For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."
a list of food crops you can plant in shady spots
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If you grow vegetables, you've probably heard these plants looove their sun. ☀️ Their need for sunlight starts as soon as they germinate (seedlings need a minimum of 12 hours of light per day, but thrive with 14 to 16 hours to grow strong and healthy) and once they get to adolescence, they thrive with as much light as you can give 'em to be productive. But what if your yard doesn't get enough sun? Most of us have a shady spot or two somewhere in our yards—maybe your garden sits against a fence or in between tall trees, or the only usable space is on the north side of your house. Can you still add some color and life to your yard and eat it too? Sadly, you won't be able to grow big tomato varieties like Mortgage Lifter, but there are many other vegetables and herbs that do well with as little as 2 hours of sun! These shade-tolerant crops grow slow and steady, and can provide a decent harvest in areas that would normally go unplanted. Here are 56 annuals and perennials (that you can grow for food) which don't mind some shade! (I've recently updated this post with new findings!) Seasonal TipsGet real advice tailored to YOUR garden 🌿If you're having trouble visualizing your space or need some guidance on where to site a garden, what to grow, and how to manage it, sign up for one of my garden consultations:
Before you schedule a consult, you should know that I'm a "lazy gardener" and believe the best and most productive gardens don't have to be fancy, expensive, or a lot of back-breaking work. In fact, many people spend more money than they need to on mediocre soil, fertilizer, and other things. With 16 years of experience growing in the ground, in raised beds, and in containers on a deck, across 2 vastly different climate zones (5 and 10b), I've made my share of mistakes and learned a LOT about what it takes to grow food successfully in all four seasons. If you're dreaming of an all-matching, manicured garden space that can land a magazine feature, I would love to help you get a plan together. But if you love a wild space where things grow outside of the lines and your budget demands that you get creative, we're gonna be friends. 😄 P.S. Find out what kinds of vegetables and herbs you can grow in a shady garden. P.P.S. Let me help you 1:1 with your garden questions this season! |
Garden Betty
For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."