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Home , Shade garden

Shade — More than another pretty hosta!

Hostas are the first that come to mind • Avoid bringing in soil. Adding soil around the when thinking about shade gardening. Hostas base of can rot the bark layer and cause come in many sizes, colors, and patterns, requir- harm. Changing the grade even an inch can ing little care to thrive. There are other colorful harm the . and interesting plants, adding to the beauty of • Avoid tilling the entire area when establishing a shadier spot in your . a garden as it damages the roots causing rot Understanding Shade and decay. Before designing your shade garden, it’s How to with roots— important to understand your site when • Plan your design around major roots. selecting the right plants. • Dig generous sized planting holes. This ◊ Not all shade is created equal. The amount allows time for the new plants to establish. of available light varies on the site. Plants ability to withstand shade can vary. While it is often • Level uneven areas with . Compost difficult to classify shade, these guidelines can does not smother roots like soil. help. Sometime you just need to experiment • Mulch with compost or natural mulch like with the plant. wood chips or bark. A 2 to 3 inch layer is • Dense shade has no direct sunlight with little best. or no indirect or filtered light. • Water to maintain plant growth. • Full shade is less than one hour of direct sun • Proper fertilization will help plants compete daily. This may include dappled or filtered with roots. light. Designing a Shade Garden • Partial shade is less than 2 hours of direct sun, or shade at least half the day, usually in Shade tolerant plants tend to have less bold and the afternoon. bright colors. require more sunlight to develop, explaining why there are fewer - • Light shade is 3 to 5 hours of direct sun and ing plants in shade . Less color does not less than 4 hours of full shade. mean less interesting. Subtle and restful often ◊ Shade tends to be dry. Trees tend to be the describe shady gardens. most common source of shade. A tree’s canopy • Texture: Variations of large/small and fine/ limits rainfall and the roots take up great coarse foliage accentuate differences. This amounts of water, outcompeting the plants. contrast creates interest in the design. Supplemental irrigation will expand your plant palette providing needed moisture for growth. • Form: Columnar forms are accents, drawing How much you water will depend on your attention. Rounded, weeping, or spreading gardening style. Consider irrigation issues when shapes fill the area. Think about what the designing your shade garden. garden will look like in winter. These forms add year-round interest. ◊ Root competition can be a challenge. Roots from trees can make gardening a challenge. • Foliage: Glossy foliage reflects light and is Most value the trees and don’t want to more impactful than matte, dull, velvety harm the trees shading the garden. leaves. A properly planned garden will have a mix of all types. • Variegation: Yellow-green foliage pops, What to plant? whereas solid green or blue/green foliage isn’t as showy. Everyone is searching for the perfect plants for shade. As you see, all shade situations are a • Light colors: White, cream, yellow, pink unique combination of light, soil, root stand out. Concentrate on this color range competition, and moisture levels. Often, shade for flowers and foliage for the showiest gardening is a trial and error to see if the plant shade garden. will thrive in your setting. While not a complete • Deep colors: Red, blues, purples tend to list, here are some suggestions to add fade into the shade unless set off by another dimension. contrasting light colors „ Understory small trees Grasses Ground Covers • Japanese Maple • Bottlebrush grass • Ajuga • Redbud • Hakone grass • Pulmonaria • Flowering and Kousa Dog- • Sedge • Vinca minor woods • Juncus • English Ivy • Serviceberry • Pachysandra • Ironwood Perennials • Lily of the Valley • Brunnera • Liriope Deciduous Shrubs • Epimedium • Plumbago • Viburnum – Arrowwood, • Sweet Woodruff Burkwood, Cranberry, • Wild Ginger Annuals Korean Spice • Heuchera • Ageratum • Bottlebrush Buckeye • Astilbe • Browallia • Witchhazel • Bergenia • Coleus • Kerria • Bleeding Heart • Impatiens • Fothergilla • Chelone • Lobelia • Oakleaf Hydrangea • Lobelia—Cardinal and Blue • Pansy • New Jersey Tea • Fern—Christmas, Ostrich, • Begonia • Redtwig Dogwood Painted Lady • Torenia • St. John’s wort • Geranium • Smooth Hydrangea • Lady’s Mantle • Itea • Tricyrtis • Winterberry Holly • Hosta • Columbine Evergreen Shrubs • Tiarella Source: • American Holly • Solomon’s Seal Gardening in the Shade – • Boxwood • Helleborus Christopher Starbuck, Univer- • Oregon Grape Holly • Lady Bells (Adenophora) sity of Missouri Extension, • Rhododendren/Azalea • Mertensia Virginia Bluebells Department of . • Yew • Anemone • Viburnum, Leatherleaf

Johnson County K-State Research and Extension Questions? Contact the Extension Master Hotline at (913) 715-7050. 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Suite 1500, Olathe, KS 66061 Email: [email protected] (913) 715-7000 — www.johnson.k-state.edu

Kansas State University is committed to making its services, activities and programs accessible to all participants. If you have special requirements due to a physical, vision, or hearing disability, contact Johnson County K-State Research and Extension, 913-715-7000. Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Published 3/2021