Crisp runner beans | Photos by the writer
Many of us have garden areas — or balconies/verandas — that are largely in the shade, which some people feel are not suitable for the cultivation of vegetables and herbs.
This, however, is not always the case as there are many varieties of vegetables and herbs that grow far better in partial — not full — shade than they do in a full day of direct sunlight. This is not to say that some of them won’t, especially in the winter months, grow and produce in direct sunlight as, quite often, they will but, unless they are treated to copious amounts of increasingly precious water on a daily basis, growth will not be as luxuriant as when cultivated in partial shade.
Basically speaking, the term ‘partial shade’ describes an area receiving between three and five hours of sunlight each day: less sunlight than this is described as ‘full shade’ and more than five hours of sunlight per day as ‘full sun’.
There are plenty of vegetables that will grow well without full sun
Having explained what is meant by ‘partial shade,’ let’s take a look at some of the edible plants that will thrive in these conditions and which, in our climate, transform shade from potential enemy to much loved friend.
VEGETABLES
Lettuce: This ever popular salad ingredient thrives in spots getting as little as three hours of sunshine per day. Grown in partial shade the leaves are crisp, always fresh and longer-lasting on the plant than when lettuce is cultivated in full sunshine. The tender plants also require far less water when cultivated in such a place than when erroneously located in a sunny spot.
Spinach: This has exactly the same growing and sunlight requirements as lettuce and, also as with lettuce, a small patch of it goes a very long way, over a long period of time, if it is carefully harvested one leaf at a time — outer leaves first — instead of cutting off an entire plant at once.