The native habitats of plants that do well in shade are usually in the woods where the soil is very nutrient rich, well drained and high in organic matter. Yards in the city that are shady are usually very nutrient poor, not well drained and contain little organic matter. Therefore the first step in creating a shade garden is to recreate the soil conditions of the forest in youre yard. “How do I do that?” you may be thinking. You must add lots and lots of organic matter to the existing soil or excavate and bring in new soil. We use Woodland Soil Mix by Mr. Natural which is com-posed of compost, worm castings, and expanded shale providing plenty of rich organics and good drainage. You will need to add at least 4” of WSM to create the soil conditions needed for shade loving plants. The ideal method is to make a raised bed.

How to prepare a raised bed.

1. Site selection - Choose a location where water doesn't pool when it rains, away from downspouts, gutterless roofs and drainage swales. Dig down about 12-15" deep to see if there is any underlying layer of clay or rock that will prevent good percolation. If there is a doubt fill a hole with water and see if the water drains out in at least a couple of hours. If not choose another location for your bed.

2. Turn the soil - Turning the soil is the first step towards aerating the soil and improving percolation . Using a spade or tiller dig into the soil at least 6" deep, turning it over and breaking up clods as you go. Remove any rocks bigger than a golf ball.

3. Add amendments - Spread at least 3" of thoroughly composted organic matter over the surface of the bed. . This can be your own compost, leaf mold, commercially prepared compost or what we use exclusively, WSM which in addition to hen manure compost and worm castings (another form of compost) contains Permatil which is shale that is heated to 2000 degrees F. so it expands like popcorn creating micropores that trap excess water and re-release it to the roots while at the same time permanently increasing soil macropores and improving percolation. If you use other amendments you can still add Permatil to your bed to achieve permanent aeration and percolation.
Thoroughly mix the amendments with the existing soil using your tiller or spade. Through the processes of turning the soil and adding amendments you now have a bed that is at least 3" higher than it was when you started.

4. Rake it higher - Rake the amended soil from the edges to the bed to the center of the bed creating an inverted V- shaped pile of soil. Flatten or round the top of the pile, rake it smooth and you should have a beautiful raised bed at least 6" above the surrounding grade that is well aerated at least 12" deep, fertile and ready to plant.

A list of Plants for Shade

EMBELLISHMENTS
Rocks
Tree trunks and large branches
Pools and ponds
Statuary
Arbors
Planters and pots

© The Urban Gardener, Inc. 2005

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