Shade Gardens
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A PETERBOROUGH G REEN-UP F ACT S HEET Shade Gardens Shade is a welcome refuge on hot summer days, but it also requires very careful selection of garden plants. Many showy flowering perennials require substantial sun to look their best. However, shade plants can also be very attractive, providing a more subtle, but equally beautiful palette of colours and textures. Shade can result from large mature trees, shrubs, Planning a Shade Garden structures or slopes facing north or north/east. Keep in mind that soil under mature trees will Patterns of shade also vary with the time of year be full of tree roots. While it’s fine to add a and time of day with the changing path of the couple of inches of compost to this area, be sun across the sky. careful not to bury the tree’s roots with thick Types of Shade layers of topsoil. Smothering the fine feeder roots can actually kill a tree. In areas with deep Shade can range from very dark to light or shade and extensive tree roots, consider adding intermittent. A grove of evergreens cast very an attractive mulch of shredded bark or wood dense shade all year long, and frequently have chips instead of trying to grow flowers there. dry, acidic soil under them. This is the most You can always add a few raised planters difficult type of shade for plant selection. filled with colourful, shade-tolerant Equally difficult is the shade from the aggressive annuals to add a touch of colour under LANDSCAPE Norway Maple tree, an exotic tree that looks these trees. Limit the number and size similar to our native Sugar Maple, but which of planters, to allow the tree roots to has a large, very dense canopy, and an breathe. extremely thirsty root system. Both of these Some shade tolerant plants can be situations can be extremely challenging, if invasive and destructive to natural not impossible for ornamental gardening. areas. Goutweed, (Aegopodium Luckily, most native deciduous trees are podagraria) a ground-cover with less greedy and their shade is not so green and white intense. Many of our beautiful woodland variegated leaves is wildflowers thrive in this type of shade, extremely invasive but they need soil rich in humus, and should be and lots of leaf mulch. Most of avoided. these plants bloom in early A well-planned spring, the short period where shade garden can the sunlight shines through be a tranquil, to the forest floor, before the restful oasis in a new leaves unfold on the trees busy world. above. A north wall of a house Including a high casts a similar quality of shade, percentage of nursery- where diffuse light may be grown native plants is a brighter than that of a forest, but great way to celebrate our without direct sun all year. natural woodland heritage Light shade provides the widest and provide a refuge for (705) 745-3238 range of plant choices for wildlife as well. gardeners. Spots in your yard which receive even a couple of hours of sun each day will give you a wider selection of beautiful plants. • SHADE G ARDENS • Plants for the Shade Botanical Common Native/ Bloom Drought Description Name Name Exotic Time Tolerance ANNUALS Coleus sp. Coleus E n/a moderate Colourful leaves Impatiens sp. Impatience E all summer moderate Pink and white blossoms Lobelia ‘Crystal Palace’ Lobelia ‘Crystal Palace’ E all summer moderate Brilliant blue flowers Viola tricolor Pansy E all summer moderate Saucy, multi-coloured blooms Salvia ‘Lady in Red’ Salvia ‘Lady in Red’ N all summer moderate Red spires all summer Begonia sp. Wax begonia E all summer moderate White, pink or red blooms FLOWERING PERENNIALS Actaea sp. Baneberry N spring no Woodland plant with lacy leaves and red or white inedible berries. Anemone sp. Anemone N spring moderate Small spreading plant with delicate flowers, mauve or white. Aquilegia sp. Columbine N spring moderate Delicate leaves, various colours of flowers. Arisaema sp. Jack in the pulpit N spring no Tube-like striped flower, scarlet fruit in fall. Moist conditions preferred. Aruncus sp. Goatsbeard E late spring no White flowers in a large branching cluster of dense spikes 2-3" long. Astilbe chinensis sp. Astilbe E fall no Fluffy flower plumes, ferny leaves. Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Bearberry N spring yes Creeping evergreen groundcover, red berries. Bergenia sp. Bergenia E summer moderate Large fleshy leaves and red flowers. Campanula carpatica Carpathian Bellflower E summer moderate Large blue saucer flowers, low mounds Caulophyllum thalictroides Blue Cohosh N spring moderate Bluish sprouts in early spring expand to vigorous woodland plants with blue berries in late summer. Chelone glabra Turtlehead N late summer no White or rose-pink flowers resembling a turtle‘s head. Moist conditions preferred. Chrysogonum virginianum Goldenstar E summer yes Long blooming starry yellow flowers, partial shade. Cimicifuga racemosa Bugbane/Black snakeroot N summer no Large plant (2.5 m), tapered plumes of fluffy white blooms. Convallaria majalis Lily of the Valley E spring yes White, scented flowers, carpeting shady areas. Cornus canadensis Bunchberry N spring moderate Native groundcover, acidic soil, shade. Corydalis lutea Yellow fumitory E May – Sept. yes Dainty grey-green fernlike foliage, dangling yellow clusters of flowers. Dicentra spectabilis Bleeding Heart E spring no Arches of heart-shaped flowers. Digitalis purpurea Foxglove E spring moderate Tall spikes of spotted flowers. Biennial. Doronicum cordatum Leopard’s Bane E spring moderate Clear, yellow daisy flowers. Epimedium X rubrum Barrenwort E spring yes Red-veined/margined leaves, red flowers. Gaultheria procumbens Wintergreen N spring moderate Native groundcover. Tolerates acid shade. Helleborus orientalis Hellebore/Christmas Rose E spring moderate Large, nodding flowers in early spring. Hemerocallis sp. Hybrid Daylily E summer yes Needs a min. of 4 hrs sun/day for blooms. Heuchera sp. Coral Bells N late spring moderate Low plant good for edging, delicate pink flowers. Lamiastrum Lamiastrum ‘Herman’s Pride’ E spring moderate Creeping carpet of silver-veined leaves. Lamium maculatum Lamium varieties E spring moderate Carpets of white or silver striped leaves. Ligularia dentata ‘Desdemona’ Ligularia ‘Desdemona’ E summer no Tall purple-leaved clump, orange flowers. Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower N summer no Brilliant scarlet spikes. Moist conditions preferred. Lobelia syphilitica Great Blue Lobelia N late summer moderate Blue flower spikes on 2’ plants. • SHADE G ARDENS • Botanical Common Native/ Bloom Drought Description Name Name Exotic Time Tolerance Lysmachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ Moneywort E spring moderate Creeping mat of bright yellow leaves. Mertensia virginica Virginia Bluebells N spring no Showy, nodding, trumpet shaped flowers. Monarda didyma Bergamot/Bee Balm N summer moderate Pink to scarlet red flowers attractive to bees and hummingbirds. Myosotis sp. Forget-Me-Not E spring moderate Mists of small blue, yellow-eyed flowers Narcissus sp. Daffodil E spring moderate Familiar early spring bloomers. Polygonatum sp. Solomon’s Seal N late spring moderate Arching stems with greenish bell flowers hanging beneath, dark-blue or reddish berry. Primula sp. Primula E spring no Low mats smothered in flowers. Pulmonaria sp. Bethlehem Sage E spring moderate Mounds of silvery leaves, blue flowers. Sanguinaria canadensis Bloodroot N spring no White flowers growing singly on deep lobed leaves in rich woods. Smilacina racemosa False Solomon’s Seal N late spring moderate Small white flowers in branching clusters. Lovely arching stems. Tiarella cordifolia Foam Flower N spring moderate Numerous white flowers, large heart shaped leaf Trillium sp. Trillium N spring moderate Woodland plant with solitary white or dark pink flowers. Trollius sp. Globeflower E spring no Large greenish-yellow globe shaped flowers. Palmately divided leaves. Moist conditions preferred. Viola sp. Wood Violet N spring yes Small plants found in woodlands. White, yellow or purple flowers. Avoid aggressive English violet (Viola odorata). Waldsteinia fragarioides Barren strawberry N spring yes Yellow flowers in small clusters on low plants. FOLIAGE PLANTS Ajuga sp. Carpet Bugle E spring moderate Low carpet of leaves, blue flower spikes Alchemilla mollis Lady’s Mantle E summer moderate Large ruffled, velvety leaves. Asarum canadensis Wild Ginger N spring moderate Emerald-green leaves, small flowers in spring. Galium odoratum Sweet Woodruff E spring moderate Carpets of whorled leaves, white flowers. Hosta ‘August Moon’ Hosta E summer yes Crisp mound of golden leaves. Hosta sieboldiana ‘Frances Williams’ E summer yes Huge blue leaves edged in yellow. Hosta undulata ‘Variegata’ Hosta E summer yes Clumps of wavy green and white leaves. Pachysandra terminalis Japanese Spurge E n/a yes 6-8” umbrella shaped groundcover. Thalictrum dioicum Meadow Rue N spring yes Attractive foliage and small yellowish blooms Trifolium repens Dutch clover E summer yes Low plants with small roundish blooms. Vinca minor Periwinkle E spring yes Low growing groundcover with shiny oval leaves and purple flowers. Can be invasive. FERNS Adiantum pedatum Maidenhair Fern N n/a no Lacy fronds on low growing plants excellent in woodland settings Dryopteris sp. Shield Fern N n/a no Finely divided lacy fronds on medium sized plants. Matteuccia struthiopteris Ostrich Fern N n/a no Suitable for a wetland garden. Can grow to 4' under optimal conditions. Osmunda regalis Royal Fern N n/a no Suitable for a wetland garden. Can grow to 5' under optimal conditions. Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas Fern N n/a no Easily grown in woodland gardens. Remains green throughout the winter. • SHADE G ARDENS • Botanical Common Native/ Bloom Drought Description Name Name Exotic Time Tolerance ORNAMENTAL GRASSES AND SEDGES Carex morrowi ‘Aureo-Variegata’ Sedge E n/a no Mounds of evergreen, yellow-striped leaves Chasmanthium latifolium Northern Sea Oats N summer no Flattened flower clusters in late summer. Deschampsia caespitosa Tufted Hair Grass N spring no Clumping grass with delicate bronze flowers.