Shade Gardens

Pleasance Crawford is a Canadian landscape and garden-history researcher
and writer, and the editor of Landscape Architectural Review.

This volume in the illustrated Harrowsmith Gardener’s Guide series
follows a familiar format: an introduction by the editor, chapters by
two or more garden professionals, a major section devoted to
descriptions and evaluations of selected plants, a short list of sources
(books, specialist plant societies, and nurseries and seed houses), and
an index.

Brenda Cole’s chapter, “A Love of Gardens,” offers a new look at
what many gardeners see as their greatest problem: a garden, or parts
thereof, overshadowed by trees or tall buildings. Cole’s attitude
toward shade is positive and encouraging; her advice on grasses for
shade is up-to-date and sound; and her approach to garden style and
design is uncomplicated and practical.

David Tomlinson’s chapter, “City Shade,” attempts to cover
everything from a pocket garden in the downtown core of a major urban
centre, to an average-sized garden on a subdivision lot, to his own
one-acre garden in a small city. Although few readers will feel that he
is writing just for them, many will find good advice on identifying
microclimates within the garden, improving the soil, choosing plants,
and growing perennials from seed.

In “The Woodland Garden,” Bernard Jackson concentrates on the
opportunities and constraints of the several types of shade. Like
Tomlinson, he encourages enriching the soil organically, and discourages
disposing of leaves instead of composting them. In regard to plant
selection, he points out that the sun’s intensity varies across the
country, and advises newcomers (to shade gardening or to a particular
region) to look carefully or ask local gardeners which plants do well.

The section on “Shade-Garden Plants” follows Jackson’s advice.
Five experts from across Canada (representing plant hardiness zones
ranging from 3a to 8b) comment, on the basis of local experience, on a
list of “plants that flourish in shade.” Readers could, if they
wished, focus on the comments of the expert representing conditions most
like their own; in doing so, however, they would miss the differences of
opinion that make this section lively as well as instructive.