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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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