I hear often people complain that they cannot garden because all they have in their yard is shade.  I have to challenge this assumption and lead you a helping hand. There is no reason why you cannot have a beautiful garden living in the shade.  Here is how you do it:

• prepare soil – rather than using triple mix, for shady gardens use well decomposed cattle, sheep or horse manure that has cured for at least two years and that is weed-free; use a lot of it – 8 to 10 cm
• plant small nursery plants – plant only nursery grown plants.  Do not buy one that were “harvested” from the wild – they will not tolerate replanting well.  Also, there is no need to buy large five-gallon plants, the smaller ones are much cheaper and will grow in very quickly
• plant the right plants – Here are some of my favourites shade plants for southern Ontario:

Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra) – evergreen that looks good all year round, it spreads by rhizomes or roots that creates a dense carpet of green when planted about 15cm apart – it takes about two years for the grid to disappear

Barrenwort (Epimedium) – low-growing perennials that produce the most interesting flowers. Shaped like bells, they hung in clusters just over the heart-shaped foliage below

Solomon’s Seal (Polugonatum biflorum)– this white flowering plant is a standout as at maturity it grows to 60cm high and features every June a charm bracelet of white flowers that hang beneath the foliage. Solomon’s seal is used to best advantage in raised beds, where you can see underneath the foliage

Canadian Ginger (Asarum canadense) – a great ground cover that produces broad, rounded leaves with a natural gloss that makes it attractive all season long. It grows to 15 cm high