Growing plants in shade can be one of the most challenging parts of gardening, but we can help you out. 

If you have a dark shady spot in your garden, the first thing we need to find out is what type of shade you have so we can choose the right plants for you.

The simplest way to work out which way your garden faces is to stand by the outside wall at the back of your house with a compass (you may have one on your phone). By doing this, you can work out which way is north. When you look at the compass if it is pointing north, you have a north-facing garden.

North-facing gardens

If you have a north-facing garden, your garden will have areas of shade for much of the day. Larger surfaces that are north-facing surfaces, such as the back of the house, will get evening sun in the summer months. 

Plants for North-facing gardens

The best plants for a north-facing garden are what get called woodland plants, such as Hellebores, bluebells, snowdrops and Pulmonaria. All of these plants flower early in the year before the tree canopy starts to grow and casts shade over the ground. They’re ideal for areas that only get sun first thing in the morning.

South-facing gardens

With only a little shade and direct sunshine on the back of the house. The far boundary faces north, so it will be in shade during the day. When you have your back to the house, on your right-hand side the boundary will be facing east and will get the morning sun. On the left-hand side, i

t will face west meaning you’ll get sun in the afternoon and evening.

Plants for South-facing gardens 

Climbers for the north-facing wall include Hedera and  Parthenocissus. If you’re looking for lush leaves, we recommend adding ferns and hostas. If you want flowers to add colour then Daphne, Brunnera and the wonderfully fragrant lily of the valley will be a great choice. In hotter parts of the garden, you can grow Mediterranean plants such as lavender, Verbena bonariensis and iris. 

East Facing Garden 

East Facing gardens get the sunshine in the morning and into the afternoon. They can be quite hot in the summer months so any of the Mediterranean style plants are great. 

Plants for East-facing gardens

Plants that will suit these conditions include Rosemary, lavender as well as several aromatic plants such as Oregano and thyme.  

West-facing gardens

If all or part of your garden is west facing, meaning that it gets shade in the morning and gets some sun in the afternoon, it’s an ideal location to grow Camellias. Plants in this location can have a tough life as they must also be able to withstand the heat of the sun in the summer months. 

Plants for West-facing gardens

Plants that will suit these conditions include Magnolias and Camellias, as well as perennials, such as Sedum and Fuchsias.