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June 10, 2025

This Week's Garden Gab:
​5 Plants To Grow in Shady Gardens

Hi Reader!

Do you want to plant a vegetable garden but afraid there isn't enough sunlight in your area?

I understand. Plants need water, nutrients .... and SUN! ☀️

In this edition:

• How much sun is needed
• Vegetable Plants that Grow Well In Shady Areas
• How To Create Shade If Needed

Education:

Before you choose any plant for your garden or container, you need to know how much sun it will require. Some plants need full sun and others can thrive in limited sun or more shady areas.

All plants (flowers and food) should indicate on its label how much sun your plant choice requires. If you buy seeds, this information will also be on the packet.

See how the instructions are given about this plant? It says FULL SUN. You should see a harvest in about 55 days. Plant it only 1"deep. A newbie mistake is to plant seeds TOO DEEP into the soil; they will die or rot before they can reach the surface.

Spacing says 36" a part. I always plant a lot closer than recommended and then thin if too many germinate.

What is FULL SUN? ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️+

As the packet says, 6 or more hours. If your yard/patio/area has more than 6 hours of sun; either all at once or broken up throughout the day then you can call it FULL SUN.

However, what if you DO NOT HAVE FULL SUN? What if you only have morning sun, or afternoon sun, or evening sun; about 3-6 hours per day? 🌤️☀️🌤️☀️🌤️

Never fear, there are still vegetables you an grow!

Application:

Let's take a look at a few vegetables you can grow in your shady yard.

LETTUCE / ARUGULA:

I'll start with this one because I've done it and it is the easiest vegetable to grow in cool or shady areas. If you live in a cooler zone, such as Zone 5 or smaller, you can probably grow lettuce all year long. It loves cool weather and doesn't require much sun.

In my zone, 8a, I can only grow lettuce in the fall/winter, and early spring. Otherwise it gets too hot and the lettuce bolts (makes seed).

However, this year I'm trying something new. It's only May at the time I'm writing this but I planted seeds and put it on the COLD (north) side of my house, which is gets 2-3 hours of morning sun then in the shade all day, then it gets evening sun for about an hour or so. IT LOVES IT SO FAR!

It's been quite warm this week; in the 80's, near 90 degrees and it hasn't affected my lettuce hiding out in the shade.

Try it! Your homegrown lettuce will taste better and more flavorful than any lettuce you buy in a store. Plus, you can grow it in any kind of container. I've seen where people grow it in hanging baskets and place on their porches. :) Here is how to do it if you are so inclined.

​How To Make A Hanging Lettuce Basket​

🌤️🌤️🌤️

RADISHES:

I grew radishes for the first time ever this year, simply because I want to acquire a taste for them. I want to LIKE them. I don't dislike them now but I want to start incorporating them into my diet because they grow fast and easily.

Radishes like full sun but cooler weather so I put a container of them next to the lettuces and in 3 days they were showing the first set of leaves.

I didn't realize how many varieties there are. I grew Sparkler and Early Scarlet Globe.

Check out these other interesting varieties!

​25 of The Best Radish Varieties to Grow At Home ​

P.S. I hear you can eat the radish greens too!

🌤️🌤️🌤️

PEAS:

I've only grown peas a couple of times. I'm not a PEA girl but I was curious about how they grow. So I grew them. They were easy too. I learned that if they get too hot they quit flowering so I kept a shade cloth on them. What I liked most about peas is the flower.

Peas like cooler weather so they will do well in a some sun/some shade spot in your garden.

🌤️🌤️🌤️

SPINACH:

Is Spinach a love/hate veggie? I like it a lot ... raw in salads, in omelettes, etc. I grow it usually in the Fall and it will produce all during the winter. I've had it during the middle of winter after it was frosted over in the morning. It has always survived to where I usually just end up tossing it in the spring so I can get in my summer veggies. It's finnicky to get going but once it starts to grow it's super hardy!

Look at the leaf size of this spinach that I grew a couple of years ago! Even at this size it was still tender and delicious.

🌤️🌤️🌤️

HERBS:

I've learned that the cooler, more shady side of my property is great for growing some herbs! Here is where I grow parsley, rosemary, chives, and oregano.

These herbs like to be in some sun and prefer NOT to be in the heat of afternoon sun.

I discussed in a previous edition​ (Oh! Oh! Oregano) on how I make oregano oil! Check it out! I use it to keep me going; especially during winter months.

Selection:

I like these veggies because they ...

• Are easy to grow
• Are not in a lot of sun so they don't need as much watering.
• Can be cut/trimmed the veggies as you need them.

Last, if you find that you do not have enough shade in your garden you can use a Shade Cloth. I use them every season when the blazing sun becomes too much for even my summer vegetables.

​Shade cloth comes in different ratings, or percentages of shading. I usually buy 40 to 50%. You can cut it to the size needed.

Edification:

It's time for a little Gardening Trivia! Do you know the answer to these gardening questions??

​32 Gardening Trivia Questions and Answers​

How'd you do?

That's all I have for this edition. Feel free to write me at jangardener@gardenease.org if you have any questions or comments.

Forward this newsletter to anyone you think would be interested in gardening information and to SUBSCRIBE HERE.

I'll see you in the next edition!

Jan🤗

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If you have questions, comments, praises, complaints, or ideas about gardening or about the newsletter, you can reach me at: jangardener@gardenease.org