Garden Design for Dry Shady Gardens Plus Tips for Dry Shady Planting

Garden Design for Dry Shady Gardens Plus Tips for Dry Shady Planting
By Andrew Staib

Garden Design for Dry and Shady Areas

Especially in urban gardens, where space is at a premium, you may well have to resign yourself to dealing with shady, dry areas. But that doesn't mean your garden design has to be boring, or that there's nothing you can do with these sorts of spaces. Far from it. You can still create something that's diverse and beautiful.

As gardens get smaller, these conditions are likely to get more common. Equally, bear in mind that north or east-facing gardens tend to be shady and cool for large parts of the year.

Think about whether the shade is constant or whether there is sunlight at some times. Or is the shade really only there in the winter months? Is the shade cause by a tree? Could (and should?) the tree be removed?

While walls cast a light shade and don't draw moisture from the soil, but tree boughs can sometimes create more challenging conditions.

Whatever your own situation, design your space so that it actively thrives in dry shade. Choose flowering shrubs, annuals, perennials and ferns which can adapt to these conditions and your garden will be full of interest as well as easy to care for.

Because shade can make everything look smaller, redress the balance by being bold in your designs for shady areas. Be generous with paved areas, make borders deep, have containers as big as physically possible. More than with other types of garden, shady, dry ones need to be given a lot of personality.

Containers

Allow room in your design for the biggest containers possible. Not only will these look great, but will need to be watered less frequently. Create an illusion of space with tubs with mirrored panels. Terracotta adds warmth and plants grow well in it. Pots are a good idea in dry conditions; plant them with well-watered soil that's nice and damp.

Good container choices include:

• Begonia
• Polyanthus
• Arum lily

Lighting

Keep everything quite low down, and have a lot of small light sources instead just a few bigger ones, to enhance atmosphere. Think about having thick candles in hurricane jars or stringing up fairy lights.

Climbers

Climbing plants invariably soften a building, but sun-lovers will look odd as they strive for the light so choose varieties that don't mind a bit of shade, such as camellias and clematis and hydrangea. Trellis pyramids will add height to your design.

Boundaries

Brick walls can be painted, while fences could be covered with trellises, which are always versatile, affordable and easy to install. Consider it a kind of urban wallpaper that has the power to transform sunless places. A trellis can also give a feeling that there is more space than there actually is.

Planting

Arrange plants so that the tallest are at the back of the garden, and bear in mind that you may have to settle for interesting foliage in shady areas, rather than colourful flower blooms.

Among the plants that go well under trees are ivy, Christmas box, holly and stinking iris. A number of shrubs and perennials can also succeed, as can some bulbs.
Despite the challenges, even the dullest area can be enriched with some carefully chose shade-tolerant plants, and there are more of these to choose from than you may have realised.

Lawns

Choose shade-tolerant grass mixes, such as fescue grasses, which cope better with drought and shade and poorer nutrient levels. (However, even shade-tolerant grasses need some light.) You may even want to think about taking away some trees to increase the amount of light. If that's not possible, prune back branches.

Mow lawns in shade less often than you would normally cut grass, and always get rid of the clippings. Water frequently and heavily, and feed shady lawns particularly in the autumn and early spring, with high potassium feeds.

The important thing is not to get too downcast if your garden has a lot of dry or shady areas. You can still do a lot with these spaces.

Here at http://www.gloriousgardenssussex.co.uk we design the most beautiful gardens possible for you that enhance your house and look spectacular out of any window or when you walk though it. We thoroughly research plants, soils and materials to make sure your design will last and delight you for years.

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