what to plant in shady spot?

[noodles]

Hi, I am new to this site and just wondered if anyone had any advice on what herbs and vegetables to plant in a shady spot. We have been waiting to get an allotment for a long time and are still on the list. We have been growing what we can in pots in our garden and now have part of the garden that we can use to plant our veg. It only gets the sun in the summer and only in the morning and teatime. We are new to growing our own stuff so would love some advice on if there is anything we can grow in this spot. Thanks

[corymbia]

Don't know about the UK, but here in Melbourne Aus this is what I grow in shade-ish spots (as described):

Lettuce in summer (sunnier in winter)
Parsley
Rhubarb
Rocket (arugula)
Spinach
Strawberries (great to plant around the garden where only the "weeders" regularly check them )
Coriander/Cilantro (doesn't like hot conditions much' goes to seed)
Tarragon
Lovage
Red currants
Mint (it will take over)

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

[JustinFun]

Hi, I am new to this site and just wondered if anyone had any advice on what herbs and vegetables to plant in a shady spot.

Hi! I'm new to this site too. It's good, isn't it?

Not sure about vegetables - we had a very shady garden before we moved to our current house and allotment and never really had any luck with 'classic' veg like carrots, brassicas, etc. We did quite well with rocket (in fact we couldn't get rid of the stuff), so that's probably worth a try, and radishes seem to grow anywhere. I think horseradish is also supposed to be happy in shade.

Other than that, I'd suggest starting things off indoors in pots and hardening off and planting out when the garden gets a bit sunnier - you might have more luck with beans or tomatoes that way.

As for herbs, the one thing that seemed to thrive was lemonbalm. Only trouble was I could hardly find any use for the stuff. I did make a decent chartreuse-type drink by putting a load of lemon-balm leaves in a bottle of vodka with fennel, star anise, cassia bark and a fair bit of sugar. Maybe someone else here has some recipes?

[possum]

Definitely mint, it will survive shade and sun
rosemary is also tollerant of most conditions

(where can I find shade please!!)

[JustinFun]

Definitely mint, it will survive shade and sun
rosemary is also tollerant of most conditions

(where can I find shade please!!)

I can't for the life of me grow mint - couldn't in my shady garden, can't in my sunny garden. It's like I have a blind spot. Everyone else has loads of the stuff, ours just dies or gets devoured by slugs. It's made all the worse by everyone telling me how easy it is. I have the same thing with perpetual spinach - "oh it's the easiest vegetable to grow!" Not for me - hardly ever get it to germinate and then the seedlings don't survive.

[red]

Justinfun - I raised my perpetual spinach in modules first, and planted out as sturdy seedlings. the slugs had some, but I filled in the gaps with yet more modules and have a good crop

[JustinFun]

Justinfun - I raised my perpetual spinach in modules first, and planted out as sturdy seedlings. the slugs had some, but I filled in the gaps with yet more modules and have a good crop

Thanks for the tip, I'll try sowing some that way this weekend then. We need to get a pond in so that the frogs can start eating our slugs, I think.

[red]

we havea pond... 100s of frogs.. and billions of slugs!

its just a very wet and mild place.. and slug heaven
if you do do beet spinach in modules.. try not to disturb them much as you plant out.. just bung the whole module out as one.

[ina]

I can't for the life of me grow mint - couldn't in my shady garden, can't in my sunny garden. It's like I have a blind spot. Everyone else has loads of the stuff, ours just dies or gets devoured by slugs. It's made all the worse by everyone telling me how easy it is. I have the same thing with perpetual spinach - "oh it's the easiest vegetable to grow!" Not for me - hardly ever get it to germinate and then the seedlings don't survive.

Glad to hear this happens to others, too! With me it's radishes and kohlrabi... Supposed to be ever so quick and easy. Well, I did manage a few radishes last year - out of hundreds I sowed; but I've never had a kohlrabi yet...

[noodles]

thanks for the responses. I feel confident now that I will get more use out of my garden now. I'll get on with some planting. Thanks again, great website.

[caithnesscrofter]

wild garlic and schisandra. Schisandra fruit is used in herbal medicine as a stimulant both physically and mentally. Also for anti-stress and is good 4 the immune system as it is an adaptogen.

[frozenthunderbolt]

if you got a fair bit of water on hand plant cranberryies and bluberries. both wildly benificial and tollerant of cold conditions

[Jules]

Yep, I would have said blueberries too.. They're fine in shade.