Episode 179: Made in the Shade Retrospective

Master Gardener Volunteer for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ulster County, Barbara Bravo, joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast to provide some guidance and ideas. This collection of four previously aired Made in the Shade short segments has been consolidated into a single episode that focuses entirely on shade gardening.

The first segment discusses the differences between light shade, partial share and deep shade, some of the advantages of shade gardening, and things to consider when selecting appropriate plants for your garden.

Next, learn about Barbara's recommendations for drought-tolerant plants that thrive in dry shade. They are a game-changer for those struggling to cultivate their gardens. Epimedium, brunnera, liriope, hellebores and carex are all options that may work for you.

The third segment focuses on the wide range of options available to add some height to a New York shade garden which usually consist of low-growing plants. But structure and interest can be added with a number of shade tolerant plants such as flowering quince, giant fleece flower and goat’s beard. Ninebark is one of Barbara's favorites. Typically known as a medium shrub native to the eastern and central United States, there are ninebark cultivars that do well in shade. In addition to being a pollinator favorite, most varieties are drought tolerant too.

This episode concludes with a segment on how to add contrast and texture to a summer shade garden. By incorporating plants like Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’, Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’, Athyrium niponicum, Dryopteris Ferns and others, your shade garden doesn’t have to be ‘boring’. Keep it going into the fall with Colchicum autumnale ‘Pleniflorum’ a/k/a Autumn Crocus, or Asarum Europa a/k/a European wild ginger. Listen to the possibilities!

These tips can help you make a shade garden the focal point of your landscape.

Host: Jean Thomas

Guest: Barbara Bravo

Photo by: Teresa Golden

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Jean Thomas

Resources

• Planting in Sun or Shade (psu.edu);
• Larry Hodgson “Making the Most Shade. How Plan, Plant, and Grow a Fabulous Garden That Lightens Up the Shadows” Rodale Press 2005;
• C. Colston Burrell Distinguishing Degrees of Light and Shade
• Brunnera: Missouri Botanical Garden | Brunnera macrophylla
• Epimedium: Chicago Botanical Garden | An Evaluation Report on Barrenworts for the Shade Garde
• Liriope muscari: Missouri Botanical Garden | Liriope muscari
• Carex morrowii: Missouri Botanical Garden | Carex morrowii 'Variegata'
• Helleborus xhybridus (formerly orientalis): Wisconsin Horticulture | Lenten Rose, Helleborus ×hybridus
• Ninebark: Physocarpus opulifolius - Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org)
• Chaenomeles /’Toyo Nishiki’ - Flowering Quince: Chaenomeles speciosa 'Toyo-Nishiki' (Flowering Quince, Japanesse Quince, Toyo-Nichiki Quince, Toyo-Nishiki Flowering Quince) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (ncsu.edu)
• Giant Fleece Flower: Giant Fleece Flower - Persicaria polymorpha - PNW Plants (wsu.edu) ;
• Persicaria polymorpha - Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org)
• Aruncus dioicus: Aruncus dioicus - Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org)
• Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford' - Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org) ;
• Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' - Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org) ;
• Athyrium niponicum var. pictum - Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org) ;
• Dryopteris erythrosora (Autumn Fern, Japanese Shield Fern, Shaggy Shield Fern) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (ncsu.edu) ;
• Adiantum pedatum (Northern maidenhair fern) | Native Plants of North America (wildflower.org) ;
• Autumn Crocus, Colchicum spp. – Wisconsin Horticulture ;
• Asarum europaeum - Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org)

Last updated June 26, 2025