A gardener has recommended three shade-loving plants that can thrive in low-light areas where little else will grow, and they can brighten up any outdoor space. If parts of your garden lack sunlight, you might assume that growing anything there is a lost cause. It is easy to assume you will have to keep the area shady and a little miserable, but it is time to reconsider.
As it turns out, there are plenty of plants that positively flourish in the shadier corners of your outdoor space. Gardener @viewfromthepottingbench has shared his top picks for "three shade-loving plants" to transform even the darkest spots into something spectacular.
He said in a TikTok video: "We have all got those awkward shady spots in our garden - either under a bush, or in the light of something else, and I have got three plants that are going to love the shade in your garden." So here are his recommendations:
1. Polemonium
Polemonium 'Heaven Scent' (a Jacob's ladder cultivar) is good for UK gardens mainly because it is a reliable, hardy, part-shade perennial that gives pretty late-spring or early-summer flowers and useful, soft foliage without needing much fuss. The gardener likes the plant because it is a "real show-off in the shade." He noted that the plant boasts "gorgeous purpley-blue flowers and wonderful bronze-tinted foliage," calling it an "absolute winner for your garden." It is an exceptional plant for shaded areas because it thrives in the cool, moist settings of woodlands, but it provides delicate blooms and fragrant flowers too.
2. Vinca
"Vinca" usually means periwinkle: a tough, evergreen, ground-cover plant with glossy leaves and blue, purple, or sometimes white flowers. According to the gardener, this plant will "literally light up the shade" with its golden and green leaves, which he compared to "little lanterns in the garden." He further noted that this plant "even throws out geranium-like purple flowers," making it an "absolute must-have for a moody, shady garden."
3. Polypodium vulgare
Polypodium vulgare (common polypody fern) is a hardy UK native fern that is valued in gardens for being tough in shade, neat-looking, and fairly low-maintenance. The TikTok gardener dubbed this plant the "no-drama fern," declaring it a "must-have in your garden." He said: "Evergreen, tough as nails, and it will give your garden that woodland vibe with zero effort." It is good at providing year-round interest and lush texture, even when other plants often struggle - such as in tricky borders or shaded spots. Wrapping up his video, he said: "So, if you have got a sneaky shady spot in your garden that is lifeless, then give these shade-loving legends a try."
