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A mistake I often see home gardeners making is to only focus on the full sun areas of their yard. They'll leave any partly shaded areas out of their garden plan -- usually just letting that area be lawn.
If you want to maximize your backyard's food growing capacity so you can be more self-sufficient, that's precious space that is being unnecessarily ignored!
There are plenty of fruits, herbs, and vegetables that will perform well in spots with dappled shade, part-shade, or even mostly shade.
In fact, in the heat of summer, there are plenty of edible crops that actually will provide more harvests for you if they aren't in full sun!
When I first started gardening, I also fell for this common misconception that anything besides full sun wasn't good enough for growing most plants. But once summer was in full swing, I noticed my broccoli and lettuce were bolting prematurely, my peas stopped producing, and my spinach turned bitter.
That experience caused me to shift my perspective. Now that I understand which crops benefit from a bit of protection from the full sun, the areas that get more shade in my garden are now coveted zones instead of ignored areas.
Keep reading to learn how to maximize your growing space and get bigger harvests from your backyard!
One thing I was surprised to learn when researching part-shade edible crops was that "full sun" is any area in your garden that gets just 6 hours of direct sunlight in total. It doesn't need to be continuous.
In the winter, 6 hours of direct sunlight can be hard to come by. But in June, you might actually be reaching this threshold in zones in your garden that you consider to be "part shade"!
Here's a guide to help you understand what qualifies as part sun, full shade, and even dappled shade:
images via groworganic.com and their respective seed suppliers, or cc0 sources
This raised bed shade garden layout will have you drinking herbal tea fresh from your garden year-round!.
As a bonus, many of these plants, like mullein, hyssop, and catnip, attract tons of pollinators when they're in bloom.
Keep in mind that many of these plants won't bloom until their second year. The exception is chamomile, which happens to be the only annual on the list. In my garden, though, chamomile self-sows, so in a way it acts like a perennial for me.
Be mindful of your state/region's invasive species lists. In some areas, mullein can spread by seed rapidly. I always recommend cutting it back heavily right before it goes to seed. I use the leaves as mulch or add it to compost teas, too.
Nettles is another plant that can spread in an unwanted way, so depending on your needs you might want to keep it in a container. For several years now, I've successfully grown nettles in a raised bed and in-ground in my greenhouse. From its second year onwards, I have been able to control its spread by pulling it up as fully as I can when I harvest its leaves in the spring. Sometimes I get multiple harvests of the plant with this method. The goal is to act like you're trying to eradicate it, but inevitably you'll leave some pieces behind and it will grow back.
images via groworganic.com and their respective seed suppliers, or cc0 sources
For this raised bed garden design, I looked at vegetables are staples for cooking but that really don't like growing in the heat. In the summer, one hot day can render your salad greens bitter, your broccoli raab will go to flower, and your peas will stop producing. However, this is one of those times that having a part-shade area in your backyard really can be beneficial.
With this edible layout plan, you'll be able to enjoy salad greens all summer long. Plus, you'll be able to grow low-light favorites like carrots and golden beets, so that they don't take up any limited full-sun real estate in your garden.
For continuous harvests, I keep my peas picked daily in peak season, and I practice a cut-and-come-again method of harvesting with my kale, rapnin, and salad greens. Golden beets and radishes have a fairly quick maturity time, so I like to sow those multiple times a season to get the most out of my growing space.
images via groworganic.com and their respective seed suppliers, or cc0 sources
It's a common misconception that all herbs need full sun in order to thrive. While many of the herbs in this shaded garden idea are definitely fine with full sun, they also perform well in part-shade zones.
For example, in my garden I find that oregano grows quite well under the shade of taller plants. It's always last to put on seeds at the end of the season, so I get a longer harvest window.
Cilantro is an excellent option for growing in a low-light part of your backyard, especially if you're growing it for its leaves and not its seeds. While you can harvest both, most folks (unless you think it tastes like soap!) like to harvest cilantro leaves to add to salsas during the summer. Unless you grow your cilantro in a part-shade area, though, it will likely go to seed by the time your homegrown tomatoes are ripe, foiling your plants for a 100% homemade salsa.
In my garden, sage and cumin also perform really well in part sun zones, and the "cold climate" varieties of thyme and tarragon grow vigorously in lower light conditions.
photos from CC0 Sources
The are so many delicious edible fruits and vegetables out there that you just can't buy in stores or even at a farmer's market. This woodland plan would be an excellent option for a slightly shaded area in your yard, or you could add in a few additional edible trees to make your very own food forest.
Medlar trees are related to apples, and they were more popular in Victorian-era Europe. It's a pity they are a rare sight to see today, because they taste delicious - kind of like cinnamon applesauce. They're ready in Decembertime, so they provide some sweetness when most other fresh fruit isn't available.
Salmonberries are a bit more sour in taste than your typical raspberry, but I absolutely love the taste, and the color always brings me joy. They're pretty low-maintance once they get established, and don't need much water or any fertilizer to thrive.
Honey berries are full of beneficial nutrients, and can grow in the understory of your food forest or a shady spot in your garden. Tip: You'll need to get two different varieties of honey berries that bloom at the same time for good production. I made the mistake of planting two of the same kind at first, and just got 1-2 berries per season until I remedied the issue.
Pawpaw trees are native to the United States and are a rare treat, especially if you don't live in the southeast. It's found naturally in part-shade understory areas, making it perfect for low-light zones.
Schisandra berry may be familiar to you if you've studied herbal medicine at all, as it has some traditional uses in that area.
I like to think that thimbleberries are the inspiration for gumdrop candies. They are like a little button of incredible sweetness, and are native to woodland areas in the western United States.
Aronia is a native fruit tree that is rare to see in gardens these days, but it's highly nutritious. Those who don't like aronia might want to wait to harvest the berries until after a frost, when they take on more sweetness.
Good King Henry and Bear Garlic are both understory plants in a permaculture food forest system and provide perennial sources of food for your family.
images for layout and seed sources via groworganic.com and their respective seed suppliers, or cc0 sources
I designed this perennial medicinal garden layout for areas that get some sun during the day, but might not be considered full-sun by standard definition. These plants are usually found on the edges of wooded areas, where they have some direct sun during the day but also experience a lot of dappled shade.
If you want to introduce more shade into your yard, keep the linden tree (leaves are used for tea) witch hazel (an astingent), hawthorn (traditional for heart health), and elderberry (cooked into syrups). If you already have a lot of shade, you can omit the bushes/trees that I've placed in the corners of this plan.
If you do plant a hawthorn tree, ensure that it's a native species and also double check that the fruits can be used for medicinal/edible purposes. In some areas, non-native kinds can become invasive, and not all hawthornes have been studied. I like Black Hawthorn (Douglas Hawthorn) as a native option that's traditionally worked with by the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
For elderberries, the black variety is what I'd recommend as it has the highest levels of medicinal properties and the lowest levels of cyanide in the seeds. Even with the black varieties, it's important not to eat the berries raw and cook them properly.
For Oregon Grape, I've found the Mahonia nervosa species to perform better in shaded spots, while Mahonia aquifolium performs well in sunnier zones. The "grapes" are quite sour, but it's the root of the plant with traditional herbal applications. My advice is to plant a few, and then either allow the plants to spread on their own over time, or help the out by scattering the ripe fruit around your yard.
images via groworganic.com and their respective seed suppliers, or cc0 sources
While I know this article focuses on edible garden ideas, I couldn't resist adding in a layout plan for a cut flower garden, too. While these lovelies will do well in a full-sun spot, they also perform well in part-shade areas.
Sweet peas provide a fragrant bouquet option in the spring, when not much else is blooming.
Both phacelia and yarrow are excellent pollinator attractants, and in my opinion they are underutilized in bouquets.
Nigella comes in a variety of colors and has such a unique appearance, being both whispy and prominent at the same time, somehow.
Scabiosa and calendula are both popular picks for growing in gardens, and calendula will self-sow so you'll have blooms for years to come.
Cerinthe is a stunning blue flower that is long-lasting and just amazes me with its beauty. It's not a popular pick, but it likes some shade and will add a pop of visual interest to your garden and flower arrangements.
Q: Can I actually grow a garden in the shade?
Yes! Plenty of edible plants actually prefer part-shade or mostly shade conditions. You may also find that in the heat of the summer, your part shade vegetables thrive while the same crops in full sun suffer.
Q: What's the deal with different types of shade? How is Part Shade different from Part Sun?
It can be confusing, and often times it's unclear! In general, Part Sun is 4-6 hours of direct sun each day. Part shade is 4-6 hours of direct sun. Believe it or not, Full Shade isn't total shade - it's actually 2-3 hours of sunlight per day. Deep shade is the most extreme, with very little sunlight. Dappled Sun is when light is able to come through a thin tree canopy throughout the day for around 6 hours, but isn't direct.
Q: Do shade plants grow slower?
A: They might grow slower than their sunnier counterparts in some instances, but they'll still put food on the table. You won't be swimming in veggies, but you'll get enough to make it worth your while.
Q: Pests in the shade: what should I look for?
A: Be on the lookout for slugs - handpicking is best.
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