Shaded gardens are one of the most common things I get asked about. The worry is nothing will grow and the existing planting that may already be there may be struggling. A shaded planting scheme is one of my favourites to create, there are many plants that will tolerate or even thrive in a shaded area of the garden. Some gardens are blessed with sunshine all day, and a South or West facing garden is much coveted. With a little bit of care and a careful plant selection, a shaded patch can offer just as much interest as any other part of the garden. Sometimes even if one part of your garden is in full sunshine all day, there will often be another that sits in the shade. In my previous home, I had many shaded areas, and over the years, with my plant knowledge, along with the guidance of books and my mother’s horticultural expertise I had eventually triumphed in finding the right plants for the right place – in our case, shade. These areas of the garden were probably my favourite, with many of the shade-loving plants producing lush green foliage and a naturalistic look, with a focus on a few native species. We planted many of my now all-time favourites, including Buxus, Hostas, Ferns, English Bluebells and Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’. Gardening is all about looking forward, and planning, and with a little careful choice of plants you will be able to have a beautiful garden no matter where it is.
