In this article you will find plants that grow well in shade and partial shade. This will make your search easier necessary plants to decorate shady places on your site! The photo can be enlarged by clicking on the thumbnail. Brief description, characteristics of plants:
Cladium Biocolor (Cladium Bi - Color) - originally from Thailand. It has dark leaves with bright pink spots and blue veins, such decorativeness makes it stand out from other plants. Loves full shade, and reaches a height of 75 - 95 cm. Since this tropical plant, then it should be dug up for the winter and the roots should be stored in a dry place.
Geranium (Geranium Rozanne) - has beautiful blue - blue flowers with a white center, dark green leaves. Grows in both shade and partial shade. After the first flowering, it can be pruned, then re-blooming will occur. It reaches a height of 50 cm.
Balsam, Impatiens (Impatiens - Super Sonic Magenta) - beautiful plant, has bright, large purple flowers, dark green foliage. Reaches a height of 45 cm. Perennial. Loves both full shade and partial shade.
Arizema (Jack The Pulpit - Candidissimum) - has a fragrant aroma and decorative striped perianths. Goes well in the company of hostas and ferns. Loves well-drained soil with rotted leaves. It reaches a height of about 90 cm. Grows in full shade or partial light.
Hellebore (Lenten Rose - Golden Sunrise) - has beautiful golden flowers, reaching 5 - 7.5 cm in diameter. The leaves are shiny, the roots are thick and deep. Unpretentious, resistant to humidity and heat.
Lily of the valley is a well-known, delicate, fabulous flower that grows well in shade and partial shade. They bloom from May to June. The flowers have a delicate, subtle aroma.
Tiarella (Pinc Skyrocket) - interesting for its decorative flowers, reminiscent of small rockets. It can be used as a ground cover or mixed with other low growing plants. It reaches a height of 15 - 30 cm.
Astilbe - to many favorite plant for exquisite, soft flowers different colors. The leaves are green and lacy. The flowers are so bright that they reflect light well and create a wonderful effect in a shady corner. Reaches a height of 50 - 75 cm.
Trillium - has bright, decorative flowers, reaching a diameter of 5 - 7.5 cm. The flowers have a citrus aroma. Reaches a height of 45 cm, grows well in both shade and partial shade.
Lungwort (Pulmonaria - Raspberry Splash) is a beautiful plant, especially the coral flowers that create a sparkling effect in a shady garden. It reaches a height of 30 cm and grows in full shade.
Adonis, Adonis (Adonis) - varieties - spring, Amur, Siberian - are perennials, and summer Adonis is an annual. Adonis are short; They are most attractive in the flowering phase, which for many species occurs in May-June. Used in groups, borders, suitable for rock gardens or as lining of shrub plantings.
Acanthus (Acanthus) - varieties - soft, long-leaved, prickly, Balkan. Tall perennials. Plants, growing, form dense groups; used for lining tree or shrub groups, in mixed borders or as focal plants in flower beds or simply on lawns.
Alstroemeria is a hybrid. Perennials with tuberous rhizomes; highly decorative during the flowering period. They are grown mainly in group plantings.
Arum (Arum) - varieties - spotted, Cretan, elongated, Italian. Perennials with tuberous rhizomes; are in many ways similar to closely related Arizema. Used mainly in shaded rockeries.
Bergenia (Bergenia) - thick-leaved, heart-leaved, Strechi varieties. Beautifully flowering perennials, but they are valued not only during flowering - the plants form a very decorative rosette of leaves; in some species it becomes brightly colored in autumn. Used in groups near bushes, mixborders, in rock gardens, as a flower bed plant. Available creeping forms, grown as ground cover.
Periwinkle (Vinca) - varieties - large, small. Low perennials with attractive flowers; There are decorative leaf forms with variegated leaf colors. They are used in gardens mainly as ground cover under the canopy of trees, as well as in rock gardens, borders, and flower bed frames.
Begonia (Begonia) is an ever-flowering, tuberous variety. Varieties and hybrids of ever-flowering begonia are perennials cultivated as annuals. One of the most popular flower bed plants; used in landscaping industrial scale due to the ease of cultivation, long and colorful flowering and resistance to urban conditions. Varieties and hybrids of tuberous begonia are less common, but are also popular garden plants. Used in gardens as flower bed plants, as well as for growing in containers; hanging forms - for hanging baskets and flowerpots.
Whiteflower (Leucojum) - varieties - spring, summer. Small bulbous perennials that resemble the related snowdrops; decorative during the flowering period. B. vernal belongs to the primroses and is most common in floriculture. Used to create blooming spring lawns in the shade of trees along with other primroses; B. summer is usually grown near water bodies.
Fighter, Akonitum (Aconitum) - varieties - hooded, Fischer, Carmichel. Tall perennials with spectacular flowering; grown mainly in group and mixed plantings in flowerbeds and borders. Climbing species are used for landscaping arbors and pergolas. They are decorative not only during flowering: the plants have lacy, heavily dissected leaves.
Buzulnik (Ligularia) - varieties - Przhevalsky, jagged, Siberian, narrow-leaved. Most species are tall plants with a spectacular inflorescence. They are decorative not only with flowering, but also with beautiful foliage (in some species, with a jagged edge or pinnately dissected). They are planted in gardens mainly near ponds (moisture-loving). They are also used in mixborders and group plantings.
Cottonweed (Asclepias) - varieties - Syrian, tuberose, curasava, meat - red. Tall perennials with spectacular flowering. Used in group plantings. V. curasavian is cultivated as an annual.
Loosestrife (Lusimachia) - varieties - coin-shaped, ephemeral, dark purple, dotted. Perennials grown for lush and long-lasting flowering (most species). Variegated varieties have been bred for some species. Plants are used in group plantings to frame ponds (moisture-loving), mixborders in shaded areas of the garden. V. monetata is a creeping plant; it is used as a ground cover, in rock gardens, and as a hanging plant for growing in flowerpots.
Vesennik (Eranthis) - varieties - Tubergena, Cilician, winter. Beautifully flowering spring plants. Often used in joint plantings with other spring ephemerals to create vibrant flowering lawns. Also used in group plantings between bushes, in compositions on alpine roller coaster.
Anemone - varieties - columnar, felt, buttercup, oak. Graceful perennial plants with spectacular flowering. Most spring-flowering anemones are ephemeroids; their growing season ends by summer. A separate group consists of autumn-flowering species and hybrids. They are used primarily as flower beds and rock gardens.
Columbine, Aquilegia - Perennials, sometimes cultivated as annuals or biennials. Decorative during the period of long flowering. Low-growing varieties are used mainly in rock gardens; tall - for creating mixed compositions from herbaceous plants on ridges and in mixborders, to create flowering groups in shady places near reservoirs.
Volzhanka, Aruncus (Aruncus) - varieties - aetus-leaved, dioecious, Amur. A perennial that forms a beautiful spreading bush with paniculate inflorescences. Used mainly in group plantings; tall species - in single plantings under trees, to form the background of borders.
Lipstick (Mimulus) - Annuals or perennials cultivated as annuals; They have brightly colored flowers and spectacular flowering. used primarily as flower bed plants; can be used to decorate the banks of reservoirs. Compact varieties are used as ground cover and in alpine hill compositions.
Dicentra - variety - magnificent. Perennials forming a spreading bush with spectacular drooping inflorescences. Highly decorative in the flowering stage; used mainly in single plantings.
Goldenrod (Solidago) - varieties - Canadian, common. Perennial plants with different lush flowering, falling at the end of summer and autumn. Natural species are quite tall, but bred low-growing varieties, which provides a variety of uses in landscaping. Goldenrods are suitable as background plants in the background of mixborders, grown in group plantings, in flower beds (compact varieties) and for cutting.
Saxifraga (Saxifraga) - Variety introduced into garden culture perennial species is due to the unpretentiousness and breadth of possible use of saxifrage. First of all, they are known as the most common plants for rock gardens, but are also often grown as ground cover (low-growing and creeping types), flower beds and border plants (tall). In some species, flowering is valued, but in most, it is the form of rosettes or the ability to form decorative cushion-shaped shoots. Not all cultivated species are shade-tolerant.
And also oxalis, bell, lily of the valley, daylily, lily, liriope, lobelia, moonflower, buttercup, mantle, foxglove, narcissus, nomocharis, sedge, paisandra, primrose, liverwort, peony, snowdrop, scilla, stachys, violet, fuchsia, hosta , corydalis, cyclamen, jasmine, comfrey, peppermint, rastragon, lemon balm, radiola rosea, spring navel, sweet woodruff, rotundifolia, actinidia kolomikta, ivy, iriododictium, ornithogallum, tulips, hoofweed, kupena, doronicum, tenacious, iris, Jeffersonia, Tiarca cordifolia, Telekia, Soldanella montana, Darmera thyroid, Voronets spica, Podophyll thyroid, lady's slipper. From the bushes we offer you plant in the shade: privet, elderberry, weigella, vineyard, gualteria, wisteria, hydrangea, maiden grape, deutzia, viburnum, kalmia, dogwood, buckthorn, leukote, hazel, juniper, rhododendron, boxwood, lilac, snowberry, spirea, stewartia, mock orange, enkianthus. And trees are more shade-loving: beech, hornbeam, Davidia, spruce, serviceberry, cedar, cypress, maple, liquidambar, metasequoia, nyssa, fir, rowan, yew, hemlock, hop hornbeam.
We hope this list of shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants will help you decorate your shady corner!
Geranium (Geranium Rozanne)
This plant is native to Thailand and its blue veins and hot pink spots highlight and really make it stand out against the dark leaves. Grows in full shade, reaches a height of 75 – 95cm. In cool climates, the plant should be dug up before frost and stored in a cool, dry place.
Caladium Bi-Color.
Caladium Bi-Color.
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Whatever the plot or garden, there is always one or several corners where the sun's rays practically do not reach, be it the shadow of a house or large trees. But don't worry about it. The flora is very rich in species, and you can always choose shade-loving or shade-tolerant plants for the garden that will delight you with flowering and decorative leaves.
Classification of plants according to lighting requirements
Sunlight, water and good, fertile soil are the basic requirements of plants to guarantee their successful cultivation. But not all flowers and trees love bright sunlight; depending on this, they are divided into three groups.
- Light-loving plants for the garden, their second name is heliophytes. They love open spaces and sunlight, but can die in shade. This group includes the vast majority garden flowers. From annuals: petunia, marigolds, lobelia, godetia, etc. From perennials, for example, daylily, rudbeckia, gaillardia, arabis, chistets. And also trees: Ginnala maple, Manchurian walnut.
- Shade-tolerant plants for the garden. This group includes species that also love sunlight, but 5-6 hours of it in the first or second half of the day are enough for them. However, flowering may not be as abundant and long-lasting. This group includes plants such as oak anemone, astilbe, alpine columbine (in the first photo), dicentra, peony, scilla, etc.
- Shade-loving plants for the garden. These species prefer to grow in secluded corners where there is almost no sun. They are usually distinguished by rich green leaves. First of all, these are ferns, hostas, lilies of the valley, lungwort, foxglove, etc.
Shade-tolerant coniferous plants for the garden
Evergreen trees and shrubs always give the garden a special charm and delight the eye throughout the year. All of them have an amazing aroma that not only improves your mood, but also disinfects the air. There are quite a lot of types of coniferous plants, they differ in size, crown shape, requirements for soil and lighting. Many plants do not like bright sun, and young specimens, without exception, require some shading in the first stages of growth. The following varieties of shade-tolerant conifers are the most popular among gardeners:
- Canadian spruce, common spruce, prickly spruce, Serbian spruce and "Entelmani";
- Siberian fir, balsam fir, Canadian fir, single-color;
- yew "Rependence" and Canadian (pictured);
- drooping arborvitae (Japanese);
- echiniformis;
- microbiota is cross-paired.
All conifers are quite unpretentious, but some require abundant watering and shelter for the winter. Many are growing decorative types quite slowly, which allows them to be used on alpine slides and in group plantings.
Choosing shade-tolerant shrubs
Shade-tolerant plants for the garden and vegetable garden of this group can be purely decorative in nature or also bring practical benefits. In addition, a distinction is made between decorative deciduous and flowering. Let's look at the most popular and common ones.
Also worth noting are the following shade-tolerant plants for the garden, which are part of the group of shrubs and have decorative leaves: privet, boxwood, euonymus (winged and warty), Thunberg barberry.
Shade-tolerant trees in the garden
If you want to choose for the garden not fruit trees, and decorative, then it is worth paying attention to several types. Maple remains one of the most popular trees for landscaping. Large dissected leaves are especially beautiful in autumn, when they acquire bright colors. There are quite a lot of types of maple: field, holly, silver, white, sugar, Japanese. The tree forms a beautiful spreading crown and it is quite possible to plant shade-tolerant flowering plants for garden.
Very often, beech and hornbeam are used for landscaping; they have garden varieties and shapes. They look great not only in group plantings, but also in single plantings, and the crown is easy to trim and shape.
Fruit trees and shrubs growing in the shade
Not many fruit and berry trees and shrubs are able to grow and produce good harvest in the shade, they still require sun. Of the species most resistant to lack of light, it is worth noting raspberries and blackberries, since their natural habitat is forest thickets and wet ravines; they tolerate partial shade well. You can also plant barberries and gooseberries, which will be good neighbors for the mentioned species. The first shrub is winter-hardy, grows quickly and produces a good harvest of berries, which have a specific sour taste. Gooseberries (pictured) are also characterized by very valuable fruits that are used to make jam and compotes.
Nowadays it is much easier to choose shade-tolerant ones for the garden, because varieties are constantly being updated. You just need to choose a product taking into account your wishes. Contact nurseries directly, as markets often sell something completely different from what is stated on the packaging.
Herbaceous shade-tolerant plants for the garden
If your garden mainly consists of shady corners, then this is not a reason to refuse to plant flowers. Perennials include plants that overwinter in the soil for many years, while the above-ground part dies off annually, but the roots remain alive. The main advantage of shade-tolerant perennial flowers is their decorative foliage.
From early spring, your garden can be decorated with bulbous primroses. At this time, the trees have not yet bloomed their leaves, and light easily penetrates into all corners of the garden. These can be early flowering tulips, crocuses, woodland, hazel grouse, daffodils, and muscari.
Of the perennials that will bloom all summer, we recommend regular peonies (for partial shade) and wild peonies, arum, adonis, bergenia columbine (aquilegia), daylily, and hosts. Also, do not ignore biennial flowers: foxgloves, hollyhocks, forget-me-nots.
Shade-tolerant annuals in the garden
These plants can add variety to any flower bed or flower garden. The number of species and varieties cannot be enumerated. Even for a shady garden you can easily choose about a dozen different annual flowers. Let us give just a few of the most unpretentious and common species as examples.
- Ageratum is a low plant that literally forms a carpet of blue inflorescences; flowering continues from early summer until late autumn. Prefers semi-shaded places.
- Kobeya is an annual vine that weaves a green carpet over the entire surface of the support; large bell-shaped flowers of various shades appear throughout the summer.
- Cosmeya - beautiful annual, actively reproducing by self-seeding. It is quite tall (about 1 m) and grows quickly, which allows this plant to fill empty spaces in a short time.
- Levkoy (photo above), plants different sizes depending on the variety with spike-shaped fragrant inflorescences.
Nemesia and mimulus also deserve attention.
Horizontal landscaping of shady areas of the garden
To do this, use shade-tolerant ones (they are also called vines). Do not forget that if you choose perennial species, they will need strong support, as they gain quite a lot of mass. This is especially true for semi-wood varieties. The most famous is parthenocissus (pictured). The liana grows to a height of up to 15 meters, while it is undemanding to soil and does not require additional care. The only difference is that in a heavily shaded area the leaves may be slightly smaller in size and not as bright.
Quite often used for vertical gardening clematis, but it is suitable for warm climates with mild winters. This is a rather capricious vine, prefers sunny places, although light shading is also possible. It is also worth noting such plants as kirkazon, wood pliers, and princes.
Shade-tolerant ampelous plants
It’s hard to imagine a gazebo, terrace or patio without beautiful flower bushes hanging their green vines from hanging planters. Shade-tolerant plants for the garden are not numerous in comparison with their sun-loving relatives, but they still exist. In particular, the lobelia, which blooms in many pure shades of blue and of blue color. It will feel quite good in partial shade, the main thing is to provide it with fertile soil and regular watering.
Much less common are bakola, dichondra and strange nolina. Despite the complex and unfamiliar names, these plants are quite unpretentious and short term form thickets densely strewn with bright flowers.
When choosing ornamental shade-tolerant plants for the garden, do not expect abundant flowering, large and double inflorescences. All of them are valued primarily for their decorative appearance leaves.
Almost every summer cottage is divided into certain zones - well-lit and shaded. Areas of the site in the shade often remain empty and look inorganic, and therefore we decided that it would be quite relevant to study shade-tolerant plants for the garden.
To tell the truth, almost every second dacha has buildings or mature trees that cast a lot of shade on the young garden, vegetable garden and flower beds. Partial shade does not frighten plants, because they receive their share of solar heat and light during the day in any case. But what to do with areas that receive no or minimal sunlight? What plants can be planted in country house, under an old apple tree or on the side of a new car garage? These questions are answered by DachaDecor.ru specialists who conducted hard work by sampling the necessary information, as well as studying forums and collecting a wide variety of opinions.
Today we will try to describe in more detail the plant growing zones, select annual and perennial flowers, shrubs, berries and vegetables for shaded areas.
Such formation of zones and selection of plants for growing in the shade are especially relevant for owners of standard dachas of 6-9 acres, where, frankly, there is not enough space, and oh so much needs to be planted!
Determining site shading and choosing plants
You should take a very serious approach to studying the area for planting and the time of its shading throughout the daylight hours. Many of us already know the agricultural technology of popular garden plants, and therefore it is not difficult to understand that not every one of them will be able to develop normally in full shade. In such an environment, only some types of ornamental plants feel normal. For the rest, you will need to choose areas with partial shading, where there is sun at least half the day.
Distribution of plants across the site
The problem of proper distribution of plants in a dacha is very serious, because in small areas it is very difficult to figure out where and what will grow, and how to plant correctly. Particular difficulties haunt newcomers who have just purchased a dacha and are deciding where exactly the vegetable garden, orchard, or flower garden will be.
Trees are often planted along the fence so as not to take up useful space in the dacha. But here you should choose the right side so that the shadow from the trees does not obscure large areas plot. They can be distributed evenly throughout the dacha, taking into account the distance requirements. In this way, it will be possible to create areas with partial shading and leave some areas with the greatest illumination for those plants that prefer maximum light.
Summer residents are also accustomed to planting shrubs along fences and fences, but here it is worth understanding that some of them will be in complete shade from the fence or trees planted earlier. Therefore, the most correct solution would be to plant berry or ornamental shrubs closer to the center of the summer cottage, for example, to divide the territory into certain zones.
Places for flowers and berries can be found everywhere, since we have long studied the technology of vertical gardening and raised beds. Besides, There are always such small architectural forms that involve growing flowers at higher elevations. You can also consider unique decorative flower beds, special garden sculptures, original pots in the country and other products, thanks to which the plants are provided with maximum the right conditions for growth and development.
Shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants
We are accustomed to seriously confuse these concepts, believing that both plants easily cope with dark areas in the country and tolerate conditions without sunlight. We recommend that you differentiate between concepts and, when purchasing a particular crop, be sure to study agricultural technology and the requirements for choosing a place to plant a plant in your dacha. Remember, shade can be stable throughout the day, partial (a certain part of the day due to the movement of the sun) or diffuse (sunlight through the branches and foliage of vigorous plants).
Shade level and soil
It should be understood that for the development of plants, not only lighting conditions are necessary, but also certain soils and other conditions. Thus, in the dense shade cast by country buildings, dense plantings of shrubs or trees, they will feel good sedum, kupena, elecampane, heartleaf tiara, European hoofweed.
If you combine these dacha zones with well-moistened soil, then it is possible to plant black cohosh, primroses, hellebore, astilbe, and dark geranium.
In areas with diffuse shade, for example under walnuts or old apple trees, it is quite possible to plant spring navelwort, sweet woodruff, lupins, and daylilies. Some medicinal and fragrant plants will also grow here - peppermint, lemon balm, and others.
You also need to know that not only soil moisture determines the ability of some plants to grow in shade or partial shade, but also its composition. Thus, on sandstones and sandy loams in partial shade, rosemary, lily of the valley, periwinkle, violet, creeping tenacious and others feel normal.
Shade-tolerant shrubs
An interesting fact is that in the shadow orchard or on demarcation fences summer cottages You can often find shrubs that do not feel any negative effects from the shade. They grow and develop quite normally, without requiring special treatment.
But it is advisable to plant them in partial shade, diffuse shade, under trees, since the complete absence of sun seriously affects flowering.
Partial shade is also suitable for hydrangeas; it will not harm viburnum or elderberry. In the same areas you can plant ivy, virgin grapes, and clematis.
Flowers and ornamental plants in the shade
In this section we will present a small list of plant names that normally relate to shaded areas, and some are even ready to live without sunlight.
Perennials
The largest number of plants loving shadow, precisely among perennials. Thanks to the abundance of plant species, you can create not just single plantings, but entire tiered flower beds that will decorate the shady landscape.
Badan– a plant that prefers medium to dense shade. In such conditions, only flowering may suffer, but bergenia grows well.
Early blooming daylily prefers partial shade, but in strong shade the flowering noticeably weakens. Modern daylily varieties are best planted in the sun.
Khosta- a plant that not only is not afraid of the shadow, but simply loves it. The only requirement is moist soil.
Aconite feels good in shaded areas, but like most, prefers moist soil.
Astilbe- shade-tolerant plants, but prefer partial shade or partial shade.
For dicenters partial shade and shade with well-moistened soil - also the best place existence in the country.
Brunner- a cute and absolutely picky plant that will survive in any shade. But you should be careful with it, as Brunnera grows quickly.
Blooms beautifully in the scattered shade of a young garden doronicum.
Lily of the valley and cyanosis - practically classic plants for shade and partial shade in the country.
In addition to this list, lupine, leotard, fragrant violet, periwinkle, arizema, tiara, majestic chinstrap, ostrich, primrose and many others feel great in different shades.
Biennials
It's worth starting with pansies, choosing different varieties of which and planting them in shaded places in different periods warm season, you can easily achieve flowering from spring to autumn.
Digitalis- a tall biennial plant that copes well with a lack of sun, but only if agricultural practices are followed.
If you need to plant something in full shade, remember forget-me-not, which by self-sowing will soon create a whole carpet of pretty flowers.
Annuals
It is quite difficult to choose from annuals, since there are not many lovers of shaded places here.
Balsam– copes with partial shade, but suffers from a lack of flowering in full shade.
Sweet tobacco- an excellent and quite beautiful plant that can be planted in diffused sunlight in a young garden.
Begonia everblooming– suitable for shaded flower beds and single plantings.
Bulbous
Almost all bulbs love sunlight, but there are some exceptions that develop normally in minimal light.
Most small-bulbous plants, which bloom in early spring, can grow in the shade of a garden or bushes. These are crocuses, scillas, white flowers, snowdrops.
Daffodils, which still bloom brightly and do not change the vertical position of the stem, are positive for shade in the garden.
All this applies to flowers and ornamental plants, for which you no longer need to look for some special place in your summer cottage. Hostas, ferns, periwinkles - in the shade and partial shade they will easily grow and show the expected result.
What vegetables can be grown in the shade?
There are shade-tolerant vegetables and other garden crops, and almost half of them are at the dacha. That is, you won’t have any problems growing food if you find a small area between bushes or in the partial shade of the garden.
In addition, there is always the problem of placing light-loving plants, which need to be in the sun for at least 5-7 hours every day. As an example, we can cite the most popular tomatoes in the country (although there are plenty of such plants). So, if there is no space at your dacha for all the light-loving plants, you can always use the materials from our website and arrange tall vegetable gardens in several tiers, come up with special designs from pipes or boxes, plant tomatoes in containers and pots, for example, creating a “heavy flower garden” in this way "on the trellis.
If there is enough space for such plants or you have already managed to place them, we still have many plants that can be planted in the shade.
By the way, it is better to approach this issue from the other side - when planning the planting of light-loving plants, start from shade-tolerant ones and, placing them in suitable places, fill the remaining sunny areas with light lovers!
So, vegetables that grow in the shade. With proper agricultural practices, you can expect a good harvest from these crops even with minimal sunlight. Here short list something for which you won’t have to spend a long time looking for a place on the territory of the dacha - beets and beans, lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli, onions, parsley, garlic and many others.
Garden crops in the shade (according to summer residents)
Regarding the following list... it is not recommendatory, but purely conditional, since in it we selected the opinions of summer residents who talk about the possibility of growing certain garden crops in places with a lack of sunlight. Here are just a few of the most interesting:
- Sorrel and garlic cope well with complete shading. Sometimes in such areas you can harvest a good harvest of carrots, but it is still better for this crop to sometimes be in the sun. In addition, upright beans and peas can be grown in the shade of trees; you can often even see cucumber plantings here;
- In regions with hot summers, tomatoes also grow well in partial shade. Of course, they need sunlight, but an excess of it does not always benefit tomatoes. In the shade of a young or even old garden, you can grow the entire line of green salads;
- Red currants grow in the shade of a high hedge. Lack of sun affects the speed of ripening, but not the quality of the crop. Horseradish grows right next to it, a little further away, in partial shade, rhubarb, Chinese cabbage, zucchini... everything gives a normal harvest if you take care of it.
These opinions are from summer residents from different regions, and therefore you can notice that depending on the climate, plants may have different attitudes towards shade and sun.
On personal plots There are many shaded places: under trees, along fences and buildings. They can be used to create beautiful compositions of shade-loving plants.
Shade-loving plants are considered to be those for which, for normal development, only rarefied sunlight penetrating to them through the crown of trees or they are in the sun just a few hours a day. They have bright, juicy green foliage, because it does not fade in the sun if they are planted on sunny areas they don't grow well.
Plants for shade can be divided into flowering and decorative deciduous.
TO blooming shade-loving include: lily of the valley, dicentra, garden geranium, anemone, foxglove, astria major, primrose, aquilegia, astilbe, kupena, beauty hydrangea, periwinkle, Volzhanka, elecampane.
Decorative deciduous shade-loving are: hostas, heucheras, ferns, bergenia, brunera.
The following vines grow well in the shade: actinidia kolomikta, virgin grapes, and Chinese lemongrass. They decorate fences and walls of domestic premises.
Shaded areas of the garden can also be decorated for the summer season with flowers in pots, such as evergreen begonia, lobelia, impatiens and low-winter-hardy hydrangeas. In the fall, at the end summer season they are brought into the house, where they spend the winter well until next summer.
Let's take a closer look at shade-loving plants.
Unpretentious perennial a plant that enchants with its tenderness. She has beautiful not only flowers of various colors, but also openwork foliage.
Aquilegia is unpretentious in the choice of soil; it grows on loose, wet soils, but when compost or humus is added to the soil, it grows powerful and blooms profusely. Care consists of moderate watering, followed by loosening the soil and fertilizing once every 3 weeks. Propagated by seeds, dividing the bush.
If you plant a geranium in the most unsightly place, you won’t recognize it in a year. The rapidly growing plant, with its lush, openwork bushes, fills the free space so tightly that even weeds cannot break through.
Perennial garden geranium is popular among gardeners due to:
- drought and frost resistance
- long flowering and a rich range of colors, which so far only lacks yellow and orange colors
- longevity and resistance to diseases and pests
Geranium care consists of watering and fertilizing. In early spring contribute nitrogen fertilizers, and throughout the season once a month complex mineral.
shade-tolerant perennial. When planted under trees, flowering is delayed, but the color of the flowers is brighter. It is moisture-loving and responds well to fertilization. A few years after planting, dicentra forms a powerful, abundantly flowering bush.
Overwatering is detrimental; fleshy roots rot.
For the winter, it is better to cover the dicentra to avoid freezing. It reproduces by dividing overgrown bushes and cuttings.
Perennial frost-resistant a plant 1.5-2 m high and a bush up to 1 m wide, very decorative, one might even say spectacular. A sweet honey aroma emanates from the blooming white panicles, and the lacy foliage adorns the Volzhanka until frost.
Volzhanka is unpretentious, but grows best in fertile soils. It is quite drought-resistant, but it is not afraid of waterlogging of the soil either. After flowering throughout June, faded panicles must be removed so that the plant does not lose its decorative appearance. In late autumn, the stems are cut at a level of 5 cm from the soil.
Hydrangea - luxurious beautiful flowering shrub one of the most impressive flowers in the garden. Hydrangea loves acidic, nutritious and well-moistened soil. To maintain soil acidity and moisture in it, mulching with fallen pine needles, sawdust, and peat is necessary.
The shrub is practically not affected by diseases and pests.
Hydrangea blooms from late June until frost with large flowers.
Hydrangea has many varieties: tree-like, paniculate (the most winter-hardy), petiolate, large-leaved. Most hydrangeas are winter-hardy, but covering them for the winter is a good idea. Even if they freeze slightly in harsh winters, they easily recover within a season with good care.
Perennial undemanding a plant to care for that brings to flower beds and gardens bright accent. It pleases with its variegated foliage from spring to autumn. The composition of the soil for planting is not particularly important, the main thing is light and without stagnant water.
Once a month you can feed, but the dose of complex fertilizer should be halved compared to others. Outlets in winter needs to be hilled up and mulched.
Gardeners and flower growers value it for:
- compactness, frost resistance and unpretentiousness;
- a wide variety of varieties and colors;
- flowerbed decoration all season long and good compatibility with other flowers;
- ease and speed of reproduction;
- absence of diseases and pests;
- very good in containers.
Hostas do not like frequent division of bushes. It is enough to perform this procedure once every five years.
The variety of colors of hosta leaves is impressive: from soft green to dark green, there are variegated varieties with white and yellow stripes. Hosta sizes are also different: from dwarf to giant. The height varies from 5 cm to 1.5-2 m. There is plenty to choose from.
Astilbe is the little princess of the shadow. Plant moisture-loving and unpretentious. Astilbe is beautiful, both in flowering and before and after it, thanks to its carved foliage. After flowering, faded inflorescences do not need to be removed; they also decorate it.
Astilbe blooms with white, pink, and red panicle inflorescences in the first half of summer. The soil for growing must be fertile and moisture-absorbing. It is advisable to mulch the plant to maintain soil moisture.
Every 5 years, astilbe needs to be rejuvenated by dividing the bushes and transplanting to a new place.
Fern is herbaceous perennial shady a plant that loves moisture and shady places.
At the same time, the plant is drought-resistant; if in extreme heat without watering the plant dries out, next spring it will delight you with its appearance again. Planted in the shade of trees, they give the site the appearance of a tropical forest.
Actinidia - kolomikta
perennial aromatic deciduous liana, the variegated color of its leaves makes it decorative. Actinidia shoots require support and can grow up to 7 m in height. Actinidia is also valuable for its healthy, tasty fruits similar to kiwi.
For planting, seedlings no older than 4 years of age are used, because adult plants do not take root.
To obtain a harvest of berries, it is necessary to plant 2 plants (male and female), because dioecious plant.
On summer days, shady areas of the garden are developed and used for relaxation, where you can enjoy the coolness and hide from the sweltering heat and scorching sun. The recreation area can be decorated with shade-loving plants, creating flower beds or islands of lush greenery. The choice of plants for this is large and varied.
Almost every garden has areas where you can plant only shade-loving or shade-tolerant plants: both annual and perennial flowers and shrubs. The article contains names and detailed descriptions of various unpretentious crops with colorful photos.
Perennial shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants for the garden
It is traditionally believed that flowers love the sun, so they either bloom poorly in the shade or do not grow at all in such areas. At the same time, there is a difference between cultures that really feel comfortable only away from the sun's rays, and between those that can simply exist in such conditions:
- if in the shade the plant is lush green and healthy, blooming species– it is shade-loving. In nature, such crops are located in the lower tiers of the forest, under the crowns of trees, so they can be planted in the garden there;
- if the plant blooms in the shade, but slightly worse than in the sun, this is a description of a shade-tolerant flower that adapts to the conditions.
Attention! The shadow may be on the site throughout the day, or it may depend on the position of the sun in the sky. Also an important factor is continuous or diffuse shadow in the area you have chosen (for example, the sun can peek through the crowns of trees). Take this into account when selecting shade-loving crops.
For areas of varying degrees of shade, for example, the following perennial crops are suitable:
- . Another name for this flower is columbine, because after dew its cups are always full of water. The plant is best planted on fertile, moist soil, then it abundantly produces inflorescences of various shades, reminiscent of stars. The watershed also grows in the sun, but its flowering in such conditions is worse than in partial shade. Every 3-4 years, aquilegia needs to be replanted, because it loses its decorative effect.
- . It is distinguished by its variety of colors and height range: dwarf varieties grow up to 30 cm, tall ones - up to 1.5 m. It is believed that astilbe can bloom profusely in one place for a maximum of 5 years, and then it requires replanting. The inflorescences are collected in original panicles; in the sun they have less bright shade than in partial shade. Plant a shade-loving plant in slightly acidic, nutritious soil. It tolerates frost well, but in the first year it needs shelter for the winter.
Advice. If you choose the right varieties of astilbe, you can ensure flowering in the area from June to September.
- . In one inflorescence of this perennial plant there are up to 120 flowers. It overwinters well, in some cases retaining foliage during the cold season. In nature, there are 10 varieties of the crop, and the name of one of them - thick-leaved bergenia - is very familiar to lovers of healing Chigir tea, which is brewed from the leaves of this plant species. Unpretentious perennial will sit comfortably on moist, loosened and slightly alkaline soil.
- Periwinkle. A creeping plant that tolerates both shade and drought. In spring blue or purple flowers, less often - white or pink. It has medicinal properties, but if self-medicated, periwinkle is dangerous.
- Brunner. A shade-loving plant in which everything is beautiful: blue flowers and leaves with an interesting pattern. Thanks to this, it retains its decorative properties from the moment of flowering (late spring) until frost. Looks great when decorating borders, near bodies of water. Prefers nutritious soils, but grows well in infertile soils.
- Tenacious. The name of the plant is, in fact, its description, since the low-growing crop takes root well in any soil and requires watering only in times of severe drought. It blooms from the end of spring until about mid-June, but it is irreplaceable in areas where you need to quickly create a beautiful decorative carpet: it grows well, and even those who have no gardening experience can grow it.
- . A medicinal plant that looks spectacular in the shade. Its other names are “Solomon’s seal” or “wolf berries”; it looks beautiful in bouquets, in compositions in photos, and has a delicate aroma. It loves moist, fertile soil, on which it produces white flowers in May-June, and by the middle and end of summer the berries of the kupena ripen. Requires caution when handling as it contains toxic substances.
- Lily of the valley. A classic flower for growing in the light shade of trees and near fences. Needs abundant watering and protection from drafts, which can cause a lack of flowers. Lily of the valley does not like frequent transplants, quickly multiplies and grows, and does not tolerate the proximity of other plants. Such a fragile-looking flower has a powerful root system. It blooms in May-June, and sometimes, depending on the climate, at the end of April.
Advice. If you do not want to create lily of the valley plantations on the site, make the borders of the flower bed by digging pieces of slate into the ground (depth - about 0.5 m).
- . Thanks to the diversity color palette This unpretentious plant loved by many gardeners. After all, from it you can create a colorful flowerbed, playing with white, cherry, pink, brown and other shades. Needs moist and loose soil.
- . A real queen of the shady garden. It does not bloom, but it will decorate any area with its beautiful decorative leaves of various colors. This unpretentious crop grows on any soil, grows in one place for up to 20 years, and tolerates winter well.
Annuals that can be planted in the shade
Among annuals that grow comfortably in the shade, the choice is not as extensive as in the case of perennials, but there is still:
- . They grow quickly and delight with a variety of colors, from yellow to burgundy and brownish. They decorate the garden all summer and autumn, right up to frost. Among the varieties there are “babies” that grow up to 20 cm, and real giants that reach 1-1.2 m in height. A flowerbed with marigolds needs to be thinned and watered regularly. They protect garden beds from aphids, nematodes, fusarium, mice and mole crickets.
- Begonia ever-blooming. Looks good both in flowerpots or flower beds, and under trees. The plant is not tall - only about 15-20 cm, so a carpet of begonias looks impressive. The flowers are colored in shades of white, pink, orange, red and crimson. Requires fertile and moist soil. If you bring it indoors for the winter, you can grow it as a perennial crop.
- . This flower adorns many rural landscapes and colorful photos. It grows up to 1.2 m. Annual varieties are distinguished by bright, large flowers with veins that are darker than the main shade. Mallow is a shade-tolerant rather than a shade-loving plant: in the absence of sun it has a paler color, but grows well. The soil for this crop should be loose and watering should be moderate.
- . Tolerates light shade. Only young plants need abundant watering; adults need moisture only during severe drought. Annual terry nasturtium will decorate the border or balcony. The leaves and flowers of this crop are used for preparing salads and seasonings, as well as in folk medicine.
- The tobacco is fragrant. Its main advantage is the wonderful aroma that this unpretentious flower emits mainly in the evenings. Tobacco can be white, pink, or red, and varieties of soft, simple shades smell stronger. Partial shade and moist, loamy soil are suitable for its cultivation. We must not forget about regular watering and timely removal of dried inflorescences.
Advice. Some crops that tolerate shade well can be grown as either annuals or perennials. For example, this is balsam and forget-me-not. How is a biennial cultivated? pansies. They can also be planted under trees or in shady flower beds, although the flowering here will not be as abundant as in the sun.
Flower garden in the shade: video
Shade-loving plants: photo
