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Living in the shadows

Simple tricks can help you make the most of a shady plot

Martyn Cox

WHEN I told friends I was giving up my warm, sunny and sheltered garden for one that was north-facing, they thought I was bonkers. Maybe they had a point. After all, I was moving from somewhere that I could grow a wide range of flowering plants with ease, to a property with a garden that would really test my skills.

Its coastal position also makes it more exposed to strong winds than the plot I left behind, but that’s not the biggest challenge – its aspect means the space gets very little sunshine in summer, with parts that are shaded all day – the garden is even gloomier in winter, when the sun is lower in the sky.

The lack of natural light seriously restricts my planting options, and I don’t mind admitting that when I started out I felt a little daunted. However, within a few years I’d managed to tame the uncompromising patch of land, turning it into a cool, calm, plant-filled oasis.

Rather than tackle the garden in a random way, I followed a three-step plan that can be used by anyone wanting to make the most of a shady garden. So after manipulating the space to improve light levels, I introduced the right plants and then used some simple tricks to really make it all shine.

Increasing the amount of light your garden gets will boost planting possibilities, so the first thing I did was reduce the height of some large shrubs next to a boundary that blocked out the sun. Once trimmed, the very back of my plot enjoyed two to three extra hours of sunlight in the evening.

THERE are other ways to alter the shape of trees and shrubs that hide the sun. For example, tall boundary hedges can be lowered with some deft trimming, and overgrown shrubs thinned out.

The lower branches of some trees can be removed to let light through, allowing planting around their bases. Known as lifting the canopy, this technique should be carried out with care to avoid disfiguring the tree – for a natural look, prune only the bottom-most limbs up to half the height of the tree.

At this point, turn your attention to the ground. The soil next to walls, fences, hedges and under trees tends to be dry and impoverished, making it hard for plants to establish. Improve its water-holding capacity and structure, by working in plenty of leafmould, garden compost or well-rotted manure.

It’s important to understand what type of shade you have before buying plants. Dappled shade is where the sun is filtered by the branches of trees, and semi-shade is when a garden gets 2-4 hours of direct sunlight per day. Heavy shade refers to spots that get less than two hours of sunshine.

The dappled shade of a deciduous tree or large shrub is the perfect place to form a woodland style display with plants that like cool conditions. Among suitable candidates are bulbs such as Cyclamen coum and winter aconite, along with a host of perennials, including brunnera, hellebore and pulmonaria.

Choisya, mahonia and oak leaf hydrangea are a few of the shrubs that will thrive in these places.

Those with a gap that’s sheltered could try a Japanese maple. Ideal in neutral to acidic soil, these plants are treasured for their graceful habit and finely divided foliage that often turns fiery shades in autumn.

As for semi shade, there’s no shortage of head turners.

Heuchera, bleeding heart and the many varieties of hardy geranium are perfect perennials, while shrubs include nandina, pieris and sarcococca. Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ is an evergreen, with heavily scented white flowers in early spring.

In my own garden, I’ve planted a tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) in a shaded side return and under planted it with a host of choice perennials, such as Hosta ‘Empress Wu’, Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’ and Tiarella ‘Mint Chocolate’. Mukdenia rossii has maple-like leaves that turn red in autumn.

Dense shade is harder to tame. Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’, and Viburnum davidii are shrubs tough enough to cope, as are perennials like lady’s mantle and epimedium. Dryopteris wallichiana, and Polystichum setiferum are ferns that naturally grow in woodland, making them perfect in heavy shade.

The right plants will certainly help to bring a shady garden to life, but there are also some clever design tricks that will really help to brighten up the gloom.

Inject a splash of colour by painting walls, fences and structures with a striking shade, and introduce a few outdoor mirrors to reflect any available chink of light into a dark corner.

Of course, if there isn’t any natural light at all, add some of your own by hiring a qualified electrician to install exterior lights.

Gardens

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2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

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