Made In The Shade

By Lindsay Bond Totten
Photography by Lindsay Bond Totten and John Totten

You know you're hopelessly hooked on shade gardening when the latest catalog arrives and you flip immediately to the section labeled "Wildflowers." "Color" no longer pushes your buttons, but foliage does. And you have more varieties of hellebore in your backyard than pairs of shoes in your closet.

If so, welcome aboard. A passion for shade gardening puts you near the leading edge of horticulture's "hot spot." Fueled by a surge of interest in native plants and a desire by many to downsize a bit, shade gardening offers a natural alternative to high-maintenance perennial borders. Shade gardens are easy to care for, environmentally friendly and can't be beat as a peaceful refuge after an exhausting day at work.

A certain amount of effort is required at the outset, and, of course, you need some trees. But the "to do" list is not long, the result oh-so-rewarding.

Here are five important tenets of shade gardening to get you started:

1. ALL SHADE IS NOT CREATED EQUAL

Light penetrates a tree canopy to varying degrees. In dense shade, the ground lies deep in shadow, even on a bright summer day. Beds in dense shade are extremely challenging to cultivate. In dappled shade, the sun's rays pierce the canopy at intervals, sending patches of light dancing across the foliage beneath. A host of plants craves dappled shade.

In between "dense" and "dappled" lies a continuum of shady conditions that invite experimentation. Light to dappled shade supports the broadest spectrum of shade-loving plants. Even medium shade can be completely satisfactory with the right plant choices and good design. In deep shade, rely more on structure, foliage and natural mulches to carry the theme.

Consider "upgrading" your shade through the judicious removal of nonessential shade trees. Careful thinning of the remaining branches can create ideal conditions and improve the health of the remaining canopy. Be sure to seek the advice of a certified arborist before performing "reconstructive surgery" on your shady yard.

 

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Lindsay Bond Totten is the president of the Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania. Her husband, John, is a professional horticulturist at a private estate in Butler.