First-time Gardener. Kim Wilde

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      Here are some favourite sun-loving plants in my garden: French lavender (Lavandula stoechas), globe thistle (Echinops sphaerocephalus ‘Niveus’) and the soft yellow Phlomis russeliana.

       Small trees to provide light shade

      Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’

      Amelanchier lamarckii (snowy mespilus)

      Betula utilis var. jacquemontii (Himalayan birch)

      Cercidyphyllum japonicum (Katsura tree)

      Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ (May hawthorn)

      Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’ (honey locust)

      Malus × robusta ‘Red Sentinel’ (crab apple)

      Prunusx subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ (Higan cherry)

      Rhus typhina (velvet sumach)

       Sorbus cashmiriana

       KIM’S TIPS

       Use a compass to help you establish which direction your garden faces.

       For gardens in the southern hemisphere, all directions are reversed. So a south- or west-facing garden is predominantly shady, while a north- or east-facing garden enjoys plenty of sun.

       In a shady garden

      A northerly or easterly aspect will almost certainly mean more shade, but this doesn’t mean it needs to be dark and dull. First, consider thinning out some of the trees and tall shrubs to let in more light, and plant golden-leaved plants to lighten the shade, such as the golden-leaved mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’) or the golden-leaved dogwood (Cornus alba ‘Aurea’). A plant with golden foliage will brighten any dark corner and many prefer to grow in part shade as full sun may scorch their leaves.

      The shade cast by deciduous trees and shrubs will not come into full effect until the leaves appear. So if you underplant with spring-flowering bulbs, such as snowdrops (Galanthus), daffodils (Narcissus) and bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), they will complete their flowering season before the tree canopy closes up. Low light levels in shady gardens can make things appear to be smaller, so be bold with everything from layout (use generous paving areas) and ornament (choose large containers) to planting. Several exotic-looking bold architectural plants, such as the castor-oil fig (Fatsia japonica) and the Chusan palm (Trachycarpus fortune!), tolerate a little shade.

      In shady courtyards, brightly painted walls will substantially increase light levels, while strategically placed mirrors will reflect more light into the space as well as making it appear larger than it is. Water, too, will reflect light, adding sparkle to shady corners while offering sympathetic planting opportunities for fabulous foliage associations, such as shade-tolerant ferns, foxgloves and arum. The larger blue-leaved hostas are easy to grow in such situations and are slug resistant too.