Gardening in the shade can be a challenge, requiring a different approach than in sunny gardens. But a blooming shade garden makes it a goal worth pursuing. Here are a few tips to help out.

The soil has to be well-drained since the sun won’t be helping to dry it up, and more space than usual should be left between plants. This allows good air circulation and gives each plant a chance to get its share of light and nutrients.

Shade gardens need steady moisture, which can be supplied by watering to a depth of four or five inches, then letting the soil dry out before watering again. Plants that like shade also need humidity, which can be increased by surrounding the plants with coarse mulch and misting them occasionally when the weather is hot and dry.

Fertilize shade gardens every four or six weeks to keep them robust.

If your shade garden is planted under trees, use plants whose water requirements are compatible with the trees. Our native oaks, for instance, have adapted to the natural rainfall and have low water requirements. They don’t tolerate excessive moisture, and the long-term effect of over-watering can be the tree’s decline or death.

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Of course not all shade is the same; there are different degrees that should influence your plant selection. Dappled shade is the kind you see under a lacy tree or behind a delicate shrub.

Open shade is in a north exposure beside a building, wall or fence. It provides good indirect light, but direct sunlight doesn’t fall on the area.

Medium shade is in north-facing locations shaded by a structure or trees or an open shade area screened by foliage and branches. It also occurs under decks.

Dense shade is found in north-facing side yards. Tall walls or fences block all but the narrowest strip of light. It also occurs in thick woods.

East-facing structures allow full sun early in the day with shade moving in during the hottest part of the afternoon. It’s beneficial for many flowering plants during our searing summers.

If you don’t have natural shade but would like to create a cool, shady space to experiment with shade-loving plants, build a lath house, gazebo, pergola or arbor. Books are available on shade gardening that show you how.

Use plants that brighten up an area not only with colorful blooms or varied foliage, but also those that seem to glow in the shade. Silver-leafed plants and ones with white blossoms add a special light to shaded areas. Mix foliage that is lacy, fern-like, ribbed, shiny or multicolored to add interest.

Here are some good choices.

Annuals: coleus, impatiens, begonia, nicotiana, pansy, campanula, mimulus, sweet alyssum, clarkia, forget-me-not, fuchsia, phlox.

Perennials: columbine, astilbe, foxglove, daylily, coral bells, hosta, saxifrage, primrose, lily of the valley, ferns, caladium, violet, cyclamen, narcissus, oxalis, trillium.

Shrubs: bleeding heart, Oregon grape, potentilla, azalea, rhododendron, camelia, buddleia, hydrangea, kalmia.

Ground covers: lamium, ajuga, mahonia, pachysandra, vinca.

Vines: clematis, wisteria, morning glory, Virginia creeper, Boston ivy.

Herbs: bee balm, catnip, chamomile, chervil, cilantro, costmary, curry plant, feverfew, hyssop, lemon balm, lovage, mint, parsley, rosemary, salad burnet, sorrel, sweet woodruff, tansy, tarragon, thyme, lavender.

Sams Valley gardener Joyce Schillen is author of "The Growing Season," a book on organic gardening. Her e-mail address is joyceschillen@msn.com.