A north-facing garden gets less direct sunlight than its south-facing equivalent â but it doesn't mean you can't grow food or have a beautiful garden. It means choosing the right plants. Many edible and ornamental plants actively prefer shade or tolerate it readily, and a north-facing garden often has more consistent moisture and cooler temperatures that some crops love.
The key is understanding what "north-facing" actually means for your specific plot. A garden with a completely clear northern aspect will be shadier than one with walls or buildings that reflect light. And even in a north-facing garden there are usually sunnier spots â corners, areas near light-coloured fences â that can be used strategically.
Vegetables and salads that grow in shade
Lettuce actually prefers partial shade â it prevents bolting (running to seed) in summer and extends the harvest season. Cut-and-come-again varieties like loose-leaf lettuce, rocket, spinach and mizuna are all excellent choices for a north-facing plot. You can harvest leaves continuously from May to October with successive sowings.
Both thrive in partial shade and dislike the intense heat of a south-facing bed in summer. Chard in particular is productive and ornamental â the red, yellow and white stems look striking. Pick outer leaves regularly to encourage continuous new growth.
Hardy and productive in low light â kale is one of the most nutritious crops you can grow and needs far less sun than most brassicas. It's also extremely frost-hardy, giving you fresh leaves from autumn well into winter when most crops have finished.
Peas do well in partial shade and actually prefer cooler conditions â a north-facing bed is often ideal. They struggle in intense heat and a shadier spot can extend their productive season. Sow from March to May and support with canes or netting.
Most herbs need sun but these three are genuinely shade-tolerant. Mint in particular spreads vigorously and is best planted in a container to contain it. Chives are almost indestructible and parsley, while slower in shade, produces well once established.
A north-facing garden typically retains moisture better than a sun-baked south-facing bed. This means less watering in summer â a real advantage for leafy crops like lettuce and spinach that struggle when the soil dries out.
Fruit in a north-facing garden
Most fruiting plants need sun to ripen, but some manage well with limited direct light.
These are the best fruiting plants for a north-facing wall or fence. They're traditionally grown against north-facing walls because they tolerate shade better than most soft fruit and the reduced heat slows ripening, which can actually improve flavour. A fan-trained redcurrant against a north-facing fence is both productive and attractive.
Tolerates partial shade better than most soft fruit. Gooseberries are productive, easy to grow and can be trained as cordons against a fence to save space. Harvest in July â either unripe for cooking or ripe for eating fresh.
The cooking cherry is traditionally grown on north-facing walls. Unlike sweet cherries which need sun to ripen and develop sweetness, Morello cherries are sour even when ripe â and that sourness is actually what makes them perfect for jams, preserves and baking. They're very productive on a north-facing fence.
Ornamental plants for north-facing gardens
If you want a beautiful garden rather than or alongside edibles, there are many excellent ornamental plants for shady conditions.
Ferns are some of the most beautiful shade plants available. Hart's tongue fern, lady fern and male fern are all UK natives that thrive in deep shade and damp conditions. They're architectural, low-maintenance and evergreen.
Hostas have spectacular foliage in blue, green, gold and variegated forms. They're slugs' favourite food so net them or use copper tape, but in a well-maintained bed they're stunning.
Foxgloves are UK natives that seed themselves freely in shade and produce extraordinary spires of flowers. Let them self-seed and you'll have them forever.
Hydrangeas â particularly the mophead varieties â flower well in partial shade and tolerate north-facing positions better than most shrubs.
Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) is specifically suited to north-facing walls. It's slow to establish but eventually covers a wall in flat white flower heads â one of the finest climbers for shade.
What won't work
It's worth being honest about what a north-facing garden can't do well. Tomatoes, courgettes, squashes and peppers all need a lot of sun to ripen their fruit and will underperform significantly in a north-facing bed. Tomatoes in particular need warmth and direct sunlight â without it the fruit fails to ripen fully and disease pressure increases.
Most herbs need sun â rosemary, thyme, sage, basil and oregano all want a south-facing bed or a sunny windowsill. The exceptions (mint, chives, parsley) are noted above.
If you have even a small south-facing area â a window box, a patio container, a raised bed in the sunniest corner â prioritise these demanding crops there and use the north-facing beds for the shade-tolerant crops that will genuinely thrive.
Find out what to plant this month
The GrowGuide What to Plant tool tells you exactly what to sow and plant right now based on the current month â including which crops suit shadier conditions.
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