Advantages and Disadvantages of Shade Perennial Gardens

When planning a shade perennial garden, it is good to first take stock of what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of gardening in the shade. By having a clear idea of what benefits you will reap and challenges you will face, you will be far less likely to be frustrated or disappointed by your shade perennial garden.

Some Advantages of Shade Perennial Gardens

• Shade perennial flower blooms tend to last longer than their full sun counterparts.
• Shade perennial flower blooms are also often more intense in color when out of the sun.
• Shade perennial plant foliage is unlikely to suffer burns on the leaves from the sun.
• Shade perennial flowers and plants tend to need less fertilizer than their full sun counterparts (because they grow more slowly in the shade)
• Weeds tend to be less of a problem in shade perennial gardens.
• Shade perennial gardens tend to need less routine maintenance, such as the deadheading of flowers.
• There tend to be fewer insect problems in shade perennial gardens, since many insects are sun loving.
• Trees often help provide a natural mulch in the form of leaves for your shade perennial garden during winter months.
  

Some Disadvantages of Shade Perennial Gardens

• There are fewer plants and flowers to choose from when creating a shade perennial garden.
• Plants grow more slowly in shade perennial gardens than in the sun (this can also, however, be an advantage as shown above).
• Although there are fewer insects in shade perennial gardens, there may be more problems with disease because foliage tends to remain wet longer.
  
• Slugs and snails can be a persistent problem in many shade perennial gardens.
• Shade perennial gardens must often compete with trees for nutrients and water, and may suffer if this is not taken into consideration.
• There tend to be fewer colors to choose from when selecting shade perennial flowers for your garden space.
• Shade perennial gardens may suffer from soil acidity problems, particularly if there are conifers producing the shade.

For tips and advice in how to combat some of the disadvantages, please refer to my other shade perennial garden articles listed on the Shade Perennial Garden Home Page.