What fruit/veg/herbs etc will grow best in a shady place?

[Dragonbutter]

I'm thinking of turning a bit of my small garden into a veggie patch. I have absolutely no experience of growing anything, so see it as a bit of an experiment armed with some library books.

I have two areas of garden I could turn into a veggie patch. One gets the sun all day but is also the best area for the kids swing as it's flatter. The other end is more shaded but i would prefer this end as the garden is sloping and this is the 'bottom' end and thought the slightly raised beds would help even up the garden a little.

If I go for the shady end, what grows well?

TIA
DB

[PrimulaVeris]

Sun is best for everything ... but raspberries and currant bushes will tolerate some shade. (Though you may find little fingers will get the fruit before you do! )

[Dragonbutter]

I'd be very impressed if DS1 suddenly started showing an interest in fruit tbh.

[snorkle]

rhubarb seems to manage ok in a shady corner of our garden - but be aware the leaves are poisonous.

[prettybird]

Gardening Which? did a report which said that rnner beans did suprisingly well in the shade.

[prettybird]

Gardening Which? did a report which said that rnner beans did suprisingly well in the shade.

[prettybird]

oops

[Dragonbutter]

ok so we've got raspberries, currants, rhubarb, and runner beans.
that's not bad.

i'm hoping for an area about 2m x 5m with about 2m x 2m being in the shade mostly. Was hoping for some spuds, salad, peas and herbs for the rest? they'll get some sun during the day but not for as long as the other side of the garden.

anyone think this is a bad idea?

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

It's certainly worth a try. Some things may do less well in shade than they would have done in full sun but you'll soon find by trial and error what flourishes where. Tomatoes, for example, will need sun to ripen.

Mint does well in shade, as do chives and oregano. Try some of the gardening websites to find other shade-tolerant herbs.

[Dragonbutter]

Have found some information on creating a herb spiral. Apparently it's a permaculture thing.
It says that these are all good herbs for the shade.
Sweet violet (good in salads),
Sorrel (leaves for salads or eat like spinach)
Lemon balm (salads or tea)
and Wild garlic (but doesn't say how to use it)

Sounds good.
Thanks for being clever everyone.

[woodstock3]

lemon balm will take over first your garden and then the world. ditto mint.
chives, parsley, tarragon can stand some shade (not total)
what about salads, spinach, rocket - they shrivel a bit in full sun? but you would need some sun at least or things wont thrive.
also if it is shady, would plant seeds indoors to germinate and plant out as small plants rather than sowing seed directly into ground as without sun might not germinate well.

[Dragonbutter]

thanks. all advice welcome.

[girlnextdoor]

If I am brutally honest, I'd say try to grow in full sun.

I had a "prefect" spot in my garden for veggies, except it hardly got any sun- so decided to put a summer house there instead, as I knew the veg would not thrive.

I have built some raised beds on my patio- wooden frame and filled with topsoil, manure and good compost- last year I grew French beans - dwarf- carrots, purple sprouting broccoli, beetroot, salad stuff, cabbages, courgettes, spinach and herbs in pots.

Maybe you could try a raised bed, if the spot you have in mind is shady?

[Dragonbutter]

i was planning a raised bed actually as i don't really trust the soil round here. I was hoping to build two raised beds now. The more shady one for veggies/salads/herbs etc. (only one end of that bed would be in shade mostly)
The sunny raised bed for the stuff that really needs the sun.
The kids swing will have to go somewhere in the middle, it's not really like they use it that much anyway.
Now, i have to get some materials together for building the raised beds. Any ideas for cheap building materials?

[snorkle]

I've made several raised beds.

The first were from wood - but, if you use treated wood then the preservative might leach into your soil & veggies which to my mind rather defeats the object of growing them. If you use untreated wood, then either it rots very fast, or it's a hardwood that's probably not very ethically sound.

So, my latest raised bed method now involves using cheap paving slabs (must be the real utility sort that have flat edges) half sunk into the soil to form a rectangle of the desired size. There's enough underground to hold in place & I've not had trouble with them shifting even when I dig the beds -
I got the slabs from freecycle too.

[prettybird]

If you want to grow mint, I suggest I put it into a "bottomless" pot (ie cut the bottom out of a large plastic ppt). That'll keep it under control, otherwsie it will spread every where. Alternaitvly, you can surround it with old slates slotted it in the ground sideways on.