Shade Gardens

Plants need light to live since they convert light to energy in a process known as photosynthesis. However, not all plants need direct sunlight all day to be healthy - in fact, many plants do not thrive on lots of direct sunlight. Instead, some plants prefer to grow in the shade. Shade gardens are gardens planted in areas that are fully or partially shaded.

Different plants require different shade levels when grown in shade gardens. Certain flowers and other plants grow rapidly in lightly shaded areas. Examples of this include some lilies and Virginia blue bells. Other plants and flowers grow surprisingly well in areas that receive only full shade, such as in a coniferous forest. These include ferns, hostas, and impatiens. Keep in mind that, just like growing any plant, the amount of shade needed to grow these plants depends on the climate zone. Obviously, very hot areas may necessitate that certain flowers or plants be grown in areas with more shade than the plant usually needs in cooler areas.

All shade gardens have certain requirements to maintain their upkeep. First, shade gardens will generally need more water than most other gardens. Trees or other large plants that grow near shade gardens to provide shade consume large amounts of the water in the soil, leaving little left over for shade plants. Therefore, a strict watering schedule will need to be kept to ensure that shade plants stay healthy. Similarly, shade plants need extra mulch and fertilizer to receive the proper nutrition from shady soil. Like water, trees are known to suck up all the nutrients from the soil in shady areas. Otherwise, shade gardens are fairly easy to take care of thanks to the lack of harsh sunlight capable of damaging or bleaching leaves.

Shade gardens may prove a bit trickier to perfect than the average garden, but the abundance of plant life they can support can truly create a memorable garden. If you would like to discuss shade gardens with others, please join the PerennialFlowerGardening.com community and participate in the forum.