Shade is the rule rather than the exception in London. Tall terraces, neighbouring trees and high walls mean many gardens get only a few hours of sun. The good news is that some of the most beautiful plants in the world are woodland plants, perfectly adapted to these conditions.
First, identify your shade
Not all shade is the same, and the right plants depend on which kind you have.
- Light or dappled shade: sun filtered through trees or a few hours of direct sun. Most woodland plants and many perennials will thrive.
- Full shade, moist soil: north-facing gardens with decent soil. Ideal for ferns, hostas and rodgersia.
- Dry shade: under trees or next to walls, where roots and rain shadow keep the soil dry. The hardest conditions, but still plenty to choose from.
Small trees and shrubs for shade
Structure matters even more in a shaded garden, because flowers are fewer. Good choices include:
- Fatsia japonica: bold, glossy evergreen leaves and white flowers in autumn.
- Hydrangea quercifolia: oak-shaped leaves that colour superbly in autumn.
- Sarcococca confusa: a small evergreen with intensely scented winter flowers.
- Acer palmatum: Japanese maples prefer some shade and shelter from wind.
- Amelanchier lamarckii: spring blossom and autumn colour, happy in light shade.
Perennials for shade
Layer perennials beneath the shrubs to cover the ground and provide a long season of interest.
- Hellebores for winter flowers and evergreen leaves.
- Epimediums, which cope with dry shade better than almost anything.
- Geranium macrorrhizum, a tough, scented ground cover.
- Japanese anemones for late summer and autumn flowers.
- Hostas and Brunnera 'Jack Frost' for leaves that light up dark corners.
Ferns
No shaded garden is complete without ferns. Polystichum setiferum is evergreen and tough; Dryopteris species cope with dry shade; Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum' has silvery fronds that glow in low light. In sheltered London gardens, a tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) adds instant drama.
Bulbs for shade
Many bulbs flower before trees come into leaf, making the most of the spring light. Snowdrops, Anemone nemorosa, Cyclamen hederifolium, wild garlic and martagon lilies all naturalise happily in shade.
Design tips
- Use white and pale flowers and variegated leaves, which show up in low light.
- Contrast leaf sizes and shapes: big against fine, glossy against matt.
- Improve dry soil with leaf mould and mulch every autumn.
For enclosed and very shaded spaces, see our page on lush and internal garden design.
