinged silver and purple.
Other varieties that can cope with deep shade are Matteuccia struthiopteris and Asplenium scolopendrium.
You might also like 8 Professional Tips for Novice Gardeners.
Go large on leaves
Foliage plants will add an architectural and dramatic look to a shady garden. Hostas are a classic shade plant and, with their textured leaves, will provide you with bold, lush foliage. They look wonderful in pots and are available in a range of leaf colours.
Slugs tend to favour hostas, but the blue-leaved varieties fare better. Try ‘Sum and Substance’ or ‘Big Daddy’.
Fatsia japonica, or Japanese aralia, can grow to be a fairly substantial 4 x 4m in a shady border, but will also be quite happy in a large container. The glossy sheen on its leaves is an important characteristic when choosing plants for shade, because it will help reflect any available light.
For good ground cover, try Pachysandra terminalis, which has a dense, creeping habit, forming a thick mat with its glossy green serrated leaves.
Asarum europaeum is also a good, low-growing evergreen, with dark green, heart-shaped leaves. Both these plants work well along the edges of borders and paths.
For ground cover with flowers, try Cornus canadensis, with its striking white flowers followed by bright red berries.
Foliage plants will add an architectural and dramatic look to a shady garden. Hostas are a classic shade plant and, with their textured leaves, will provide you with bold, lush foliage. They look wonderful in pots and are available in a range of leaf colours.
Slugs tend to favour hostas, but the blue-leaved varieties fare better. Try ‘Sum and Substance’ or ‘Big Daddy’.
Fatsia japonica, or Japanese aralia, can grow to be a fairly substantial 4 x 4m in a shady border, but will also be quite happy in a large container. The glossy sheen on its leaves is an important characteristic when choosing plants for shade, because it will help reflect any available light.
For good ground cover, try Pachysandra terminalis, which has a dense, creeping habit, forming a thick mat with its glossy green serrated leaves.
Asarum europaeum is also a good, low-growing evergreen, with dark green, heart-shaped leaves. Both these plants work well along the edges of borders and paths.
For ground cover with flowers, try Cornus canadensis, with its striking white flowers followed by bright red berries.
Reflect rays
A water feature will create a glistening light that will reflect leaves and help to light up shady areas. A lovely urn with water cascading into a small pond, for example, can look and sound wonderful, especially if planted around the edges with ferns and other moisture-loving plants.
It’s best to avoid fish if you’re adding a water feature to a shady garden, and be aware that it will become more ‘green’ with moss or leaf debris.
A water feature will create a glistening light that will reflect leaves and help to light up shady areas. A lovely urn with water cascading into a small pond, for example, can look and sound wonderful, especially if planted around the edges with ferns and other moisture-loving plants.
It’s best to avoid fish if you’re adding a water feature to a shady garden, and be aware that it will become more ‘green’ with moss or leaf debris.
Fashion a stumpery
Fill a shady corner of your garden with logs, bark or timber to create a stumpery, and plant shade-loving bulbs such as Cyclamen hederifolium, Cyclamen coum and snowdrops.
A stumpery will also create ideal growing conditions for moss, ferns and lichens to form a patchwork of layers. Polygonatum, or Soloman’s Seal, with its graceful, arching stems and clusters of bell-shaped, hanging white flowers, is a great addition to a shady woody area.
Creating a good mulch will help around the stumpery, as it will for all plants in a shady garden.
Indeed, in a natural woodland setting, there’s a build-up of leaf mould forming the perfect conditions, so try making your own leaf mould to help plants settle in better.
Tell us…
Will you be trying any of these ideas in your own shady garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Fill a shady corner of your garden with logs, bark or timber to create a stumpery, and plant shade-loving bulbs such as Cyclamen hederifolium, Cyclamen coum and snowdrops.
A stumpery will also create ideal growing conditions for moss, ferns and lichens to form a patchwork of layers. Polygonatum, or Soloman’s Seal, with its graceful, arching stems and clusters of bell-shaped, hanging white flowers, is a great addition to a shady woody area.
Creating a good mulch will help around the stumpery, as it will for all plants in a shady garden.
Indeed, in a natural woodland setting, there’s a build-up of leaf mould forming the perfect conditions, so try making your own leaf mould to help plants settle in better.
Tell us…
Will you be trying any of these ideas in your own shady garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Forget-me-nots are happy in light shade, but will very soon colonise your borders. For a similar blue flower, opt for the more restrained Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’. This rhizomatous herbaceous perennial will brighten up a shady area with its large, silver-etched, variegated, heart-shaped leaves and frosty blue flowers.
It looks stunning in pots, too, planted with the dark purple leaves of Heuchera Licorice. Watch for the leaves reverting to plain green and make sure you keep it moist, especially when first planting.