Shade: Bloom Gardener's Guide: 2

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It discusses a wide range of topics such as types of soil, containers, window boxes, sun paths and much more. Susanna Grant goes into great detail on the best plants to put into your garden to make the most of the space you have and also the limited light you have. She also talks about how to care and look after your plants, so they thrive and grow Star jasmine thrives in both full sun and partial shade, offering flexibility in terms of placement and sun exposure,' says Robin Phelps. 'It has an abundance of small, star-shaped, white flowers with a sweet, intoxicating fragrance. The scent adds a delightful sensory experience to your outdoor space.' This handbook will tell you everything you need to know to make the most of shady garden spaces. Whether your whole garden, courtyard or balcony is cast in shade, or you simply have a window box on a shadowy sill, Shade will inspire you to transform the space with lush and interesting planting that looks good (and is beloved by wildlife) all year round.

Grant’s top three shrubs to style up your small space are chaenomeles speciosa ‘Geisha Girl’ (flowering quince); fatsia polycarpa ‘Green Fingers’ and viburnum x burkwoodii. Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Robbiae’ – classic woodland plant good for a lower storey planting – dark glossy leaves and acid green flowers.Here are Susanna’s tips for creating your own potted forest garden in a shaded concrete space: 1. Don’t be daunted by deep shade. Above: False spirea does well in partial shade. Planting in shade must be one of the most difficult areas in our gardens. Most of us have shady patches, under trees, in the lee of a wall and so on. This new book from Susanna Grant is, I think with little hesitation, one of the best books I have ever read on the subject. For starters you have to love a book that in the introduction it says "I blame Beth Chatto." This is great line to draw you in and actually I had a very similar experience to Susanna as it was at Beth Chatto's nursery many years ago I first saw how many plants to grow in shade there were in her shade planting section. The choice was quite astounding and opened up all sorts of possibilities for me and clearly for Susanna too. Susanna has a 'shady plant' shop and design consultancy called Linda.

The following is an extract of ‘From Gardens Where We Feel Secure’, a pamphlet written by Susanna Grant (garden writer and co-founder of Linda—an outdoor shade-loving plant specialist and garden-design business in east London), and published by Rough Trade Books in partnership with the Garden Museum. Examining the premise that naming species allows us to expand our understanding, our interest, our ways of looking at the world around us, and the idea of plant-blindness—our tendency not to see what we can’t name in the nature that surrounds us—Susanna throws a spotlight on five of her favourite wildflowers with accompanying images by photographer Rowan Spray. They're broadly familiar with being part of the understorey, and therefore making the most of the light that filters down through the trees above them," she explains. "It's worth noting that if they're planted in pots, shrubs won't reach the maximum height, which isn't always a bad thing."Rather than a gardener's "problem", an area of shade can open up a whole new world of plantsto explore, from delicate flowers and interesting foliage, to handsome trees and vibrant bulbs. Obviously, you have to take things with a pinch of salt, because I grow things that say they need full sun and they're quite happy in part shade," she continues. "Lots of things might actually prefer a bit of shade because it's not so relentless. It's only when you've got full shade that it's harder." Many climbing roses are well suited to growing in light to moderate levels of shade but none are suited to heavy shade.However some varieties only require four or so hours of good sun each day. If they don't get it they will still produce flowers only slightly less of them. Being planted in shadier conditions can also bring out the color in paler varieties, which would otherwise be bleached out in full sun. There are so many perennials to choose from. If you like the look of something, do a little research and see if there are other cultivars with colours or heights you prefer,” says Grant. “Finding the right plants that work for you takes time.

Arthur Cole, Programs Director at The Newt in Somerset, favours ferns. He suggests the key to a characterful shade garden is to think like the Victorians, who were famous pteridomaniacs (fern obsessives). Fern-hunting in the 1850s was a national pastime and such was the Victorians’ love of ferns, they soon found their way onto all manner of decorative objects from pottery and textiles to engraved glassware and wedding gifts. The reason for their obsession? The cool, damp British climate. Grant’s top three shrubs to style up your small space are chaenomeles speciosa ‘Geisha Girl’ (flowering quince); fatsia polycarpa ‘Green Fingers’ and viburnum x burkwoodii. 3. Ferns Adiantum venustum/evergreen maidenhair (Aloha Bonser-Shaw/PA Shady plants deserve ambassadors like Susanna: someone who can view a dim corner as an opportunity rather than obstacle." Thefatshedera plant is a unique vine that can be grown outdoors in most light conditions, or indoors as a houseplant. It thrives in part shade or full shade, and the giant variegated ivy leaves add light to shady spots. It adds lovely foliage to shaded areas as the plant climbs up the trellis or other support. It's also evergreen, so provides year round interest. Some ferns take to dry shade, while some really need to be kept moist — if you don’t let these dry out and mulch them regularly, they’ll work hard.This handbook will tell you everything you need to know to make the most of shady garden spaces. Whether your whole garden, courtyard or balcony is cast in shade, or you simply have a window box on a shadowy sill, Shadewill inspire you to transform the space with lush and interesting plantingthat looks good (and is beloved by wildlife) all year round. Grant's top three perennials to pretty up your place are begonia grandis subsp. evansiana var. alba (white hardy begonia), thalictrum delavayi 'Splendide White' (Meadow rue) and lamprocapnos spectabilis 'Alba' (white bleeding heart).

Although most climbers aren’t suited to deep shade, many like their roots shaded, as they grow towards the sun and there’re some that are definitely suitable for north-facing walls. The other thing about shade gardening is it can be really restful, there’s something kind of really calming about it,” she adds. And that’s why grasses are important, because they can add a bit of movement. If you're planting them in the ground, make sure they're around 50cm away from any walls or fences, so they're not in a rain shadow and can receive rain. Shade by Susanna Grant is from theBloom Gardener’s Guideseries. Bloom is anaward-winning independent print magazinefor gardeners, plant admirers, nature lovers and outdoor adventurers. It won the Garden Publication of the Year at the Garden Media Guild Awards 2021.

Shakespeare's Gardens

Description Description "Shady plants deserve ambassadors like Susanna: someone who can view a dim corner as an opportunity rather than obstacle."