Growing guides

How to plan a shade or part-shade garden

A practical route for gardens where walls, trees and neighbouring buildings change the light through the day.

Open my local plan

What should I do with a shaded or part-shaded garden?

The direct answer

Observe where light falls before committing plants, then use the planner to select a smaller, more realistic seasonal workload for that part of the garden.

The trade-off to keep visible

Shade can protect a space from heat and drying, but it can also mean slower soil warming, more moisture and fewer suitable positions for sun-dependent crops.

Next practical action

Add a shade area to the visual planner and record how the light changes before choosing a planting task.

Use this in the planner

Evidence and review

Reviewed 2026-08-09. Scheduled review by 2027-02-09.

How GardenPlans handles evidence