Perfect plants for a shady spot
Gardens in London may often be shaded by trees and buildings, and far from being a problem, shady spots can present plenty of opportunities for imaginative planting.
There are quite a few plants that will flourish in partial shade, and even north- and east-facing gardens that have cool and shady areas for much of the year can look fabulous with a selection of carefully chosen shade-tolerant specimens.
What’s more, some plants actually prefer shade and look their best out of bright sunlight.
At Alaster Anderson we will take a detailed look at all aspects of a garden and consider the conditions it will present all year round before starting work with every client.
Part of this analysis concerns the type of shade in each part of the garden:
Full shade: no sunlight or reflected sunlight and the area is dark all day
Light shade: shade is slight for most or all of the day
Partial shade: at some times of the morning or afternoon plants are in the sun
Dappled shade: light filters through leaves above.
We will also look at the soil structure to see if it is wet or dry in the shaded areas.
When it comes to colour schemes, a shady area can look sombre if stocked with too many dark green plants so these work best as a backdrop for light and pastel colours. A dark background can be a fantastic stage setting for a blaze of cream, white, yellow and pale pink and purple blooms.
A collection of three native ferns, featuring Dryopteris filix-mas, Blechum spicant and Asplenium scolopendrium, can create an enchanting woodland floor.
Aucuba japonica crassifolia (Japanese laurel)
Some of our favourite plants for shady gardens
Athyrium niponicum f. metallicum is a striking frosted fern that looks as if each leaf has been dusted with soft grey paint.
Aucuba japonica crassifolia (Japanese laurel) has large, glossy dark green leaves that prefer shade to sun, which tends to bleach them a little yellow. It even bears cute red fruit and bubbly yellow flowers.
Hedera helix 'Green Ripple' is a sophisticated and low-maintenance ivy for easy topiary.
Flowering specimens
Sarcococca confusa sweet box bursts with sweet-scented white flowers from December to March against luxuriant dark leaves. This evergreen shrub is currently flowering by our front door and smelling utterly divine.
Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexanders Great' presents ace-of-spades shaped leaves that look as if they have been frosted with icing sugar with green veins running through them.
Polygonatum hybridum (Solomon's Seal) has tiny white bell-shaped flowers hanging from arching stems, a magical addition to a shady area or woodland garden
Tricyrtis 'Taipei Silk' is a dazzling lily that brings a dark border alive at the end of the season when little else may be going on.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis 'Alba' produces gorgeous tiny heart-shaped white blooms for spring splendour.
A few more recommendations from the Royal Horticultural Society
A perennial for deep shade: Campanula persicifolia has rosettes of bright green leaves with bell or cup-shaped flowers in blue or white.
A perennial for lighter or dappled shade: Aster thomsonii ‘Nanus’ produces long-lasting star-shaped flowers of lilac-blue, blooming from midsummer to autumn.
For very wet sites in shade: Onoclea sensibilis AGM is a sensitive fern with swooping pale green fronds that sometimes have a pinkish-bronze tinge.
Please get in touch to see how we can help you with your garden. You can reach us on 0207 305 7183 or email at enquire@alasteranderson.com
