Shady places in the garden may seem problematic but they can provide welcome relief from the hot summer sun, reduce home cooling costs and open a world of opportunity to use plants you may not have previously considered. They also look and feel pleasing; think how many impressionist painters try to capture the use of light and shade that is seen in this type of garden.
This article provides a starting place for you to create a shade garden of perennial and annual plants in South Western Ontario (plant hardiness zones 5 and 6a6).
Not all shade is created equal
Start by considering the type of shade you have so you may choose appropriate plants3
Part Sun – Part Shade receives about 6 hours of sun per day. Suits most plants except true sun worshippers.
Open Shade on the North side of the house but open to the sky. Suits plants listed for light shade.
Light Shade or Filtered Sunlight, Dappled Shade. Light and shadow cast by the sun under trees such as Birch or Locust.
Medium Shade on the North side of the house with further obstruction such as overhanging branches.
Deep shade permanent year-round shade from buildings, evergreens and shade trees.
Dry Shade and Moist Shade. Deep shade is often moist because it does not get the heat of the sun but can be dry if large trees shield the rain or absorb the moisture. Mulching and watering may help but dry ground is often a problem.
As well as considering the type of shade, you should also think about your soil type, wind exposure, drainage and design. Most shade-loving plants prefer rich, moist, well drained soil. Design includes a mix of heights, textures, colours and interest throughout the year. The resources listed at the end will help you to choose plants that will work well for your personal taste and garden conditions. Your local branch of Master Gardeners4 and garden centres may assist with advice.
There are numerous plants to choose from but here are a few suggestions to get you started:
The scientific names of plants (shown in italics) should be used to help you find the most accurate additional information. The first word is the name of the plant while the second name, where given, is a descriptor that identifies a specific type. Some plants have so many types that the descriptor has not been given. The Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder is an excellent resource for finding information5.
Perennial Plants
Perennial plants die back in winter but come up year after year. Try these:
Bleeding Heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis. Sun to part shade. Moist soil. Pretty heart shaped red and pink flowers dangle down. Dies back in summer. Ht: 2-3’ Sp: 1.5-2.5’
False Spirea, Astilbe. Sun to part shade. Rich, moist soil with organic matter. Tall clusters of small flowers Jun – Aug. Ht: 2-3’ Sp: 1-2’
Hardy Geranium, Geranium macrorrhizum. Sun to part shade. Prefers moist soil. Tough. Flowers all summer. Suppresses weeds. Good groundcover. Ht: 1-1.5’ Sp: 1-2’
Leopard Plant, Ligularia dentata. Part to deep shade. Rich, medium to wet soil. Imposing plant with interesting leaves and flowers. Ht: 3-4’ Sp: 2-3’
Lungwort, Pulmonaria. Part to full shade. Cool, rich soil. Silver spotted foliage. Spring flowers change from pink to blue. Ht: .75-1.5’ Sp: 1.5-2.’
Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris. Part to dense shade. Average to wet soil. Grown for lush leaves. There are numerous other types of fern. Ht: 3-6’ Sp: 5-8’
Plantain Lily, Hosta. Light to medium shade. Rich moist soil. Tough and reliable but prone to slug damage. Grown for leaves. Many sizes.
Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum. Part to full shade. Cool rich soil. Greenish-white tubular flowers droop from the arching stems. Ht: 2-3’ Sp: 1’
Annual plants
Annual plants must be planted each year but generally add a nice pop of colour all summer. Here are some to try:
Busy Lizzie, Impatiens walleriana. Part shade. Fertile soil, good drainage. Flowers Pink, rose, red, lilac, purple, orange, white & bicolours. Ht: .5-2’ Sp: .5-2’
Edging Lobelia, Lobelia erinus. Part shade. Fertile soil, good drainage. Must keep moist. Blue, pink, white & red flowers. Ht: .5-.75’ Sp: .5-.1’
Flowering Tobacco, Nicotiana alata. Sun or part shade. Fertile soil, good drainage. Very fragrant especially in the evening. Ht: 3-5’: 1-2’
Sweet Alyssum, Lobularia maritima. Sun or part shade. Fertile soil, good drainage. Easily grown from seed. Lovely fragrance. Ht: .25-.75’
Wax begonia, Begonia x semperflorens. Part or dappled shade. Showy flowers and colourful leaves. Ht: .5-1’ Sp: .5-1’
Moving Forward
The considerations above provide a start to creating your own shade garden. The perennials and annuals listed offer a variety of sizes, colours, shapes and shade requirements but there are numerous resources to help you choose many more types of plants1,2,3. You probably already have shade-providing trees but you may want to consider small trees of shrubs to provide additional structure and dappled shade e.g. Yew, Fothergilla or Pagoda Dogwood. Vines such as Clematis look lovely climbing into trees. Be careful to avoid some plants that are considered invasive in Southern Ontario e.g. Periwinkle, Lily of the Valley and English Ivy. Whatever you plant, shade gardens provide a wonderful oasis of calm and tranquility.
By Elizabeth Steggles, master gardener in training with the Guelph-Wellington Master Gardeners
REFERENCES
- Healthy Landscapes Guelph: Ornamental Shade Garden. https://guelph.ca/living/house-and-home/healthy-landscapes/landscape-planning/sample-garden-designs/shade-ornamental-garden/ (accessed 24/01/18)
- Klose, L., Renwald, K., Beck, A., (2005), Best Garden Plants for Ontario. Lone Pine Publishing.
- Landscape Ontario: Perennials for Shade. https://landscapeontario.com/perennials-for-shade (accessed 19/01/18)
- Master Gardeners of Ontario Inc. http://www.mgoi.ca/ (accessed 02/02/18)
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfindersearch.aspx (accessed 19/01/18)
- Plant hardiness zones Ontario http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=22&lang=en&prov=Ontario&val=A (Accessed 02/02/18)