When a garden throws shade

The secret formula to cultivating in the shade is to prepare the ground well and carefully choose shade-loving plants

We hear lots of reasons why people believe they can’t garden. The No. 1 reason? “My garden is in the shade.”

Well, the good news for this Year of the Garden is you can cultivate in the shade. The secret formula is to prepare the ground well and carefully choose shade-loving plants.

Soil prep

If your shade garden is in the shadow of a tree, spread a generous sixto eight-centimetre layer of quality triple mix or a combination of 70 per cent compost/30 per cent sand over the root zone, being careful not to cover the root flare at the base of the tree. We have seen more than our share of trees that have died a slow death from being smothered in soil. A tree breathes through this important union, where the roots meet the main trunk.

If the shade is the result of a building that casts a shadow over your yard most of the day: again, a six- to eight-cm layer of triple mix or compost/sand over the entire area would give your new garden a good start.

What to choose? The list of good plants for shade gets longer as the amount of sun exposure increases. The more sun, the longer the list.

Let’s assume there is no more than a couple of hours of sun in your yard. And, with that, our short list of Top 5 shade-loving plants.

1. Hosta Perhaps the most versatile plant family in the universe. From tiny little Mouse Ears, which grows only a few centimetres tall and wide, to the giant, metre-square Wide Brimmed Hat, there’s a wide range of are varieties in between — in fact, there are more than 7,000 hosta varieties.

All are tolerant of dry shade once established, and many flower profusely to attract hummingbirds and other pollinators — another reason they’re No. 1 on our list.

2. Ferns One issue with hostas that riles a growing number of gardeners: there are no native Ontario hostas. Enter ferns.

Growing anywhere a hosta would grow, this ancient group of plants is equally diverse and perhaps even more fascinating. Reproducing via spore rather than seed (therefore, sadly no flowers), ferns come in all shapes and sizes as well as some variegated with silver and burgundy, though the vast majority are lush greens.

3. Epimediums Generally maturing to no more than 20 to 30 cm high and wide, this family of plants thrives in full shade. When Mark created a garden at the base of his now famous Norway maple, epimediums — knows as barrenwort or horny goat weed — were his first choice. Plant about 30 cm apart and watch them grow together into a semi-evergreen ground cover in about three years. Attractive midsummer flowers.

4. Sweet woodruff Galium odoratum. So named for the sweet aroma that the prolific white flowers produce this time of year. Grows quickly and matures to about 20 cm high. Space 30 cm apart when planting and by the end of the season they will have grown together in a happy patch of groundcover.

5. Trilliums A woodland classic and native to Ontario. The red trillium (Trillium erectum), also known as the wake robin, thrives in damp, shady conditions with deep maroon petals, as opposed to the linen white of the better-known white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) that is the provincial flower. Look out for trillium at specialist native plant nurseries.

Some honourable mentions for shade-loving native wildflowers include Oswego tea scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), and lady’s slipper (Cypripedium).

Trees, shrubs and evergreens that tolerate dense shade include the entire family of evergreen yews (taxus), flowering serviceberry, caragana, sugar maple and native hemlock.