permaculture

[yarrow@sfo.com]

> My new "plan" is to start leaving
> compost around the edges of the yard, in case I ever learn what edible
> perrenials might grow in clay soil/shade. Meanwhile, I love learning this
> stuff for someday when I become a real farmer.  Kathy in St. Louis

Kathy,
We're doing a shade edibles demo garden at the community garden, 
where we have grown -- in zone 9 -- arugula (annual, but reseeds 
easily), cilantro, parsley, celery, lettuces, and (for edible 
flowers) calendula, borage, and rose. This area is in high shade and 
gets a few hours of sun.

In my garden, I have lemon balm, strawberries, alpine strawberries, 
bolivian sunroot, currants, yerba buena, broccoli, cabbage, kale, 
collards, artichokes, cardoon, garlic chives, celery, parsley, red 
onion, mullein, calendula, nasturtium, and more in the shadier area 
(high shade, gets about 3-4 hours of direct sun). Last year 2 cherry 
tomato plants did well there, and a volunteer winter squash took over 
the whole area and produced a lot.

Here are a few more suggestions. Try a few things and see what does 
well! Some plants that are listed as "full sun" will still grow well 
in high shade or dappled shade, though they may produce less than 
they would in full sun.



http://www.rickharrison.com/texts/info/shade_tolerant.html
Shade Tolerant Vegetables (and Fruits)

It depends on your climate, soil, and what kind of shade you have. Is 
it solid shade cast by a large building, or dappled shade cast by 
trees? Few edibles will produce in all-day solid shade, but if you 
have broken shade, or direct sun for at least part of the day, there 
is hope of getting some vegetables to grow.

Shade is a blessing in hot climates. Areas that get 2 to 3 hours of 
sun in the morning followed by shade the rest of the day are ideal 
for growing leafy vegetables during the summer in hot climates.

Here is a list of the more shade-tolerant vegetables gleaned from 
previous discussions of this question in rec.gardens.edible

GREENS:
* arugula
* cabbage
* kale
* lettuce
* mustard greens
* pak choi
* parsley
* sorrel
* spinach

ALLIUMS:
* chives
* garlic chives
* onions

HERBS:
* cardamom
* mint

LEGUMES:
* peas
* bush beans

BERRIES:
* blackberry
* currants
* gooseberry
* strawberries


http://www.jackiefrench.com/tithe.html
Some Shade-Tolerant Edibles
         Alpine strawberry; bamboo - some species are shade-tolerant 
but beware as they may become weed; blueberry varieties like 
Everbearer, Knoxfield Barbara, Fairview, Knoxfield Fiona; avocado - 
will grow in semi-shade, in fact needs semi-shade to establish, but 
fruits only with at least some light, establish at the dark side of 
the house and it'll fruit when it reaches the roof; bilberry - will 
fruit in semi-shade; cape gooseberry - will fruit in quite deep shade 
in temperate areas or in cool areas next to a warm wall; Chilean 
wineberry - like a raspberry with yellow berries, very hardy, fruits 
in temperate areas in medium shade; Chilacayote melon - will ramble 
up and down trees, grows in shade but needs sunlight to flower and 
fruit; feijoa - shade tolerant but won't fruit without some hours of 
direct sunlight (and often a pollinator too); hops - will twine 
happily through trees; Monstera deliciosa - frost free areas only; 
strawberries - hot to temperate areas only and they won't crop as 
well; rhubarb, grows tall and succulent in semi-shade, especially in 
hot areas; chives (Allium spp), garlic chives (Allium tuberosum); 
elder (Sambucus nigra); fennel (Foeniculum vulgare); garlic (Allium 
spp) will grow in the semi-shade under trees in temperate to hot 
areas, but may not flower; American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius); 
horseradish (Armoracia rusticana); parsley, curled parsley 
(Petroselinum crispum) - Common parsley will accept semi-shade in 
temperate to hot areas, Japanese or Perennial parsley (Cryptoaenia 
japonica) will also grow in semi-shade in temperate to hot areas or 
in a pot in cool areas on warm paving or patio; salad burnet 
(Poterium sanguisorba); Sorrel (Rumex spp); watercress (Nasturtium 
officinale); artichokes - Jerusalem (semi-shade under decidous 
trees); asparagus (semi-shade); celery (in temperate to hot areas); 
leeks (hot summers only - good under deciduous trees); lettuce (hot 
summers only); mizuma (Japanese salad green or green veg); potato 
(hot summers in dappled light under trees or pergolas); silverbeet 
(dappled light in hot areas, ornamental chard and other chard 
varieties are more shade-tolerant than the common Fordhook Giant; 
spinach - English (dappled light in hot areas).


http://www.uvm.edu/mastergardener/help/tipsarchive2004.htm
EDIBLES FOR SHADE are mostly leafy, and can produce a decent harvest 
with five hours or less of direct sun per day. They can be used 
decoratively in the beds and borders. Parsley makes a great border, 
and so do colorful lettuces. A bright red stemmed Swiss chard was 
used at Longwood Gardens paired with a harmonizing red coleus. Other 
shade tolerant edibles include arugula, chervil, bee balm, cabbage, 
beet, borage, scallions, mint, chive, coriander, cress, escarole, 
kale, mustard, pansy, pea, sage, sorrel, spinach.