Finding the right plants for dense dry shade

In many places dense shade and dry soil go hand in hand. Finding drought-tolerant plants that require scant light and moisture can be tough but worth it. Here are some pointers to find those plants that will leave you made in the shade.

Around the trunk of a tree its roots are thick and woody under the soil's surface, almost like underground branches. The good news is that you can plant shade-loving, drought-tolerant bulbs, ground covers and perennials in small pockets of enriched soil between these mature roots with little risk of damage to the tree. Here's how it's done.

• Using a sturdy trowel, dig out a pocket of soil at least twice as big as the root ball of the new plant.
• Add a few handfuls of compost and mix it thoroughly with the existing soil.
• Remove the plant from its container and loosen the soil around the root ball.
• Place the loosened soil ball of the plant in the hole, setting the growing point, or crown, level with the surrounding.
• Fill the hole around the plant with soil, firm the soil around the plant's roots and water well.
• Cover the planted area with a five-centimetre-thick (two-inch-thick) layer of compost as a mulch to conserve moisture.

• The best plants for making a dark spot appear brighter are those with pale, light-reflecting colours. White flowers and variegated or lime-green foliage will not only liven up dense shade, they will also make the site seem more spacious.
• Choose plants like variegated Solomon's seal, hostas with white-edged leaves and silvery-leaved dead nettle for the light-reflecting quality of their leaves. Shiny, evergreen leaves like those of epimedium also brighten shadows.
• Coloured flowers for lightening dense shade include those of pastel-flowering hellebores and spring bulbs.
• If your shady garden bed is next to a wall or fence, painting the backdrop white or a light colour will reflect light onto the plants.
• Another light-reflecting feat is achieved by disguising mirrors behind openwork gates or window frames, and then hanging them on a wall or nearby fence. The reflection of light from the mirrors brightens the garden bed and makes the space seem larger.
• A bird bath, basin or small pond will also reflect the sky like a mirror, brightening the shade.

Using a few of these tricks of the trade and the right selection of plants will brighten the shadiest places of your yard and keep it looking beautiful.