Gardening in damp shade – hints and tips

Not all of us have sunny vistas and sheltered nooks to celebrate.  Far too many of us find that the house of our dreams: cozy, well-built, affordable - comes with the garden of our worst nightmares – a dark, dank corner, mainly inhabited by slugs and ground elder, and striking a chill through the bones after on ten minutes of dismayed examination.

Do not despair.

Quite apart from the plants you can use to bring va va voom to your shady space, there are structural alterations that cost very little but completely change the ‘feel’ of a garden space, turning the experience from misery to comfort.

Begin by thinking about how you can use mirrors to increase the light.  Shady gardens are often depressing because the light is low and uniform.  By using mirrors behind lights, or set into walls, hung as dream catchers among your plants, you can quadruple the light available and also change the bland overall level of light, highlighting some areas so that the garden develops drama.  Try putting cheap plastic mirror tiles under tealights and setting them along your garden path – instant pizzazz at almost no cost.

Warm colours enhance damp shade, so paint your shed burgundy or a rich biscuit colour, drape your garden furniture with rugs in rich ruby, purple, gold and other dramatic colours.  Remember that the textures as well as the colour of textiles affects our sense of warmth, so nubbly, fluffy or patterned material gives more of an impression of warmth than sheer or shiny fabric.

© blueworldgardener.co.uk