Posted by Anna Holmes on November 7, 2010 at 5:21am
Does anyone have any suggestions - we have a huge shady spot during summer and semi shady during winter that I'd love to see utilised for something useful - even medicinal but preferable cullinary?
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According to Rob Flowerdew's (UK based - slightly colder climate) book 'Grow your own, eat your own' (held by the Hamilton Public Library), Morello cherries will crop 'on a shady wall'. They're a sour cherry used for cooking/preserving, self fertile, smaller than most cherries, can be hard pruned and even grown in tubs. The like a rich, heavy moist soil. Not sure if the reference to a wall is about heat or just support.
Cherries goes against the rule of thumb that someone in Tree Crops Assoc once gave me, which was that fruit that does not need to colour (like green Granny Smith apples), can be grown in shade.
Flowerdew also reckons you can successfully crop red and white currents against a (for us) south facing wall. I've grown some the last couple of years in part shade, they're very attractive when they're fruiting, and the tart fruit is a wonderful foil for the sweet crunch of pavlova at Christmas :-) Flowerdew says cherries in red currant jelly is fabulous - so if you have room for both...
I've got violets growing rampantly in part shade (little bit of morning sun), you can eat the flowers. Australian Mary Horsfall recommends mints for full shade. She also suggests paintingsurrounding structures white and/or using mirrors to reflect light into
the area.
I just read that Elderberry plants like semi shade - might be worth looking into pretty plant and very useful.
Anna Holmes > Tracey HamiltonOctober 1, 2011 at 10:42am
Thanks Tracey! Im going to look into that. Todd sent me some alpine strawberry plants which are loving the spot but it would be nice to have something else too.
New Zealand spinach seems to cope with a bit of shade. I grow mine in a marginal spot and it doesn't thrive, but it does provide a 'weed mat' and food.
Alpine/woodland strawberries? They make quite an attractive ground cover and the fruit is very nice (if a little on the small side). Some people also use the leaves to make a tea. A few herbs don't seem to mind the shade - particularly mint. There's probably enough heat around this time of year that you could grow some leafy greens there too.
Meg Davies > Todd SaundersNovember 10, 2010 at 9:57pm
Sorrell likes summer shade (so the internet just told me). I've put my coriander in a shadey spot, in the (possibly vain) hope that they won't go to seed too quickly. Ditto lettuces, and I'm taking the same approach with florence fennel. I don't know how successful this will be, though....!
Anna Holmes > Todd SaundersNovember 7, 2010 at 10:35am
Thanks Todd. The strawberries sound great! Might give them a go.
Replies
Hi Have corn salad (lambs lettuce) growing in the shady damp side of my house, it does well and even sets seed.
Angie
According to Rob Flowerdew's (UK based - slightly colder climate) book 'Grow your own, eat your own' (held by the Hamilton Public Library), Morello cherries will crop 'on a shady wall'. They're a sour cherry used for cooking/preserving, self fertile, smaller than most cherries, can be hard pruned and even grown in tubs. The like a rich, heavy moist soil. Not sure if the reference to a wall is about heat or just support.
Cherries goes against the rule of thumb that someone in Tree Crops Assoc once gave me, which was that fruit that does not need to colour (like green Granny Smith apples), can be grown in shade.
Flowerdew also reckons you can successfully crop red and white currents against a (for us) south facing wall. I've grown some the last couple of years in part shade, they're very attractive when they're fruiting, and the tart fruit is a wonderful foil for the sweet crunch of pavlova at Christmas :-) Flowerdew says cherries in red currant jelly is fabulous - so if you have room for both...
I've got violets growing rampantly in part shade (little bit of morning sun), you can eat the flowers. Australian Mary Horsfall recommends mints for full shade. She also suggests paintingsurrounding structures white and/or using mirrors to reflect light into
the area.
I just read that Elderberry plants like semi shade - might be worth looking into pretty plant and very useful.
Thanks Tracey! Im going to look into that. Todd sent me some alpine strawberry plants which are loving the spot but it would be nice to have something else too.