How to Overcome Shade Problems

Whether you've just acquired a house with a yard that's shadier than you'd like, or nearby construction is stealing your sunshine, don't despair. You can have a lush, colorful garden. First, though, you need to know how much shade you've got, when you've got it and where it's coming from.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lattice Panels
• Books On Shade Gardening
• Lattice Panels
• White Paint And Paintbrush
• Pen Or Pencil
• Sketch Pad Or Graph Paper
• Pruning Shears Or Saw

Analyze your shade

1. Make a sketch of your yard and its immediate surroundings. Include established planting areas and all sources of shade, such as trees, fences and the walls of your house.

2. Note factors that could change your light level in the near future-- for instance, a diseased tree that's destined for removal or a house going up next door.

3. Spend a day tracking the sun's path across your property from dawn till dusk. On your sketch, note the time the sun enters and leaves each planting area. Repeat this procedure in each of the next three seasons.

4. Examine your four seasonal drawings. They'll tell what kind of shade you have in which parts of your yard and at what times of the year.

5. Learn the standard classifications: dense shade (cast by walls or low, thick evergreen branches), dappled shade (the sun is blocked, as by large-leaved trees like maples, but light still enters the site), bright light (common on the north sides of houses, where no direct sun reaches the ground but nothing blocks the sky), filtered light (sun shining through small-leaved trees such as birches) and partial shade, aka partial sun (direct sun for 2 to 5 hours a day).

Let in more light

6. Look at your drawings to see where you want more light and which shade sources you can change.

7. Prune or remove shade-casting trees or shrubs.

8. Replace solid fences with lattice panels.

9. Paint walls or fences white to reflect more sun onto nearby plantings.

10. Before you plant, remember: The effect of sunlight on plants varies depending on the time of day, the season and the region. For instance, plants that need full sun in the North usually prefer partial sun in the South.

Tips & Warnings

• Few plants will survive in dense shade, but in all of the other light levels your choices are many.
• Check local events calendars for upcoming garden tours. Plants that thrive in your neighbors' gardens are likely to perform well in yours, too.
• Invest in a comprehensive book on shade gardening. Other sources of knowledge and inspiration: shade-plant specialty catalogs and the shade section of your local garden center.