Planting in Shaded Areas

Most gardens have an area that is in shade. Such areas can become redundant and forgotten; certainly considered unsuitable for planting. And while it is generally true that plants want and need good quantities of light, many have adapted to be able to not just survive, but thrive in shaded areas.

The Peace Lilly and Aspidistra are perhaps the best known (traditional) shade plants that grow well in Sydney conditions (the Peace Lillyis commonly encountered growing in low light conditions inside); often though they are seen, as a last resort, a ‘space filler’ for a ‘problem’ area.

This doesn’t have to be the case; layered planting in a bed is just as possible in an area of shade as it is in an area bathed in sun. In modern gardens Raphis Palms, Calatheas, Cordylines,Bromiliadsare excellent examples of plant that can create a layered bed with contrasting colours and textures in Sydney.

In more traditional gardens, as well as peace lilies and aspidistras, Clivias, Agapanthas, Nandinas, someIvys, Begoniasare just a few of the plants that can be used.

While these plants may not need much light; it doesn’t follow that they can also be starved of water, nutrition and general care and attention (if you want them at their best).

After selecting the right plant for the light, soil and environmental conditions this is the other key to gardening successfully in shade.