Before we get into some alternative options for shady spots, let’s give a moment to ferns. They can be a divisive plant and some people are really not keen on them, but we love them! Ferns add beautiful texture and come in a huge variety of sizes and shapes. They look wonderful planted in groups with shade loving perennials in drifts between them.
Evergreen varieties offer year round structure and greenery, whilst deciduous varieties such as Dryopteris erythrosora give you beautiful autumn colour. One of favourite evergreen ferns is Polystichum polyblepherum which has a lovely upright habit and beautiful fresh green fronds. When something smaller is needed we love using Polystichum tsussimense, also known as Korean rock fern, Aspelnium scolopendrium or Blechnum spicant – or a mixture of all of them to create evergreen interest with differing textures and shades of green. They look wonderful with perennials such as Astrantia and Polygonatum planted in between them.
If you’re looking for more of a statement in your shaded space, Dicksonia antarctica (aka tree ferns) are a really striking choice. They add height and drama and can be great fun, especially for children, when the new fronds are unfurling as they are quite fascinating. They also work really well in large containers too, so if you have a shaded patio or courtyard they can be a great addition.
They do need special care in the winter, when they should be carefully wrapped up to protect them from the frost. We think they’re well worth it though, look at this garden we designed in Bromley a few years ago were the tree ferns create a wonderful impact!
There are also many beautiful herbaceous perennials which will thrive in the shade and part shade including Astrantia, Geraniums, Thalictrum, Brunnera and many more. Lots of them provide flowers and interest for many months, and can really light up a darker border with their foliage or blooms. So let there be no more gloom and doom about shady, dark borders – here is a selection of our favourite shade loving flowering beauties for you!
One of our very favourite perennials for shade is Tiarella ‘Spring Symphony’. It has delicate, upright spires of light pink to white flowers, and flowers from late Spring to early Summer. Its leaves are beautiful all summer too, with lovely dark purple markings against the green foliage – making it really interesting from Spring right through to late Autumn/early Winter when the foliage will die back.
With many varieties to choose from, most enjoying partially shaded areas, Astrantia are a really wonderful choice for shadier borders. They look just gorgeous mingling en-masse in between ferns and are also great for pollinators. A favourite of ours is Astrantia major ‘Star of Beauty’. As with many Astrantia, they begin white and fade to a dusky pinky/purple. They are also happy in full sun so are a great choice for repeating in different parts of the garden. Astrantia maxima works well in full shade and has a delicate pink flowers reaching around 60cm high.
An ever popular perennial for shade is Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ but personally our favourite variety is Brunnera macrophylla ‘Alexander’s Great’ with large variegated foliage in silvery tones which really lights up a dark corner of the garden. It’s delicate blue flowers are forget-me-not like in size and colour. They flower in the spring (and sometimes again later in the summer) and look wonderful planted along the front of a border, or as underplanting.
Whilst paler leaves and flowers can really light up a darker part of the garden, you may also want to add a splash of colour to a shaded area – and there are numerous options.
Most Geraniums will work well in either part of full shade, and all are loved by bees and other pollinators. Many of the classic blue-purple varieties such as Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ will be very happy in part-shade and bring some very welcome colour for months, with their main show being in early summer and a second flowering again later in the year if you cut them back. Geranium nodosum is a great option for dry shade, and will contribute lovely dots of magenta pink through your planting bed from around May to September. It is great for underplanting shrubs or adding groundcover in a tricky spot. Geranium phaeum is another fantastic option for growing in part to full shade.
For any spots in partial shade and perhaps on the damp side we love Persicaria, with a particular favourite being Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’. Again, this is a plant loved by pollinators and it looks very effective when planted en mass towards the middle or front of a border, mixed with different forms such as Hydrangeas, as you can see here in one of our Beckenham garden designs. Whilst it likes damp conditions it will also tolerate drier soil if it doesn’t receive too much sun.
These early flowering beauties thrive in shade and come in beautiful fresh whites, tinted creams, rich pinks and deep clarets. They are a gorgeous plant that flower very early in the year providing much needed nectar for early pollinators. They flower in late winter/early spring and then provide evergreen foliage for the rest of the year. No garden should be without!
Lastly, roses! Not all roses will thrive in shaded areas, but there are a number that do. Our favourites include Rose Kew Gardens and Rosa The Lark Ascending, both of which are also pollinator friendly. Rambling Rector and Wedding Day are rambling roses that do well in shaded spots and can be used to over north facing walls or fences, as can The Generous Gardener. This is a beautiful pale pink climbing rose that repeat flowers (unlike the ramblers) and has a lovely scent as well.
One of our favourite evergreen shrubs to use for structure in full shade is Sarcococca. It has beautiful dark green leaves and the scent of the flowers in winter is sublime. If you can, plant it in places you will walk past in winter, for example front gardens/near an entrance, and you will be able to enjoy the scent every time you pass.
Camellias also work well in shade. Do note that they need ericaceous compost or acidic soil to really thrive. When choosing a camelia, try to go for one with an open flower as this will provide for pollinators, as well as being beautiful to look at.
To add some evergreen structure towards the middle or front of a border, Luzula nivea is a great choice. It reaches around 40cm with flat, linear evergreen leaves, it’s almost like an ornamental grass in structure. Its delicate white flowers in the summer grow to around 60cm and make a soft, airy addition to the border.
We have already mentioned Dicksonia antartica above which is also a fabulous choice for adding both height and structure to your garden. Another tree that works well in light shade is an acer. There are many types to choose from ranging in size and colour. We have recently planted a beautiful specimen in our multilevel garden design in Bromley – an Acer plamatum ‘Sango Kaku’. It has beautiful foliage which changes colour over the seasons, reddish stems and looks wonderful against the paddlestone walling as you can see here:
Another beauty of a shaded border is that woodland plants will grow there. This means you can add Bluebells and Snowdrops which are both gorgeous bulbs and will naturalise over time too. These are best planted in the green (meaning just as they have flowered and have green growth still, rather than are bare bulbs) and so look to order them around February. Be sure to go for our native Bluebells!
Shade is also the perfect place for Convallaria majalis, more commonly known as Lily of the Valley. It has beautiful bell shaped white flowers and its smell is unrivalled. It’s a really delicate, pretty addition to the front of shady borders or below trees and shrubs.
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