Maintaining plants in a dry and shady garden

Any barrier than can block sun can also stand in the way of rainfall, which explains why dense shade and dry soil go hand in hand.  The roots of many trees are most numerous close to the surface where they compete with the roots of smaller plants for the limited water that manages to trickle through the canopy to the ground below. Follow these easy steps to ensure your plants get the moisture they need to thrive.

Although many plants can tolerate temporary drought after they have developed mature roots, young and tender plants almost always need supplemental water to get them off to a strong start while they are growing an adequate root system.

The most efficient way to provide supplemental moisture to a dry-shade garden is to outfit it with a soaker hose.

• Simply arrange the hose on the ground so that it snakes around your plants, and then cover it with loose mulch to hide it from view.
• Turn the hose on for several hours or overnight about once a week during dry weather, or more often if temperatures are very hot. The moisture will seep deeply into the soil with no runoff, fostering the development of deep, water-seeking roots.
• With the development of deep roots, your young plants won't wilt during brief dry periods.
• About 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of water per week is the standard recommendation for supplemental watering.
• Measure the water by setting a shallow tin can or other container on the ground where the irrigation water will drip into it. When the container collects water to the recommended depth, you can stop watering.
• Note the time it takes to provide the right amount of water, and in the future, water for the same time period with each watering, and you won't have to measure again.

When dry shade is due to the close company of trees, dry soil typically prevails from spring to fall, when tree roots take up the most soil moisture and the branches overhead shed rain like a giant umbrella.

Not surprisingly, many plants that are native to woodland areas, including asarum, columbine, wood aster, and dainty blue-flowered phlox, are perfectly attuned to the seasonal changes in sunlight and soil moisture typical of their ancestral forest habitat. These and other adapted plants are top choices for a care-free garden in dry shade.

Keep in mind that every centimetre does not have to be occupied by plants. In fact, the visual contrast between foliage and soil-covering surfaces of stone, wood, or pebble mulch, as well as seating areas and garden art always creates visual interest and excitement in the garden. Dry, shady garden spots are no exception. Because such areas are usually sheltered from the elements, they are excellent spots for placing a bench, an artful stone, a bird feeder, or statuary.

Indeed, adding something as simple as a pair of stools made of log rounds can instantly turn a dark, dry place into an inviting outdoor room. If your problem spot is a narrow side yard, you can make it feel more accessible and spacious by emphasizing low-growing plants, such as asarum, epimedium, or hostas, planted along the edges of a walkway.

Another strategy that makes narrow corridors more appealing is to add several containers planted with shade-tolerant annuals like coleus and impatiens, or hardy flowering perennials like astilbe and hydrangea.