Once established, gardening in the shade has many benefits.
Obviously, in the shade, moisture does not evaporate as rapidly. The need for watering is greatly reduced, especially during the heat of the summer.
Insects proliferate in moist, sunny gardens but seem to be less of a problem in the shade.
Weeding is considerably reduced, as weed seeds do not germinate without heat.
With these major tasks out of the way, a shade garden can be considered to be low maintenance.
The biggest challenge in shade gardening is choosing the right plants. The selection does not have to be limited to ferns and hostas.
At a recent meeting of the Fergus Horticultural Society, guest speaker Barry Vanderveer asked an imposing question, “Why do we garden?”
Vanderveer certainly lives for the plants that grow in his garden. He openly calls them his “children.”. The botanic name of each and every one roll off his tongue and a critique of the merit and growing requirements follow.
Through a powerpoint presentation, Vanderveer allowed the audience to be a part of his small plot. He is not an ordinary gardener. He seeks out the unusual that are not readily found in neighbourhood garden centres.
Of his numerous personal photographs, a stunning Lady Slipper Orchid [Native] (Cypripedium reginae) and “Blue Panda” – blue fumitory (Corydalis flexuosa) are a must for any shade garden. Also Molly the Witch peony (Paeonia mlokosewitschii), Indian Pinks [Native] (Spigelia marilandica), Pink Fawn Lily (Erythronium revolutum) and Umbrella Leaf [Native] (Diphylleia cymosa) are a worthy addition.
Being a lover of all blue flora, he treks out to little-known, off the beaten track nurseries, to seek unique “must have” varieties, to add to his collection of 230. He spends winters scouring catalogues from destinations near and far just to add a “must-have.”
Vanderveer believes that gardening, “If not for the opportunity to indulge in the re-creationist philosophy that resides deeply within each of us,” can be practiced in any accessible piece of ground.
Simply by removing unnecessary material, carrying out soil tests, adding nutrients, and pushing the limits of growing zones, any space can be a utopia, once continually cared for.
Vanderveer’s present garden is the product of removing wheelbarrows of rubble from a subdivision plot.
That unclaimed piece of land was evaluated and brought into a garden vogue. Only a person with a long-term vision would conceive of capturing and converting that space.
Vanderveer believes that all immense gardening tasks must be scaled down to manageable chunks. Starting small and bringing tiny parts into usable space made the task much easier.
“We all want to create our own personal Eden, that sanctuary of peace and tranquility that we can call our own,” said Vanderveer. “If the desire should strike us, we can indulge in a little ‘naughtiness’ of our own.”
Every gardener has the opportunity to create his own Garden of Eden. “It’s ironic, considering that a garden was the supposed site of the ‘original sin’ that so many gardeners try and replicate that very setting,” he mused.
Vanderveer is a lifelong horticulturalist. He welcomes visitors to a local nursery where he suggests and locates plants of distinction.
“What is an obsessed plantaholic to do when confronted with a postage stamp sized plot of fertile soil? Why, cram it full of rare and unusual perennials of course.”
“Conformity simply isn’t a word in this gardener’s dictionary. If there’s room to step, there’s obviously room for another plant, or three.”
Vanderveer believes, “The success of a garden starts from the ground up. Knowing your soil, and more importantly, what type of soils your plants will respond most favourably to is key to creating a successful garden.”
For a strong visual presentation of some of Vanderveer’s plant specimens, a weekly visit to tezalizard.blogspot.com is an excellent catalogue of possible additions to any shaded oasis. He is generous with his photographs labeled with botanical names so that hopeful gardeners are able to track down species of interest.
Ron Stevenson is a member of the Fergus Horticultural Society
