Every February, the Greater Greenville Master Gardeners Association hosts a garden symposium. They find new speakers each year who give interesting lectures on gardening topics. The symposium’s theme this year was “Beauty, Bounty, and Biodiversity”. Topics included garden design inspired by Chanticleer Garden, the history of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Garden, attracting bees and beneficial insects, shade gardening, and biodiversity in the South Carolina Botanical Garden.
One of the speakers was Jenny Rose Carey. She is an author, lecturer, former professor at Temple University, and former director of the Ambler Arboretum. She has written books on gardening topics, including one on shade gardening, called Glorious Shade. Learn more about Jenny Rose Carey and her garden, Northview, here. In her lecture, she gave many tips for creating a shade garden. Ask yourself these questions when designing your shade garden.
Maplewood Garden is filled with plants that thrive in shade.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Do You Prefer Formal or Informal Gardens?
Carey’s first tip was to identify your garden style. A formal garden typically has a symmetrical design, geometric shapes, and straight lines. An informal garden is more natural and without symmetry. Carey encourages gardeners to visit botanical gardens, friend’s gardens, garden tours etc. Find an idea you love from each garden that can be implemented in your design.
How Much Shade Do You Have?
Next, identify the level of shade your garden receives before planting. Observe the area in different seasons and note how much sunlight it receives. Base your plant selections on the light received in late spring and summer. Full shade is less than 2 hours of sun per day, and part shade is 2 to 6 hours of sun. Most plants thrive in morning sun and afternoon shade in our hot South Carolina climate.
What Type of Soil Do You Have?
Determine if you have clay, loam, or sandy soil and note the soil’s moisture level. Have a soil test performed to determine the pH of your soil. For more information on collecting soil samples for testing, see HGIC 1652, Soil Testing.
Do You Leave the Leaves?
Another tip Carey recommends is allowing leaves that fall from deciduous trees to remain in place. Leave them whole or shred them. They will become humus, which provides many benefits, such as increasing the soil’s water-holding capacity, releasing nutrients slowly, and improving the aeration of the soil. For more information on improving soil, see HGIC 1655, Soil Conditioning- Establishing a Successful Gardening Foundation.
Do You Want to Attract Wildlife to Your Garden?
Carey suggests you consider wildlife in your garden plans. Add water to the area; even a birdbath will attract more wildlife. Shrubs will provide cover for birds and small animals. Add native plants to provide food and shelter for insects and birds. For more information on what attracts wildlife, see HGIC 2900, Backyard Wildlife Enhancement.
Do You Want Blooms in Every Season?
Another suggestion she made is to choose plants that you love for each season. Visit gardens in fall and winter to see which plants are blooming. Incorporate those plants for year-round beauty. For more information on shade plants, see our factsheet, HGIC 1716, Plants for Shade.
Additional Resources:
Variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum’) is native to Asia. There are also several Solomon's seals native to South Carolina. Ginger E. Long, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension
