Well, lemme tell ya, my garden, it ain’t got much sun. And the ground? Clay. Hard as a rock when it’s dry, sticky like glue when it rains. You’d think nothin’ would grow, right? Wrong! Lotsa plants like that kinda dirt. You just gotta know which ones.
This one fella, he told me, “Gardening in the shade with that clay, it’s a tough one!” But I said, “Pshaw! My grandma, she grew all sorts of things in worse.” Just gotta be smart about it, like pickin’ the right fella for the job. They gots to be hardy, like them native plants. They know the land.
So, what grows good in that shady clay? Plenty! I got these purdy bushes, lilacs they call ’em. Smell real nice. Then there’s this other one, ninebark. Sounds funny, don’t it? But it grows good. Elderberry, that’s another. Makes good jelly, I hear. And forsythia, all yellow and bright in the spring. Cheery, that’s what it is.
Then you got them dogwoods. Them’s nice. And the big trees, like spruce and white pine. They don’t mind the shade none. Willows, too, they like it wet. And this other one, they call it arborvitae. Fancy name, huh? But it grows just fine. It’s like them folks, it don’t mind being in the shade.
- Bee balm, that’s a pretty one. Red, mostly.
- Them black-eyed Susans, they’re tough cookies.
- Daylilies, orange and yellow, all sorts of colors.
Then you got the hostas, all them different kinds of leaves. Big ones, small ones, some with stripes. And them asters, they bloom later, when everything else is gettin’ tired. Them, they like them cooler temperatures you get with all that shade. It protects them, ya see? Keeps ’em happy.
This one, astilbe, now that’s a showy one. Got them feathery flowers. But you gotta keep it in the shade, or it’ll get all burnt up by the sun. I planted mine with them ferns and them other shade plants. Hellebores, they call ’em. Looks real nice, all together like that. They like that kinda soil, too, that holds the water. They like it cool, like under a big ol’ tree.
See, shade gardens, they hold onto the water. ‘Cause it’s cooler, see? Sun don’t bake it all away. So, them plants that like it a little damp, they do real good. Clay soil, too. Holds water, like I said, sticky. So if your yard is like mine, dark and kinda wet, don’t you worry. There’s still purdy plants you can grow.
Now, it ain’t always easy, mind ya. You gotta work the dirt, add some stuff to it. Compost, they call it. Makes it better. Breaks up that hard clay. My back aches just thinkin’ about it. And you gotta keep an eye on them plants, make sure they ain’t gettin’ too much water, or not enough. It’s a balance, like everything else in life. They call it thoughtful planning, like when you gotta pick the right tool for the job.
But I tell ya, when you see them flowers bloomin’, and them bushes growin’ big and strong, in that shady spot where you thought nothin’ would live, it’s worth it. Makes ya feel good. Like you done somethin’ right. Like you understand the land, just a little bit. It’s like magic, seein’ somethin’ grow where it’s not supposed to. Just takes a little know-how, and some elbow grease, and the right plants. That’s all.
Just don’t be scared of a little clay and a little shade. There’s beauty to be found there, just like anywhere else. You just gotta look for it. And maybe get your hands a little dirty. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a little dirt, I always say. It’s good for the soul. And for the garden, too. I gotta get back to it, my plants for shady clay soil need some tendin’.
