Plants for Full Shade for Irish Gardens

What This Collection Brings to the Garden

Plants selected for positions receiving very little direct sun, with choices for sheltered shade, woodland conditions and some of the more difficult darker parts of the garden.

Plants for full shade bring foliage, texture and seasonal flowers to the parts of a garden that receive little direct sun. They can turn areas beneath trees, beside high walls and on the darkest side of buildings into deliberate planting rather than leftover space.

Why It Works in Irish Gardens

Irish shade is often cool and damp, but it can also be surprisingly dry beneath mature trees and hedges. Matching plants to both the light level and soil moisture is therefore more important than treating every shaded position as the same.

Choosing the Right Plants

Choose according to the type of shade as well as its duration. Open shade beside a wall is different from dry shade beneath mature trees, where root competition may be the greater challenge.

Planting and Care

Improve the soil with organic matter where appropriate, mulch to conserve moisture and water new plants through dry spells. Avoid forcing sun-loving plants into deep shade simply because the space is available.