Urban Shade Gardens: Tips On Urban Gardening In Low Light
If you garden in an urban area, space isn’t the only thing getting in your way. Limited windows and shadows cast by tall buildings can seriously cut down on the kind of light that is essential for so many things to grow. While you may not be able to grow everything you dream of, there are plenty of plants that will grow with only a couple of hours of light a day. Keep reading to learn more about plants for low light gardens.
Urban Shade Garden
Urban gardening in low light isn’t difficult with the right plants. Herbs are perfect for city gardens in shade, particularly indoors. They are one of the easiest things to grow in low light, and they also grow very well in containers. As a bonus, they’re just the kind of plant you want to keep close by: cooking is a joy when you can snip fresh herbs right in your kitchen. Hard-leafed herbs, like lavender and rosemary, really need a lot of light to grow. Soft-leafed herbs, however, thrive with just a few hours of light per day. These include:
Mint, in particular, will grow very well even in low light and should be kept in a separate pot from your other herbs, so it doesn’t muscle them out.
More Plants for Low Light Gardens
If you have very little light, you’re going to have a hard time growing flowers. A few exceptions, though, include:
As far as vegetables go, basically any leafy green can be grown in low light. Stick to varieties with many branched leaves, however, opting for loose-leaf lettuce over head lettuce. Radishes work well too, though it’s there that low light root vegetables stop. Other varieties will yield strange, leggy, sickly-looking roots.
Gardening tips, videos, info and more delivered right to your inbox!
Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter today and receive a free download of our DIY eBook "Bring Your Garden Indoors: 13 DIY Projects For Fall And Winter".
The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.
-
Fancy Christmas Flowers Other Than Poinsettias? Try These 6 Joyful Blooming Alternatives
The holiday season seems synonymous with poinsettia plants, but if you’re keen to broaden your festive floral horizons, why not try these cheerful holiday bloomers?
By Amy Grant
-
Rosemary Decor Ideas: Try These 5 Creative And Tasteful Ways To Decorate With Rosemary
Have you only ever used rosemary as a garnish with the festive turkey? These rosemary decor ideas will fill your home and gifting horizons with fragrant new possibilities
By Mary Ellen Ellis