How to Plant Northern Exposure Shade Gardens
If your yard has a lot of shade or a mainly northern exposure, you do have limits on the type of plants that will thrive there. Fortunately, there are a number of plants that do well in a northern exposure shade garden, enough that you will be able to create an attractive spot to enjoy. Choose plants based on whether they will be in total or partial shade. If you provide your plants with adequate water, fertilizer, and mulch, they will likely do just fine. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Look at catalogs and gardening magazines to get ideas. There are a stunning variety of hostas which are well-suited for full or partial shade, along with shrubs, groundcover, perennials, annuals, and bulb plants. When you plan your northern exposure shade garden, consider plant size, color and bloom time. For best results, use plants of various sizes in colors that look good together.
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Buy your plants. If you want to plant shrubs, good shade plants include rhododendrons, azaleas, pieris, and aucuba. Perennial choices include bleeding heart, columbine, monkshood and coral bells. Choose groundcover such as lilies of the valley, periwinkle and barrenwort. Fill in your garden with shade-friendly annuals like impatiens, coleus and feverfew.
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Plant and maintain your shade garden. In the spring, apply a balanced fertilizer, and apply again later in the season a time or two. Water your plants regularly; they might not appear as thirsty as their sun-loving sisters, but they do need the water, especially if they are close to trees.
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Tips & Warnings
Plant for early spring growth, especially if your garden gets a little more sun before the trees leaf out. Crocus, early-blooming tulips, scilla and daffodils are all possibilities.
If you plant lilies of the valley, be aware they are poisonous, so watch that children and pets don't eat them.
