Here are 10 vegetables and herbs that will thrive in a partial or full shade garden.

In this article, we will explore the topic of growing plants in a shady garden. The speaker in the video shares their personal experience with growing various plants in a shady or partial shade location and provides insight into which plants have thrived in their garden.

The article will cover a range of plants, including arugula, frize and endive, carrots, mache greens, black cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, and pole beans, and will provide tips on how to successfully grow these plants in a shady garden. Readers will gain knowledge on the adaptability of certain plants to shade and partial shade, and how to adjust their expectations for growing summer crops in a shady location.

Key Takeaways

• Certain plants such as arugula, frize and endive, and carrots have thrived in a shady or partial shade location.
• Mache greens and tomatillos are adaptable to both shade and sun, making them a great option for a shady garden.
• Pole beans have an upright indeterminate growth habit that allows them to access sunnier spots in a shady garden.

Plants for Shady Garden

When it comes to gardening in a shady spot, finding the right plants can be a challenge. However, there are some plants that can thrive in a shady or partial shade location and still provide a bountiful harvest. Here are ten plants that have been personally vetted by the speaker and have proven to grow well in shady spots:

1. Arugula – This leafy green plant is a great option for a shady fall garden. It grows big, fast, and strong even in a very shady location with only four hours of sun per day. The flowers of arugula are also edible and have a characteristic peppery kick that adds a nice flavor to salads.
2. Frisee – This leafy green plant is a champion of a shady spring garden. It adapts well to shade and has a nice texture and flavor, making it a great addition to salad mixes.
3. Carrots – The humble carrot is the absolute champion of a shade garden. It can grow in complete shade and still produce tasty little fingerling carrots, making it a great option for a fall garden.
4. Mache Greens – Also known as corn salad, mache greens are shade-tolerant and cold-weather loving plants that grow well in cooler weather. They are slower growing but continue to put on mass even after most other greens have gone dormant.
5. Black Cherry Tomatoes – These tomatoes can produce a big harvest with fewer hours of direct sun compared to other cherry tomato varieties. They are a great option for a partially shaded garden and have a delicious flavor.
6. Tomatillos – These plants are becoming one of the speaker’s absolute favorite plants in the garden due to their flexibility and adaptability. They tend to do better in both shade and sun than their counterparts and can find the sunniest spots in the garden.
7. Pole Beans – These tall, fast-growing indeterminate types of beans can produce and grow throughout the entire season. Their upright growth habit allows them to access sunnier spots and put their leaves in the right places.
8. Spinach – This leafy green is a classic option for a shady garden. It can grow well in partial shade and is a great addition to salads or cooked dishes.
9. Lettuce – Like spinach, lettuce is a classic option for a shady garden. It grows well in partial shade and can be harvested for salads or sandwiches.
10. Mustard Greens – Mizuna, a Japanese mustard green, is a great option for a shady garden. It adapts well to shade and has a nice flavor and texture, making it a great addition to salads or cooked dishes.

Overall, these plants have proven to adapt well to shady or partial shade locations and can provide a bountiful harvest. With the right selection of plants, a shady garden can be just as productive as a sunny one.

Arugula

Arugula is a leafy green plant that grows well in shady or partial shade locations. It is a hardy plant that can tolerate less than four hours of sunlight per day, making it a great choice for gardens with limited sun exposure.

Arugula plants can grow big, fast, and strong even in very shady locations. They are well-suited for fall gardens, and they can withstand winter temperatures with ease. Arugula flowers are fully edible and have a characteristic peppery kick that adds flavor to salads.

In the experience of the speaker, arugula was the champion of their shady fall garden. It grew better than spinach, lettuce, and Japanese mustard green mizuna. Arugula is a great choice for gardeners who want to grow leafy greens in shady areas.

Arugula is also a great addition to salads, and its flowers add a nice touch of flavor. It is a versatile plant that can be used in a variety of dishes, and its adaptability makes it a great choice for gardeners who want to grow food in challenging conditions.

Frize and Endive

In this section, we will discuss two plants that have proven to be successful in shady gardens: Frize and Endive. Frize was the champion of the speaker’s shady spring garden, while Endive did better than most plants in both shade and full sun.

Frize is a leafy green with a nice texture and flavor. It is impressively adaptable, making it a great addition to salad mixes. The speaker recommends trying Frize if you like slightly more bitter elements in your salads.

Endive, on the other hand, has a great texture and a slightly bitter flavor. It did better than most leafy greens in both shade and full sun, making it a very adaptable plant. The speaker predicts that Endive will become more popular in the coming years.

Both Frize and Endive are great options for those looking to grow plants in shady areas. They are both shade-tolerant and can thrive in areas with less direct sunlight.

Carrots

Carrots are the absolute champion of a shade garden, according to the speaker. Despite being planted in a completely shaded area, these carrots were one of the two plants that put on any size in the last four months. Although they did not grow fast or big, there were some very tasty little fingerling carrots in the container. It’s amazing considering this area basically didn’t get any direct sun, and it’s all reflected.

Carrots are a great root vegetable that can be grown in partial shade. They can be planted in the fall, and they can still grow well in complete shade. Although they may not grow fast or big, they can still produce some tasty little carrots.

In summary, carrots are a great plant to grow in a shady or partial shade location. They are adaptable and can still produce food even in areas with limited direct sunlight.

Mache Greens

Mache greens, also known as corn salad, are a great choice for shady gardens. They are slow-growing, but once they get started, they tend to take off. Mache greens are shade-tolerant and love cooler weather, making them a good crop for early spring and late fall. They grow well in containers and are often planted next to slow-bolt lettuce.

Mache greens continue to put on mass even after most other greens have gone dormant, making them a good choice for late fall. They are slower-growing greens, so it’s important to start them early in the season. Mache greens are a tasty addition to salads and are known for their cold-weather hardiness.

Summer Garden

In this section, the speaker discusses 10 plants that grow well in a shady or partial shade location and still provide plenty of food. The speaker has personally vetted these plants and can confirm their ability to thrive in shady conditions.

The following plants are discussed:

• Arugula: This plant grew big, fast, and strong in a very shady location with only four hours of sun per day. It also held up well during the winter. The flowers are fully edible and have a characteristic peppery kick that pairs nicely with salads.
• Frize and Dive: These plants did better than most leafy greens in both shade and full sun. Frize has a great texture and a nice bitter flavor that pairs well with salad mixes.
• Carrots: The humble carrot is the champion of a shade garden. Despite being planted in a completely shaded area, these carrots still grew and produced tasty little fingerlings.
• Mache Greens: Also known as corn salad, these greens are shade-tolerant and cold weather-loving. They grow well in cooler weather and are a particularly good crop for late fall because they continue to put on mass even after other greens have gone dormant.
• Black Cherry Tomatoes: These tomatoes produce a big harvest with fewer hours of direct sun than other cherry tomato varieties. They did surprisingly well in shadier locations and were the speaker’s favorite to grow and eat.
• Tomatillos: These plants are becoming one of the speaker’s absolute favorite plants in the garden due to their flexibility and adaptability. They tend to do better in both shade and sun than their counterparts.
• Pole Beans: These tall, fast-growing, indeterminate beans will produce and grow throughout the entire season. Their upright growth habit gives them an advantage in accessing sunnier spots and putting their leaves in the right places.

Overall, these plants are great options for those with shady gardens or partial shade locations. They are adaptable, flexible, and can still produce a bountiful harvest with less direct sunlight.

Black Cherry Tomatoes

Black cherry tomatoes are a variety of cherry tomatoes that are known for their ability to produce a good harvest with fewer hours of direct sun compared to other cherry tomato varieties. They are a great option for those who have a shady or partially shaded garden.

The speaker of the video mentioned that they had experimented with other cherry tomato varieties in partial shade locations, but those experiments were total failures. However, the black cherry tomatoes actually did pretty well on the shadier side of their main garden. These plants were not in pure shade, but they did produce more fruit with less light than some of the other cherry tomatoes.

Additionally, the speaker mentioned that the black cherry tomatoes ended up being their favorite eating tomato as well. Out of about a dozen tomato varieties that they tried last year, the black cherry tomato was their favorite to grow and eat.

Black cherry tomatoes have a dark, deep color and a sweet flavor. They are a great addition to salads or can be eaten as a snack. They are also easy to grow and can be grown in containers or in the ground.

Overall, black cherry tomatoes are a great option for those who have a shady or partially shaded garden and want to grow cherry tomatoes. They are adaptable and can produce a good harvest with less direct sun compared to other cherry tomato varieties.

Tomatillos

Tomatillos are becoming one of the most adaptable and flexible plants in the garden, as they tend to do better in both shade and sun than their counterparts such as peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. They are interesting for a Nightshade plant because they actually do a pretty good job in seeking out and finding the sun. In that way, they kind of actually remind one of a winter squash.

Tomatillos have an upright, indeterminate growth habit that gives them an advantage in accessing those sunnier spots and putting the leaves in the right places. They tend to do a little bit better in both shade and sun than their counterparts, such as peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. They are also known for their flexibility and adaptability, like frize and dive.

There are a few ways to screw up tomatillos and get absolutely no food. So, if one is interested in growing them, it is recommended to check out a video made on just sort of the common tomatillo mistakes that one should look to avoid.

Pole Beans

Pole beans are a type of tall, fast-growing, indeterminate beans that produce and grow throughout the entire season. They have an upright, indeterminate growth habit that gives them an advantage in accessing sunnier spots and putting the leaves in the right places. They are one of the partial shade winners in the summer garden.

If you’re interested in growing pole beans in containers, it can be a really nice way to try out a few different shady locations and see which one works the best. A quick video on how to grow pole beans in containers is available for those who want to learn more.

Overall, pole beans are a great option for those who have a shady garden. They are adaptable and can still produce a good crop with less direct sunlight than other plants.