What plants love shade?

first78

Okay, so I'm cleaning my backyard and getting my pots all cleaned...the question now is what to plant? My backyard is mostly in total shade all day...there's one small patch that gets some sun but the rest of it is constantly shady and I'm wondering what I can plant in my tubs to brighten up these dark areas...any ideas please?

scorpio_biker

Hi,

I've planted Hostas in the shady area of my garden. Lovely foliage plant but loved by slugs and snails unfortunately.

This site has details of shade loving plants
http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/
I haven't used them so can't give a recommendation, but they do show a wide variety of plants for shade.

HTH

RAS

One thing you can do is to rotate your pots round the backyarsd so that each of them gets say a week in the sun and two weeks in shade.

Also think about mirrors which can bounce light around a shady space.

Kyrae

You could make a fern area, we bought some old moss covered rockery stones on ebay and planted ferns between them and it looks lovely! I planted a pyracantha to climb up the fence and that seems to be doing fine, though mine gets a tiny bit of sun through the fence panels. I planted some Bugle and Creeping Jenny plants last year and they've spread like mad so I guess they survive well in shade, if you need any low growing groundcover!

grannybroon

I bought an Astilbe root today - it likes a shady situation and requires to be kept moist. I also love hellebores which are at their best just about now. My east facing back garden is quite shaded and moist and they seem to flourish.

Leif

I'm working out what to put in shadier areas and here are some:
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• Euonymus fortunei: Sun, partial shade or shade, damp clay soil. 1m high by 1.5m wide.
• Liriope muscari: sun, partial shade or shade, well drained moist soil, hardy. 30cm high by 45cm wide.
• Skimmia japonica: Partial shade or shade, light well drained or heavy clay soil, hardy. 75cm high by 75cm wide.

[FONT=&quot]I think these need partial shade:

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• [FONT=&quot]Comfrey[/FONT]
• Mahonia aquifolium: Partial shade. Well drained soil. 1m high by 1m wide.
• Gaultheria shallon: Partial shade. Hardy. 1m high by 2m wide. Edible berries.
• Spiraea japonica: partial shade, well drained, light or clay soil, hardy. 2m high by 1.5m wide.
• Camellia: Acidic soil. Hardy. 2m high by 1.5m wide.
• Japanese aralia - Fatsia japonica.
• Geranium
• Fleabane - Erigeron karvinskianus: sun or partial shade, hardy, well drained acidic soil. 30cm high by 60cm wide.
• Ferns
• Bamboo: Shade tolerant, will grow in clay soil.
• Aucuba japonica: Spotted Laurel.
• Astilbe arendsii: sun or partial shade, damp clay soil, hardy. 1.8m high by 60cm wide.
• Astrantia major Buckland: Sun or partial shade, damp clay soil, hardy. 90cm high by 45cm wide.

I'd check up though just in case my sources were not accurate.

walkers-crisps_are_evil

Tricyrtis (toad lily). The more shade the better with these as it delays flowering. One of the last things to flower towards end of summer and wow what a little gem of a flower. Like mini orchids. Google the name and you will come up with a supplier as you don't see them at garden centers that often-mine anyway. And Ferns ferns ferns...so many different wonderful types, and one of the oldest plant species.

Floozie

Hydraengas, rhodedendrons and astrantia perennials are growing my front garden which is north facing and shady.

Davesnave

This guy has a good list, though not everything is just for shade.

http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/

BTW I am not connected with this business, but I know it's reputable, having met the owner and seen his stock at plant fairs etc.

Oops....just noticed Scorpio Biker has given the same link so I will add RHS list:

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=100

cootambear

any veg that doesnt mind a bit of shade?

annie123

cootambear wrote: »

any veg that doesnt mind a bit of shade?

I grow all my lettuce in the shade in the summer, lasts so much longer before it thinks of bolting, also grown calabrase, peas, radish, swiss chard, coriander, chives and mint all happy in the shade too.
I don't have deep dark shade in my garden, just shade caused by fences, and neighbours 35' sycamore tree x2:mad: