Side Garden: Shady to Sunny in a Day!

Cloudy Day in Late Fall

Felling a one hundred year old tree has lots of impacts, for nature, for a garden and for each of the plants. When I had a large Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) removed in May of 2025, a west facing side garden in dappled shade became desert like, baking in the sun, particularly on hot summer afternoons.

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  Siberian elm

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  immediately after removal

The side garden has always had a more natural design. Adding all this new light presented loads of planting opportunities. Which plants though? While soils have always been challenging, the ground, dried by extensive root systems of large trees and a base of what appears to be construction rubble and naturally occurring clay, became even drier.

Plants Making the Transition

Yews Along Fence

I started by figuring out which plants could stay. Three yews (Taxus baccata) transplanted from the front door to along the sidewalk over ten years ago were an easy place to start. There was no way I could dig them up and I have never been able to figure out a native alternative that would be as effective for screening and privacy from the busy sidewalk. Two summers in, the shrubs have not skipped a beat. These yews are very sturdy evergreen shrubs or small trees.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas in Full Sun

I wasn't sure what to expect with the oakleaf hydrangeas. Originally planted in dappled shade beneath the large Siberian elm eight or so years ago, they are now mature. I wasn't sure they could make the transition since they were accustomed to the shade but so far, no problem. No wilting or burning of leaves in the second full summer so they look like they will be good to go. Oakleaf hydrangeas are remarkable in that regard. I have some planted in full shade and now these in full sun. They all bloom and get fall color though the more sun they get, the more intense the fall colors are.

Obedient Plants at the Very End of the Bloom

Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) and obedient plants (Physostegia virginiana) have absolutely thrived in their new light conditions, spreading and self seeding and adding so much more flower power to my garden. I'm very thankful for that! This is also a good combination for a succession of color. The coneflowers bloom heavily in summer and the obedient plants pick up in fall just when the coneflowers are turning to seedheads.

Young Dogwood Tree

A small dogwood (Benthamidia florida), now about 5 years old, is a bit more on the fence as to whether it is liking its new situation. While I don't usually water established plants, I am giving this tree supplemental water, treating it as a newly planted tree since it is new to its changed light conditions.

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  salvia greggi cultivar

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  dahlia

Using Non-Native Plants

My personal gardening ethos is planting as many native plants as I can. I'm well on my way to a 70% native garden. That said, I've been selectively adding non-native plants. I want my garden to look good for as much of the year as possible and there are some notable lulls in the flowering calendar. Both between spring and early summer and late summer and fall color, there could be more going on in my garden. Last summer I planted a cultivar of a sage native to Texas (Salvia greggi) and it has really saved my micro-meadow area, planted with mostly coneflowers, during October. I chopped and dropped the coneflowers nearest the path, opening up the view to the bright color of the salvias. Dropping the cut stems allows birds to forage for the seeds, increases the chance of selfseeding, provides habitat for overwintering insects and will enrich the soil by decompsoing. I've also added a few dahlias (Dahlia) in my tiny sunflower patch to extend the color there a bit.

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  coreopsis

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  bluemist flower

Long Blooming Perennial Flowers: Self Seeders Welcome

One of the things about starting with new light conditions is that a lot of plants have to be moved and you are left with a lot of bare ground - not good for the soil but very good for weeds. This area along the edge of a small pond has benefitted from selfseeders and long bloomers. Wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) which blooms in summer here and bluemist (Conochlinium coelestinum) flowers both self seed and have long bloom periods - really helpful with a newly bare space. I added in coreopsis (Coreopsis 'Full Moon') for both contrasting yellow color, drought tolerance and long bloom time. This combination is filling the spaces in and appears very tolerant of the newly bright sun conditions. I was surprised bluemist flower did so well. It began and finished blooming earlier then bluemist flowers in shade but otherwise did just fine.

Eastern Red Cedar 'Grey Owl', Oakleaf Hydrangea and White Muhly Grass

Eastern Red Cedar Cultivars

When I first started gardening, I learned to break up expanses of green plants by adding shades of blue with a few Colorado spruces. Now, I turn to eastern red cedars. Colorado spruces are native to the Rocky Mountain region and tend to have a bit of struggle in the humdity of the east coast. Eastern red cedars, though, thrive here.

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  eastern red cedar 'Brodie'

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  eastern red cedar 'Emerald Sentinel'

Newly hot and sunny areas do not faze them at all. Eastern red cedar 'Brodie' (Juniperis virginiana 'Brodie')is shorter, growing about 15 to 20 feet tall and 6 feet wide and has a bluish cast and blue berries. 'Emerald Sentinel' (Juniperis virginiana "Emerald Sentinel') is a deeper green and is also smaller in size. The low growing eastern red cedars are 'Grey Owl' (Eastern red cedar 'Grey Owl') None of these need supplemental watering once established or any care at all that I can discern and all add a depth of color.

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  native pachysandra in shade

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  native pachysandra in sunnier conditions

Groundcovers

The side garden in dappled shade had a wide and mature swath of native Allegheny pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens) planted 8 years ago from plugs. About a third of it severely wilted in the first days of the sun. I transplanted as much as I had time for and left the rest to fend on its own. I have been pretty surprised that where there is the slightest bit of afternoon shade, the pachysandra rebounded. It defintely can't take direct sun in my garden though. Where the pachysandra faded, wild violets have moved in. They though, also crisp and fade back in the hot sun of August. I'm looking for another good native groundcover for full sun.

Asters, Eastern Red Cedars "Grey Owl' in Side Garden

Have you experienced a transition in your garden like this? Do you have a favorite native groundcover for full sun? If so, please share tips, ideas and suggestions. If you garden, drastic changes of light are bound to happen!

Happy Gardening.