Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Today Article


	Got Shade? By SueAnn DuBois*


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	Many homeowners feel challenged by the presence of shade in their yard. Commonly they think of a garden in full sunny conditions. With shade, immediately the thoughts turn to a bare or moss covered area with no visual appeal. This idea is perpetuated by the vast majority of plants at the nurseries tagged for full to part sun! Although there is greater choice in sunny location plants, a surprising number of colorful, visually appealing plants thrive in a degree of shade. Shade gardening is a real treat for the eye and can be applied in small as well as large areas with ease just by understanding a few basic principals and selecting hardy shade plants for our region. First and foremost you must understand the need for good soil preparation. Rich moisture retentive soil will make or break your shade garden. Secondly, you need to identify what degree of shade exists on your property. The shade hierarchy least to most is as follows:

Partial shade: locations receives 3-6 hours of morning/afternoon sun or dappled sunlight admitted by leafy trees and shrubs
Light shade: locations under trees with small leaves and high branches; may get full sun a few hours a day, but never burning.
Medium shade: locations under trees with branches at least 20 feet above the ground and moderate sized leaves; may receive morning/afternoon sun, but generally shaded during brightest time of day.
Full shade: locations beneath tall trees with large leaves, under smaller trees with branches close to the ground, under evergreens, and next to tall buildings; very little light reaches lower growing plants.

Remember that all plants require some degree of light to grow and flourish. As a homeowner you can modify the degree of shade with a few easy strategies:


	Removing lower branches Calling in a tree expert to thin out the upper branches and overall canopy Use light and white colored paints on nearby hardscaping and garden accents to reflect more light Remove large trees that cast dense shade Modify your outdoor design ideas by constructing a patio area in the heaviest shade location and garden around that.

Next step is selecting and placing plants. Keep in mind you are looking for variety in color, texture and contrast. Yet balance is important. Work off the trunk of the trees in your area as the design starting point. If you select some bold dramatics (tall/leafy) use a few fill-ins that have some common features in leaves, color, etc.

Great foliage (leaves) is the backbone of shade gardens. When you select your shade plants keep in mind the effects of texture. Plant leaves are the primary visual for this. They can be fine, just a hint of being there; medium, to give contrast and fill in; and bold, to speak to you from a distance. The form or shape of the plant is important. They range from low/ground hugging, rounded, and tall spiky. And lastly, the leaves will give you color contrast well beyond the flower bloom. There are all kinds of interesting hues of green, gold, red, silver, cream and gray. You can actually use the colors to brighten an area! Some great perennial foliage plants (some with blooms) I use for shade are Hostas, Ferns, Black Lace, Jack Frost Brunella, Canadian Wild Ginger, Pachysandra, Periwinkle and English Ivy. As far as Annuals, you cannot beat plants like Caladium, Polka Dot Plants, Coleus, and Dusty Miller. With each variety of these plants, you can mix and match color, texture and shape easily.

Flowering perennials give you that burst of color and visual interest at various bloom times. In our area, some great picks include Lily of the Valley, Bleeding Hearts, Japanese Woodland Primrose, Forget-me-nots, Astilbee, and Goatsbeard. Support these with colorful annuals such as Impatiens and Begonias to give you constant blooms throughout the season.

When looking at shade tolerant plants it is equally important to consider some background ornamental shrubs. My picks include the Rhododendron, Azalea (also in the Rhodo family), Mountain Laurel and Oak leaf Hydrangeas. In the tree category, my favorite remains the White Dogwood... Dogwoods give you the color, form and texture with the early flower, later fruit and interesting shaped leaves.

Got Shade? No need to complain about it anymore. You can till achieve the garden appeal you desire in our Saratoga area with these simple strategies and selections.


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	* SueAnn DuBois is a Master Gardener and partner to the husband-wife team of Chips Landscaping. Chip’s Landscaping designs, constructs, and maintains outdoor landscape and water garden features in Saratoga County.


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