Gardeners have two opposite problem areas: bright sun and deep shade. Both of these extremes greatly reduce the ability to grow many plants, both flowers and vegetables.
It often happens that a large area is in the shade behind a house, garage or other buildings. But there are areas where the sun is at least partially present, and there are areas where it does not hit at all.
In this article we will tell you what can be planted behind the house, in the shade.
Vegetables for the shady area
There are much fewer vegetables for the shady area than ornamental plants. The fact is that light is necessary for the ripening of the fetus. But deciduous plants can live in a dimly lit area. Nothing can be planted in deep shade, but it can be grown in partial shade:
- spinach;
- watercress, arugula and leafy salads;
- chard;
- onions on greens;
- peas;
- beans;
- cucumbers;
- radish;
- broccoli and cauliflower.
Among others, a cucumber can perfectly exist in the shade of trees, hanging onfences. In addition to vegetables, in such conditions it is quite possible to grow greens, such as parsley and dill. This is a small list of what can be planted in the shade behind the vegetable house.
Shade-loving or shade-tolerant?
These concepts are often inclined to be confused, but meanwhile a shade-tolerant plant tolerates partial shade well, and a shade-loving plant prefers to grow in deep shade. Before you go to buy plants, find out by observing what kind of plot you still have, how many hours the sun is there. One question - what to plant in the shade of trees, and the other - in the deaf shade of the house. This will help avoid mistakes.
Top Shade Growing Plants
Among the shady options there are a lot of magnificent beauty flowering decorative foliage and conifers. You just need to know them. Then instead of the question of what to plant in the shade behind the house, you will have another one: what to choose from the many shade plants? There are actually quite a few options.
So, the most popular shade plants are:
- Decorative and deciduous perennials: hosta, fern, brunner, wild hoof.
- Ground cover perennials: periwinkle, ivy.
- Flowering perennials: daylily, aquilegia, tradescantia, clematis.
- Ephedra: Canadian conica spruce (conica).
- Shrubs: spindle tree, deren, cotoneaster.
- Tuber: cannes.
Some of them deserve special attention due to their decorative effect and love for shady places. Still undecided on what to plant in the shade behind the house? Withphotos placed in the article, the choice becomes easier. Next, we will talk about other options.
Khosta is the queen of the shadow
Hosta is the most popular plant for low light areas. What is remarkable is the fact that the denser shade makes the leaves of the hosta larger and more impressive. Therefore, the answer to the question of which plants to plant in the shade is the host. She is very shade-loving and in the sun, on the contrary, loses all decorativeness.
In addition, it is also valued for its frost resistance: it tolerates extreme cold without shelter. There are many types of hosta, they differ in size and color of the leaves. This plant is valued for a variety of pale green, variegated with white and silver leaves, collected in a rosette.
Hosta has lovely white or purple flowers in the form of a small bell, which are located on a long stem.
Seating a hosta is very simple: dig out part of the rhizome with leaves and plant it in a new place, preferably in spring or autumn, outside the hot season.
Canadian spruce conica - coniferous charm in the shade
The name of this spruce gives us an understanding of the conical shape. Indeed, this evergreen and extremely slow growing tree has the shape of a cone. The conica has a dense structure so that the trunk is not visible, and interestingly, it itself forms such a shape, creating the image of a cut tree.
This spruce is an ideal shade dweller, loves moist soil but drainageit won't bother her. Keeping in mind its slow growth, do not place anything tall nearby, otherwise it will clog the conic.
Canadian spruce will look great in a single planting if agrofibre is laid around and sprinkled with small decorative pebbles. Can also pair well with low junipers.
Fern - forest guest
Some people dream of growing a fern in their garden. However, it does not take root anywhere except in poorly lit areas. If you are thinking about what plants to plant in the shade, feel free to choose it - a handsome forest.
Among shade-loving plants, the fern is the champion of survival in conditions of lack of light. But he not only survives there, but also arranges wonderful lush thickets of pale green color. It is prized for its unrolling leaves (wai), which have a beautifully carved structure.
You can choose for a long time what to plant in the deep shade behind the house, but if you prefer a fern, you won't go wrong.
Ivy - evergreen lace
Ivy is an evergreen plant from the Araliaceae family, with many varieties. For our territories, only frost-resistant species that can survive in winter are of interest.
Ivy is valued for its evergreen waxy leaves in a variety of colors, from dark green to variegated varieties.
If you have an empty dimly lit place near the fence or you do not know what to plant in the shade behind the house, then as soon as possiblebuy this plant. Ivy is used to improve hedges and as a ground cover. They will also be a salvation for the shady segments of the alpine slides: ivy falling from the stones gives a wild, mysterious look.
Daylily - a flower for the lazy
If we talk about the daylily, then, like all flowering ones, it prefers sunny places, but calmly withstands shade. This is a plant with thin long leaves that gather at the root, and with a flower on a long stem. The flowers are quite decorative and bloom even in strong shade, but the pedicels will be very long. The daylily grows at an enormous speed, so that in a short time you can get a dense clearing.
Daylily is called a flower for the lazy: the usual orange and yellow varieties really do not require any care at all. More demanding species have more decorative value. Light varieties are not suitable for planting in deep shade. You need to choose darker types.
Cotoneaster - wild prince
Cotoneasters are very unpretentious plants that, in addition to dense, small, shiny foliage, enchant with small bright red berries. The berries stay on the branch for such a long time that it gives the impression of an ever-bearing shrub.
There are a lot of cotoneaster species: from tall bushes to ground covers. Creeping cotoneaster deserves special attention for shade, which occupies large areas in a very short time. For the slopes of the alpine hill androckeries are the best option.
For compositions with stones, the shady side of the house is suitable. What to plant in the shade among the stones is no longer a problem. Of course, the cotoneaster, which forms wild unbridled thickets, hanging from the stone or winding between them. The effect is amazing, considering that stones, like cotoneaster, do not need bright sun.
Unexpected Shadow Area Bonuses
Shady areas have their pluses - they are often very wet. Even in the scorching heat, these zones retain life-giving moisture, almost never drying out. In such places, plants may exist that will die in other areas. But that's not all the shadow benefits.
Plants can only be transplanted in spring and autumn, as they do not take root with a lack of moisture. But in deep shade, you have the opportunity to arrange transplants throughout the summer!
So, we told you about what to plant in the shade behind the house. Flowers, shrubs or ground covers - the choice is yours. But there are very few one-year-olds for shade, it is better to choose perennials: plant and forget.
Now you will have no problem choosing what to plant in the shade behind the house.
