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I know that shade growing can be a challenge. But with some careful planning and patience you can design a lush, interesting garden that thrives in shade. And once established, a shade garden is low maintenance and provides much needed respite from a hot summer day.

To be successful in shade growing, you first need to choose the right plants. Look for plant recommendations for shade growing trees, shade growing shrubs, shade growing perennials, shade growing annuals, and shade growing bulbs.

Now that you’ve picked out your shade plants, think about where to locate them in the garden. Remember, plants need some light to grow (nothing grows in complete darkness). Your plants are going to need at least a few hours a day of light, even if it is not direct sunlight.

Now let’s talk about the soil that your shade growing plants will live in. For best results, make sure there a good mixture of organic compost and mulch in the soil. To check to see how the soil drains, dig a hole and fill it with water then come back in a couple of hours to see if the water has drained. If not, you will need to mix sand into the soil to help with drainage.

Once you’ve considered the soil, check that the surrounding trees are not stealing all the light, moisture and nutrients. This is one of the most common problems if you plant a shade garden under large trees. Your plants will be competing for food and water with the trees, so regular feeding and watering is required so the plants aren’t too depleted for nutrients.

Evergreen conifer trees such as cedars tend to make the soil dry and acidic. You can have the soil tested and if you find that it is overly acidic for what you plan to grow, just add some dolomite lime powder. But the good news is that many shade growing plants actually like acidic soil. Examples include rhododendron, mahonia (oregon grape), and ferns.

Shade from a building or wall will also affect what you can grow in your garden. Consider the placement of the building or wall: if your garden is in the front of a north-facing wall it will be in shade most of the day. In addition, the garden will be exposed to the elements like the prevailing winds and frost during the fall and winter.

Walk around your house and see how it affects where the sun is at various times of the year. For instance, where the sun is in the morning isn’t going to the same in the evening, especially the later in the season it is.

The critical things to remember in growing a shade garden are plant selection, the degree of shade you are dealing with (light, medium or dense), good soil, drainage and water. I encourage you to try a shade garden. You’ll love it!

Want to find out more about Shade Growing, then visit my website for photos and recommendations on how to choose the best shade plants for your needs. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

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