Made in the Shade: Creating Dynamic Shade Gardens

Smithsonian Gardens’ Let’s Talk Gardens Series
Made in The Shade: Creating a Dynamic Layered Shade Garden
Presented by Sylvia Schmeichel, Lead Horticulturist, National Museum of Natural History

• Get to Know Your Site
  1. When does direct sunlight hit certain spots and for how long?
  2. What’s the soil condition?
  3. What’s the size of your space (length, width AND HEIGHT)?
  4. How do you want to use the space?
• Understanding Shade (Not All Shade is created equally)
  1. Full Sun – 6+ Hours direct sunlight (no shadows)
     1. i) Occurs in open fields/prairies/savannahs/ meadows.
  2. Part Shade/part-sun= 4-6 hours direct sunlight
     1. i) Occurs in woodland edges, forest clearings.
  3. Full Shade – less than 4 hours of direct sunlight
     1. i) Occurs under tree canopies, conifer forests.
  4. Seasonal shade
     1. i) Occurs under deciduous trees.

• Sun intensity
  1. Morning and evening sun are less intense than mid-day or afternoon sun.
  2. Latitude matters, closer to the equator =more intense (Minnesota vs. Louisiana)
  3. Altitude matters, mountaintop = more intense
  4. Time of Day- some spots could have very intense sun for a few hours, then deep shade at other times.
• Soil and Drainage
  1. Conduct a soil test through your local county extension office (search: soil test extension *your state*)
     1. i) Will identify soil composition of sand/silt/clay
     2. ii) Water drains fastest in sand, slowest in heavy clay.
  2. Drainage can be impacted by several components.
     1. i) Shady areas dry more slowly and tend to hold moisture longer
  3. Dry (under trees, near other plants competing for space, under building overhands, near foundations)
  4. Average (holds some moisture, but drains steadily)
  5. Wet (may indicate high water table, high clay content, compacted soil)
     1. i) The presence of moss can be an indication of compaction/poor drainage.
     2. ii) If you did into your soil and it smells bad/rotten, it could be anaerobic.

• Taking Cues from Mother Nature
  1. In nature, shady conditions occur along woodland clearings and edges.
  2. Plant height is staggered and layered.
  3. There are seasonal successions of bloom time.
  4. Plants thrive in locations with suitable growing conditions.
     1. i) Look at the site conditions, then find a plant that will be happy there.
  5. Nothing is static, but always evolving.
  6. There are no hard and fast rules.
• Garden Composition
  1. Pro Tip: Successful shade garden designs tend to prioritize shape, form and texture before colorful blooms.
  2. Guiding the Eye:
     1. i) Texture:
        • Rough holds the eye, appear closer to the viewer.
        • Fine, generally dense, recede in the landscape, low impact background.
     2. ii) Shape:
        • Overall plant shape (Growth habit)
        • Repeating (continuity) vs. Contrasting (dynamic)

• Color: Flower AND Foliage
  • Remember in Shade -dark colors appear darker, bright colors appear brighter.
  • Monochromatic (similar color different shades)
  • Analogous (neighbors on the color wheel ex. Yellow, orange, red)
  • Complementary (Blue and orange/yellow)
  • Dark colors recede to the background.
    • Purple, maroon, black (creates backdrop to make other colors pop)
• Bright colors “pop”
  • Yellow, orange, coral, white, lime
  • Silver/ gray foliage they reflect light
• Seasonal Autumn colors (Fothergilla in the Fall is a showstopper!)

Don’t Forget Evergreens!

Rich Shillings’ Favorites for Shade:

• Trochodendron arailoides,
• Danae racemosa
• Cephalotaxus h. ‘ Prostrata’ ,‘ Gnome’
• Chamaecyparis obtusa’ Kosteri’, ‘Thoweil’ ,Nana Gracilis’
• Crytomeria japonica’ Cristata’, ‘Globosa Nana’, ‘Elegans Nana’, Tansu’
• Polystichum polybletharum
• Aucuba japonica ’Rozannie’

Arborist, Jake Hendee’s Favorite 12 Trees for Shade in the Mid-Atlantic

They “Dozen’t” need full sun!

• Acer rubrum, A. saccharum, A. griseum
• Fagus grandiflora (woody adelgid caution)
• Prunus virginiana
• Cornus sp.- C. alternifolia, C. florida, et al.
• Cercis canadensis
• Tsuga canadensis (woody adelgid caution)
• Hamamelis virginiana and H. vernalis
• 8 Ilex opaca (many cvs.)
• Amelanchier arborea, A. canadensis
• Chionanthus virginicus
• Magnolia virginiana, M. acuminata, M. macrophylla
• Carpinus caroliniana ‘Palisade’

Shade Tolerant Plant List

For Further Reading:

Making the Most of Shade: How to Plan, Plant, and Grow a Fabulous Garden That Lightens Up the Shadow by Larry Hodgson

Glorious Shade: Dazzling Plants, Design Ideas, and Proven Techniques for Your Shady Garden by Jenny Rose Carey

The New Shade Garden: Creating a Lush Oasis in the Age of Climate Change by Ken Druse

Clemson Cooperative Extension. Home and Garden Information Center.  Plants for the Shade.

Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Virginia State University.  Lawn and Garden.