I know that shade growing can be a challenge. But with some careful planning and patience you can design a lush, interesting garden that thrives in shade. And once established, a shade garden is low maintenance and provides much needed respite from a hot summer day.

To be successful in shade growing, you first need to choose the right plants. Look for plant recommendations for shade growing trees, shade growing shrubs, shade growing perennials, shade growing annuals, and shade growing bulbs.

Now that you’ve picked out your shade plants, think about where to locate them in the garden. Remember, plants need some light to grow (nothing grows in complete darkness). Your plants are going to need at least a few hours a day of light, even if it is not direct sunlight.

Preparing the soil is pretty much like any other type of garden; you need to make sure there a good mixture of organic compost and mulch in the soil. To check to see how the soil drains, dig a hole and fill it with water then come back in a couple of hours to see if the water has drained. If not then you will need to mix sand into the soil to help with drainage. Soil balance is essential to success in growing any garden.

Large trees in your landscape are beautiful, but they can be difficult to plant under. Your plants will be competing for food and water with the trees, so regular feeding and watering is required so the plants aren’t too depleted for nutrients. I have a lot of large cedar trees in my landscape and you’d be amazing at how greedy their roots are! I’ve dug in areas 30 feet away from the tree trunk and found masses of tree roots just under the soil surface.

If the trees doing the shading are evergreen conifers, the soil tends to be acidic. So have the soil tested and adjust the soil Ph. accordingly for what you plan to grow. And be sure to think about potential leaf covering in the fall. While some leaf covering is needed to protect the plants from the elements, too much cover may kill your plants.

Shade from a building or wall will also affect what you can grow in your garden. Consider the placement of the building or wall: if your garden is in the front of a north-facing wall it will be in shade most of the day. In addition, the garden will be exposed to the elements like the prevailing winds and frost during the fall and winter.

What you need to do is look at where your house is placed on your property, and how that affects where the sun is at various times of the year. For instance, where the sun is in the morning isn’t going to the same in the evening, especially the later in the season it is.

So the most important things to remember in growing a shade garden are plant selection, the degree of shade you are dealing with (light, medium or dense), good soil and drainage and sufficient water.

Want to find out more about Shade Growing, then visit my website for photos and recommendations on how to choose the best shade plants for your needs.