Mother Nature does her best gardening in the shade. A short hike through a local state park can show even the most inexperienced gardener how to create a beautiful and relatively carefree shade garden. Mother Nature begins with a shade tree. The shade beneath that tree attracts shrubs and vines that grow naturally and comfortably in the dappled sunlight and natural mulch that the tree provides. Surrounding those shrubs and vines are fairly tall and often flowering plants that fill in the spaces throughout the summer. Beneath and around those plants are groundcovers that finish off the multi-tiered effect.
To imitate Mother Nature successfully it is necessary to know the tree or trees you are working with. Depending on the fullness of the species and the size of the tree, the amount of shade beneath it can be full, half, or partial. The partial shade beneath a crab apple, for instance, can allow for hundreds of plants to choose from whereas the deep shade and acidic soil beneath an evergreen severely limits those choices.
Another thing to take into consideration is nearness to buildings and the direction those buildings are facing. If the shady area is close to the east or west side of a building then the tree is already in half shade. The shade beneath that tree is even shadier. If the area is on the north side of the house then there is also colder winter winds to consider whereas the south side might have more direct heat from the summer sun. With these basics in the mind the next part is the best part. Planting a beautiful shade garden.
To liven up the area near evergreens, the Rhododendron can provide spring color. Plant this glossy-leaved evergreen beside the tree rather than under it so it benefits from the partial shade as the sun moves across the sky and it can share the acidic soil created by the falling needles. Full shade could prevent the rhododendron from blooming. Pachysandra is a groundcover that can thrive beneath the evergreen tree. To fill out spindly evergreens, the Virginia Creeper is a hardy vine and groundcover and can tolerate of just about any amount of shade in any soil. It can vine up the tree while covering beneath it. It can be invasive, however, if not contained.
For the typical shade garden, plant shrubs such as Carolina Allspice, Honeysuckle, Viburnum, Hydrangea, Barberry, and Boxwoods around the base of the tree giving room for the future growth of both the tree and the shrub. The Oregon Grape Holly (also called Mahonia) is a highly interesting shrub for this purpose. The blue berries ripen in June and the leaves turn maroon in the winter.
The taller plants that grow in the shade come in the next tier. They are the many types of Hostas and Ferns. Of these, the Japanese Painted Fern is quite interesting as is the newly introduced all white Hosta. The Martagon Lily is one of the few lilies that bloom in partial shade and come in a variety of colors. And Astilbe hybrids now cover nearly the entire color spectrum. Bleeding Hearts don't usually bloom as tall as Hostas, Ferns, and Astilbes and they take a little more sun but they can add color to the outer edges of the shade garden.
Coral Bells are a shorter shade-loving mounding plant whose leaves can range from gold to purple. The flowers are more like brightly colored stems and add interest to the garden and cut flower arrangements throughout the summer. The compacted nature of the Coral Bell goes great with the dainty clover-like softness of the Columbine. These can be interspersed in the spaces between the taller plants. Throw in a few Forget-Me-Nots and the shade garden is ready for the groundcovers around the outer border.
Many ground covers like Creeping Phlox grow in partial shade and come in many shades of reds and blues. Plants like Vinca (Periwinkle), Irish Moss, Wooly Thyme, and WInter Creeper are easy to grow in half shade. If there's deeper shade, however, plants such as Wild Ginger, Lungwort, Sweet Woodruff, and Wild Nettle are good choices.
Mother Nature is and always will be the world's best gardener. Human gardeners get better and better at domesticating what she makes naturally all the time. Today there is absolutely no reason why our little piece of the planet can't be a mini ecosystem of its own even if it is shaded. By following Mother Nature's multi-tiered approach, every one of us can create a little state park in our own backyard.