Topic: Low maintenance plants for a shady-ish spot?

[lewic]

My neighbours are not using a patch at the bottom of their plot, and it was covered in bindweed and other weeds. I cleared it a bit and put plastic down as I didnt want the bindweed encroaching on my plot, and they said I was welcome to use the patch as they thought it was too shady to grow anything down there.

I am wondering if there are any low maintenance plants that could be grown in a shady area through weed control membrane? The patch is maybe about 6 x 10 metres with a fence along the bottom. It isnt 100% shade, but is partly overlooked by a large cherry tree.

It seems a shame to let it go to waste if there are things that could be planted - was wondering if small fruit bushes eg gooseberry would be OK? Potatoes? Or runner beans along the fence?

[lewic]

... I would add that they were very pleased when I offered to clear it and stick some weed fabric down, didnt just help myself!!

[Melbourne12]

There are loads of shrubs that will tolerate shade.  We've got some very prolific miniature rose bushes that do well, but I can't remember the exact variety.

The only soft fruit that we plant in shade is blackberry.  But you'd need to keep them under control, or you'll be invaded by brambles!

Spinach will be OK, too.  But I wouldn't try beans.

[flossy]

   If roses do well in shade [ partial ]  why not try  ..  Rosehip ''  make you're own rosehip syrup,

   lovely show of flowers, then  ' hips ' in the  autumn .

   floss xx
   

   

 

[hellohelenhere]

I think anything that fruits will deliver a rather small crop in a shady place. Might be better to stick to woodland flowers? In my old, very shady and dry garden, a few things did thrive: the wilder sort of geranium (geranium pheum), foxgloves, sedum, and aquilegia. Those were existing things that flourished there, I didn't introduce much. Or cyclamen? Alchemilla? Euphorbia, epimedium, lungwort? I think you have a lot more flower options than you do for edibles.

[saddad]

The "dead" nettles ?Lamium are good ground cover for shady spots...  :)

[ceres]

Rhubarb doesn't mind shade and raspberries will take a bit of shade too. 

[marcusexeter]

hi i suggest Rhubarb or how about courgettes/marrows and pumpkins. They would be great planted in shade.
Goosberries don't mind shade.

Also climbing beans - start them off in the sun then let them climb up the poles to the sun

[Pesky Wabbit]

Comfery ?

[elvis2003]

im interested in this post as a good part of our plot is in shade thanks to some beech trees.last year our fruits did great there,rasp,gooseberries,rhubarb,blackberries...but have since given a few gooseberry bushes away as we dont really like them that much (we had 8 bushes!)  this year ive consulted our many many books and thought i would try kale,cauli and spinach in the space,netted for protection of course! 

[artichoke]

Quite a lot of fruit bushes are naturally edge-of-woodland plants, such as black currants, red currants, gooseberries, as long as it is not totally dark. Certainly rhubarb - my rhubarb was so huge I moved it to under an old apple tree, and it now stays manageable in spite of the deep shade and root competition. I grow lovage under there too, because out in the sun it grows enormous, and I'd rather keep it smallish.

[wetandcold]

We have some blackcurrant bushes growing in a line at the end of our garden - one end is in dry shade under a tree and the other end is in full sun. There really is no real difference between the plants along the row and each of them fruits just as much as the next!

[hellohelenhere]

Ah well, I was spouting rubbish, then! :D
I was thinking of the blackberries that grow in wooded areas of Nunhead Cemetery, and they're *tiny* - but I guess that is very thick tree cover and they don't get any direct light at all.

The plants in my old garden suffered from *extremely* dry shade, thanks to a gigantic eucalyptus tree next door. They also suffered neglect, as I wasn't in 'gardening mode' at that time, neglected everything, and was too demoralised by the eucalyptus to make much effort. So they had poor soil and no feed or additional water, on top of everything.

As an unintentional experiment, I can at least tell you that the previously named flowers thrived; also, kerria japonica, and some large white roses. Unfortunately, the other champion in those conditions was ground elder.  :(

[lewic]

Thanks for all the tips, I think I'll start with some some courgettes and squash through weed fabric, and look out for some gooseberry bushes. Flowers would be lovely but I dont want to spend too much time weeding here.

Is rather smaller than 6x10, am not very good at judging distance!