Why a Shady Bower Is Worth Planting

A north-facing wall, the strip of ground behind the shed, that awkward corner under the neighbour's conifer — these are the spots most of us write off as hopeless. In truth, shade is a gift. Plants in low light grow more slowly, lose less moisture and hold their foliage for longer, which makes them much easier to live with than a sun-baked wall that frazzles by August.

Before you reach for a plant, work out what sort of shade you have. A cool, north-facing wall stays damp and sheltered — almost anything will cope there. Dry shade beneath a mature tree or hedge is a different beast entirely: the soil is parched, rooty and hungry, and only the toughest climbers will settle. Measure how much sun actually reaches the spot in midsummer. A couple of hours of morning light is enough to widen your options considerably.

Evergreen Backbones: Ivy and Its Relatives

For sheer reliability in deep shade, nothing beats ivy. Hedera helix 'Hibernica', the Irish ivy, is the pick for a dull wall: broad, glossy leaves, dense growth and a willingness to cover a large space in a few seasons. It needs no support at all, clinging by aerial roots, and the late-autumn flowers are a lifeline for bees, followed by black berries for the birds.

Do bear in mind that mature ivy is heavy — a well-established plant can add real load to a wall — so never let it wander into gutters, roof voids or behind cladding. Keep it clipped back 60cm or so from windows and rainwater goods, and check the fixings of old stone or crumbly brick before you commit. Variegated forms such as Hedera colchica 'Dentata Variegata' are lovely, but the variegation fades in heavy shade; give them a brighter spot if you want the colour to hold.

Scent in the Shadows: Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is the romantic's answer to a shady wall, and it is far happier in low light than most people expect. Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina', the late Dutch honeysuckle, flowers from July into September, releasing its scent in the evening — perfect beside a seating area or a bedroom window. It relishes cool, moist roots and a shaded base.

Honeysuckles twine rather than cling, so they need something to wrap around: horizontal wires, a mesh panel or a sturdy trellis are all ideal. Because they flower on the previous year's growth, prune lightly after flowering rather than in spring, or you will cut away next summer's blooms. Avoid Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' in a small garden — it is vigorous to the point of thuggish, and will smother its neighbours.

The Slow-Burn Star: Climbing Hydrangea

If you can only choose one plant for a shady wall, make it Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris. It is slow to start — the old saying goes that it sleeps the first year, creeps the second and leaps the third — but once established it is magnificent: lacy white flower heads in midsummer, butter-yellow autumn colour and peeling cinnamon bark in winter. It clings by itself, so no trellis is required, and it positively prefers a cool north or east wall.

Give it deep, humus-rich soil and plenty of water while it settles. Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Moonlight' is a close cousin with silvery foliage and white lacecap flowers, and it takes shade just as gracefully.

Getting the Support Right

Half the failures with shady walls come down to poor fixing rather than poor planting. Get this right and your climbers will reward you for years.

• Fix 50 x 25mm timber battens to the masonry with frame fixings, then screw your trellis to the battens. This creates a 5cm air gap behind the plants, which keeps the wall drier and gives you room to tie in stems.
• For wire supports, use stainless steel vine eyes at roughly 1.2–1.5m intervals, with wires spaced 30–40cm apart up the wall. Run them through a tensioner so they stay taut.
• Self-clinging climbers need no support, but they do need a sound wall. They will not grip render, painted masonry or external insulation, so choose a trellis instead.
• On an arch, plant one climber per leg, set 30–45cm away from the upright so the roots sit in open ground rather than a cramped pocket. Tie young shoots in with soft twine, loosening it as stems thicken.

Planting, Watering and Pruning in Shade

Plant 30–45cm out from the wall and lean the stem gently back towards its support, so rain reaches the roots. Improve the planting hole with plenty of garden compost, and water in well. In dry shade, a soak once a week through the first two growing seasons makes the difference between a plant that sulks and one that romps away.

Mulch 5–8cm deep each spring, keeping it clear of the stems, and feed established plants with a slow-release general fertiliser if growth looks pale. Prune ivy in late spring once the birds have finished nesting, honeysuckle straight after flowering, and climbing hydrangea only lightly, in late winter, if it outgrows its space.

Finally, watch the slugs on tender new shoots and check the undersides of evergreen leaves for aphids. Do those small things and a gloomy corner can become the most atmospheric part of the garden.