Can I grow vegetables in the shade?
Despite the odd and changeable weather all over the globe, spring is coming and the gardening season is beginning. Every year there are new gardeners who discover the magic of growing and experienced gardeners who renew their fascination by trying new plants, products or designs. Novice, expert or anyone between, of all the different kinds of gardening possible growing edibles seems to be going viral for everyone.
Vegetables, fruits and herbs offer not only opportunities to experiment with gardening, but can be decorative and pay back with healthy, tasty food. Whether you grow your edibles in a small container, in a raised garden, integrate them in a flower bed or design a whole edible front yard, fruits and vegetables are showing off everywhere with the flexible roles and big payback they offer in today’s landscape.
One of the most common concerns I hear from gardeners is that they won’t be able to grow fruits, vegetables or herbs if they don’t have a planting area with full sun. “I don’t have a lot of sun. Can I grow vegetables and fruits anyway?” I’m asked. Happily, the answer is that you probably can.
A rule of thumb is that most edibles grown for edible flowers and fruits will need plenty of sun: tomatoes, squash, melons, peas, etc. Those grown for foliage and roots: spinach, rhubarb, beets, carrots and lettuce, for example, are more tolerant of shade.
The brighter the light and, of course, the more sun, the better. If you live in a very hot summer climate, many edibles – even the sun-lovers – can appreciate some relief from scalding sun. Last year a particularly hot summer week burnt most of my vegetables badly.
A little shade would have rescued them. But deep shade can be more difficult for growing fruits and vegetables even in hot areas.
Check out your growing space and find the brightest spot for growing your edible plants. A half day of sun or even some speckled shade will usually produce adequate leaf and root crops. Many herbs are also happy with less sun. Growing fruits and vegetables is so rewarding it’s worth at least giving it a try – even if you don’t have a lot of sun.
Flower and Garden Shows: a magical world of color, creativity and knowledge
When I was young, I remember my mother wandering around the house burbling “Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is”. Well, spring is springing and the grass is rising. Some gardens across the country are budding out with flower color. But do you know where the best flowers can be found? Check out the flower and garden shows. These are blossoming all over the country in late winter and early spring. There are local shows and big national shows. If you want to get your imagination revved up for the spring, this is where to get the very best ideas for what you can grow and how to grow it in your own garden.
I had the honor of doing a couple of seminars at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show — the third largest show in the world — at the end of February. The demo gardens were breath-taking. (Those are the photos I’m including in this article.) There were hundreds of booths with products and information brimming into the labyrinth of isles. And, yes, there were plenty of bargains to be found, too. You could find art for garden or walls, rare and fun plants, imaginative decor and furniture, the latest in ecological garden innovations, and a plethora of handy tools, foods and other items to make your garden thrive. Most of all there was an endless stream of information about anything you could ever want to know about gardening and landscaping. And creative ideas galore.
I know the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show is coming up at the San Mateo Event Center on March 20th – 24th, and the Southern California Spring Flower and Garden Show at the South Coast Plaza in Orange County on April 25th to 28th. (Okay, admittedly I’m speaking at these, too.) There are also shows large and small in the East, the Midwest and all over the country this spring. If you really want to know how ‘You Can Grow That’ and spend a delightful day wandering through a magical world of all the garden can offer, check out the flower and garden shows in your area. Most are well publicized and all can be found quickly online.
If you love gardening, you simply can’t miss checking out whatever shows are in your area. Chances are you’ll have a fun-filled day and leave with an armful of plants, trinkets and treasures and a head brimming with new ideas for your home garden.
Wild Cucumber (Marah fabaceus fabaceus)
The wild cucumber (Marah fabaceus fabaceus) is an enthusiastic native plant that happily covers any large object it can ramble over. It will scale trees, smother sheds and carpet the ground with its fast-growing wiry stems. The plant sends out curly tendrils to attach to anything within its grasp. And after showing off its clusters of white flowers, the wild cucumber will explode into bright green porcupine like inedible cucumber fruits. Explode is a good word for this plant as these fruits can burst open and shoot out the seeds. The wild cucumber survives extreme heat and drought by growing huge underground roots often referred to as ‘man roots’ due to their size. If you want one growing in your wildflower garden, just be sure you like the location. Once established, digging out that root is a major project! The Marah fabaceus fabaceus is native only to Southern California.
The wild cucumber is not edible (though looking at the spiny fruit, I don’t suspect many people would find it tempting, anyway).
Grow the Yesterday Today and Tomorrow bush (Brunsfelsia pauciflora)
This is a lush, green shrub that will only take light frost. But if you live in a warm sunny climate where you only get mild frosts occasionally in the winter then you can grow the ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow plant. It will not only catch the attention of passers-by when it flowers in three stages of flower colors, but it can be kept trimmed to offer handsome green in either a semi-formal or informal garden. The Latin name for this fascinating bush is Brusfelsia pauciflora.
The Yesterday Today and Tomorrow is a plant with glossy leaves that grows to about three feet tall. It likes a rich soil, but is tolerant of a wide range of less than ideal soils. It is mildly drought tolerant but prefers regular water with good drainage. Give it full sun except in hot desert areas when some shade would be in order.
The plant gets its name from its changing flowers that were deep purple ‘yesterday’, lavender ‘today’ and finish white ‘tomorrow’. These sizable open-faced flowers fill this evergreen bush during its long blooming period with three different colored blooms all at once.
The Yesterday Today and Tomorrow bush is not difficult to grow and blends in well with other plants. Use it in a cool-colored garden with blues, purples, pinks and whites, or use it for contrast with bright colors. It also fits in nicely with pastel shades. Although the plant looks best trimmed lightly with a slightly rangy habit of growth, it will accept more harsh, formal shearing, but you are likely to remove the best attributes of the plant – those multi-colored flowers – if you insist on cutting it back this way. There are plainer shrubs that would probably be a better choice for this kind of highly controlled treatment. Instead, use the Brunsfelsia paudiflora where it can show off its unique beauty in a natural-looking border, as a backdrop for other flowers or a stand-alone focal point. The Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow bush is also an excellent choice as a specimen plant to grow in a container.
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