Sunny Crops vs. Shady Crops

One of the biggest shifts in my gardening approach came when I stopped fighting my garden’s conditions and started matching the right plants to the right places.

It sounds obvious—but most of us are trained to think like allotment gardeners: open space, full sun, straight rows. That’s not how most home gardens work.

You might have:

• Dappled shade under trees

• Dry, sun-baked patios

• Damp corners behind fences

• Narrow side paths with very little light

The good news? There’s edible potential in all of it—if you know what to plant.

Here’s a quick guide to get you thinking:

🌞 Sun-lovers (6+ hours of sunlight)
These plants love heat and light, and will thrive in open, exposed areas:

• Figs

• Grapes

• Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)

• Dwarf peaches and nectarines

• Strawberries

• Courgettes (if you're growing annuals)

🌿 Shade-tolerant crops (4 hours or less)
Perfect for tucked-away corners, north-facing beds, or beneath shrubs:

• Wild garlic

• Chervil

• Mint (contain it!)

• Salad burnet

• Sea kale

• Sorrel

• Wasabi (yes, really)

• Ostrich Fern

🌳 Shade-tolerant fruit trees
Yes, you can grow fruit in part shade—especially in dappled light or with morning sun. Good options include:

• Morello cherry – thrives on north-facing walls or in semi-shade

• Cooking apples like ‘Bramley’ – tolerant of cooler, shaded sites

• Plums like ‘Czar’ or ‘Opal’ – often crop reliably with less sun

• Pears like ‘Conference’ – will tolerate part shade but need shelter from wind

• Gooseberries and blackcurrants – technically shrubs, but heavy croppers in low light

If you’re growing perennials or edimentals, this kind of site-matching becomes even more important. Many of these plants will be in place for years—so giving them the right conditions from the start means healthier growth and bigger harvests, without the struggle.

In the next email, we’ll dig into the real environmental impact of your food—comparing a homegrown apple to a supermarket one in terms of food miles, carbon footprint, and nutrients.