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Growing plants in shade is a challenge to many
gardeners, which may be why many settle for the monotony of monochromatic
groundcovers such as pachysandra for their shade gardens. While
there is nothing wrong with groundcovers, the opportunities to
include colorful flowering plants should not be overlooked. In
addition, there is a wide range of variation in foliage texture
and color among plants tolerant of shade conditions. As such, gardeners
should look beyond common and overused plants for shade.
The 2008 UMass Garden Calendar includes photos
of shade tolerant plants selected by the UMass Landscape, Nursery
and Urban Forestry staff for their suitability to Massachusetts
gardens. Each image is accompanied by a brief description to help
understand these plant choices. In addition, we’ve provided
extensive lists of shade-tolerant plants suitable for a variety
of conditions.
Shade can be very complex and successfully growing
plants in shade requires some thought and careful planning. What
is shade? It may be defined as “reduced light”. We
know that all green plants need a certain amount of light to live.
Without light, plants cannot produce “food” by way
of photosynthesis to live. Some plants can survive with reduced
light and it is those plants that will tolerate “shade”.
Besides consideration of the type of shade, gardeners must also
assess other site features such as drainage and soil pH. As the
final step in the development of a shade garden, there is the selection
of plants tolerant of shade or low-light conditions. These might
include woody and herbaceous plants, flowering and foliage plants,
native plants and/or bulbs.
As with previous years’ calendars, the
2008 UMass Garden Calendar provides daily gardening tips with information
on garden pests and management strategies to help gardeners reduce
pesticide usage, daily sunrise and sunset times, and ample room
for writing in appointments. We hope you will enjoy this year’s
calendar and find the information useful in establishing your shade
gardens.
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