Mixing shade and sun plants

When and how to combine plants for different light conditions

The very small garden of this stylish new build by Gagarin architects in the grounds of a stunning mill conversion had multiple challenges to design around. Sitting on the top of a hill in the Pennines it is exposed to the strongest winds the UK can throw at us, is overlooked by apartments opposite and while it can be baked by direct sun in the morning, is in full shade the rest of the day.

In an attempt to create some privacy without blocking the views, I suggested a mix of extremely tough evergreen shrubs with some seasonal interest from flowers. Plus an understory of shade and semi shade loving perennials to grow beneath them. While there are lots of white flowers for light, the overall colour theme is green, with texture taking the lead from a mix of leaf shapes and shades.

Because the owner is a keen grower, they have a lot of houseplants inside the bifold doors, so I wanted to give them a blend of plants that would continue the tropical leaf shapes outside, while trying to make s…