If you have a shady yard, you might be dreading the arrival of summer.
Not only will it reduce your ability to get good sunlight, but it may also feel like a disaster for your garden.
There's no need to suffer in silence with a lawn that's in partial shade or full shade. Credit: GettyProfessional gardener Pollyanna Wilkinson shares her advice. Credit: Alamy
While all your friends are growing lush lawns, you’re doing everything you can to keep your meager lawn alive.
However, you don’t have to put up with this.
In fact, according to one gardener, there are plenty of grasses that can survive the shady British summer.
'My favourite grass to plant in partial shade is Merica uniflora albida, but it's particularly hard to find,' says award-winning garden designer Pollyanna Wilkinson.
“It’s a very airy little grass with little white tufts at the tips that look like dewdrops.
“My other favorite, the white mulberry, can tolerate a fair amount of shade as long as the soil is well-drained.”
These two recommended plants can survive in partial shade, which Pollyanna says means somewhere that gets four to six hours of sunlight per day.
For gardens that don't get any sun at all, he recommends sowing Luzlanivea seeds.
“Many grasses can tolerate a lot of shade,” she asserted.
Pollyanna revealed the revelation on the podcast “The Ins & Outs” alongside interior design expert JoJo Barr.
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Merica uniflora albida
This grass is naturally adapted to low light forest environments and thrives in the shade.
It has broad, flat leaves that maximize photosynthesis in diffuse light.
Additionally, their shallow, widespread root systems efficiently absorb nutrients and water from the upper layers of the soil.
The consistent moisture and stable temperatures of a shaded garden support plant growth and metabolic function.
Gardening jobs for July
The Sun's gardening editor, Veronica Lorraine, shares her top garden tasks to tackle in July.
1. Pruning wisteria
Wisteria should only be pruned twice a year: in July, the middle of summer, and after flowering, cut back the long side shoots to seven buds and five or six leaves.
2. Pick the tomatoes
Your tomatoes should be really thriving now, so pick off any side shoots that aren't flowering and remove any leaves that are shading the tomatoes – this will give them the most light and energy possible.
3. Keep weeding
Weeds can be controlled by hand weeding and hoeing the soil surface.
4. Feeding your dahlias
To keep your dahlias blooming into autumn, you'll need to continue giving them weekly fertilizer with a high amount of potassium to stimulate flowering.
5. Remove dead plants
Be sure to deadhead your bedding plants and perennials so they continue to bloom season after season. Deadhead roses until they have five leaves remaining, which increases the chances of them blooming again.
6. Check the pond
If you are lucky enough to have a pond, make sure it is free of algae, as the sun's rays will cause a lot of algae to grow.
7. Fertilize your lawn
You can use either liquid or granular fertilizer, but if you choose granular fertilizer, make sure you apply it before rain so it can soak into the soil.
8. Growing strawberry seedlings
After harvesting your strawberry plants, cut off the leaves but leave the base intact, which will help produce more fruit next year.
9. Plant extra seeds
July is a great time to sow seeds as the warm soil and sunlight are good for germination. Try carrots, winter broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables.
10. Plant young plants in soil
Plant any young plants remaining in the greenhouse, such as zucchini, into soil.
Hakone Shiro
Hakone Shiro, also known as Japanese forest grass, is naturally adapted to low light forest environments and thrives in the shade.
The narrow, arching leaves capture diffuse light efficiently, promoting photosynthesis.
The plants grow slowly, allowing them to conserve energy and resources in limited light conditions.
Shade reduces temperatures and keeps temperatures stable, reducing stress from heat and direct sunlight and creating a microclimate that is favorable for plant growth.
Luzlanibea
Also known as snow rush, this plant prefers shade.
Although not technically a type of grass, it spreads to fulfill the same role as more common seeds in creating a lush lawn.
The Royal Horticultural Society describes the plant as “a slow-spreading evergreen perennial with loosely growing clumps of narrow, dark green leaves up to 30cm long.”
Small, glossy white flowers bloom lazily from early to mid-summer on stems that can reach a height of 60cm.
