Imagine yourself sitting in the shade, cool drink in hand, feeling a breeze brush gently through your hair and wash over your summer-flushed skin. Windchimes tinkle a soft melody in harmony with songbirds, and a glowing garden rejoices in the shade all around you.

Shade gardens can be lush and lively, beckoning a weary gardener to take time out to just enjoy the day and the results of all that hard work, maybe to finish a novel, or to take a lazy, mid-afternoon nap. 

But gardening in the shade can be a challenge, and you have to keep a few things in mind when you plant away from the illumination of direct sunlight. 

The soil has to be well-drained, since the sun doesn't reach in to dry it out.  Add organic matter, such as leaf mold, compost, peat moss, decomposed bark, or aged manure to the native soil to improve drainage.

Since the lack of sun allows soil to stay damp longer, it increases problems such as weak, stunted growth and fungus diseases.  Overcome those problems by leaving more space than usual between plants.  It will allow good air circulation and will give each plant a chance to get its fair share of light and nutrients.

Shade gardens like steady moisture.  Water to a depth of four or five inches, then let the soil dry out before watering again.

Plants that like shade need humidity, and you can increase it by surrounding plants with coarse mulch.  Mist plants occasionally, especially when the air is especially arid.  Protect plants from drying winds by planting shrubs or by placing fences or other barriers between plants and the prevailing wind.

Fertilize shade gardens every four to six weeks with a balanced fertilizer.

When planting gardens under trees, use plants whose water requirements are
compatible with the trees. Native trees, for instance, have adapted to natural rainfall which is usually less than an ordinary garden receives. These native plants don't tolerate excessive moisture, and the long-term effect of overwatering can be decline or death of the tree. 

DEGREES OF SHADE

There are different degrees of shade, and the degree and extent affects plant growth, color intensity, and in some cases which plants will thrive there and which ones won't.

• Dappled shade is the kind you see under a lacy tree, behind a delicate shrub, or under a lath house.  Direct sun falling on any given area is momentary. 

• Open shade is in a north exposure beside a building, wall, or fence.  It provides good indirect light but direct sunlight doesn't fall on the area.

• Medium shade is in north-facing locations shaded by a structure and by trees, an open-shade area that is further screened by foliage and branches.  It also occurs under decks.

• Dense shade is found in north-facing sideyards.  Tall walls or fences block all but the narrowest strip of light.  It also occurs in thick woods. 

East-facing structures allow full sun early in the day with shade moving in during the hottest part of the afternoon.  It's beneficial for many flowering plants in areas of searing summers. 

If you don't have natural shade but would like to create a cool, shady space to experiment with shade-loving plants, build a lath house, gazebo, pergola or arbor.  Books are available on shade gardening, such as "Shade Gardening" by Ortho Books, that show you how.

PLANT MATERIALS

Look for plants that brighten up an area not only with colorful blooms, but also with varied foliage, plants that glow in the shade.  Silver-leaved plants and ones with white blossoms add a special light to shaded areas.  Mix foliage that is lacy, fern-like, ribbed, shiny, or multicolored to add interest. 

Following are some of the plants that prefer or tolerate low-light garden beds.

• Annuals:  coleus, impatiens, begonia, nicotiana, pansy, campanula, mimulus, sweet alyssum, clarkia, forget-me-not, fuchsia, and phlox.

• Perennials flowers:  columbine, astilbe, foxglove, daylily, coral bells, hosta, saxifrage, primrose, lily of the valley, ferns, caladium, violet, cyclamen, narcissus, oxalis, trillium.

• Shrubs:  bleeding heart, Oregon grape, potentilla, azalea, rhododendron, camellia, buddleia, hydrangea, kalmia.

• Ground covers:  lamium, ajuga, mahonia, pachysandra, vinca.

• Vines:  Clematis, wisteria, morning glory, Virginia creeper, Boston ivy.

• Herbs:  beebalm, catnip, chamomile, chervil, cilantro, costmary, curry plant, feverfew, hyssop, lemon balm, lovage, mint, parsley, rosemary, salad burnet, sorrel, sweet woodruff, tansy, tarragon, thyme, lavender.

Experiment, ask questions at nurseries, look it up in a gardening book. With a little knowledge you can soon have your garden made in the shade.