Question
Hi and thanks in advance for any help you may provide.  I have a wooden fence which shields a pool area in upstate NY (about 100 miles N of NYC). Along the sunny side of the fence I have plenty of plantings but on the shady side which gets only a little late afternoon light in summer, I have nothing at the base of this fence.  Is there a perienial you might suggest for this dense shade at the base of this fence?  I do not want anything too large because the area of turf next to the fence is a high traffic area. Would an ivy work along this fence?  If so, could you suggest a good climbing ivy for this area.  Thanks so much, John

Answer
John,
Yes,ivy would work but provide no color.It depends on what you are wanting to achieve.It is hard to get color in shade but not impossible.Some Hydrangea shrubs bloom quite well in shade.Especially the blue tones.Or you could put the ivy in and create a green backgorund and install some hanging pots of Impatiens,which will last from spring til frost.Depending on how sturdy your fence is of course.Some evergreens that do well in shade are the Japanese yews,which could be left informal or sheared to a formal hedge.There are some slightly slow growing types. Some are pyramidal and some are just a  rounded shape.You could do a pyramidal at each end and a hedgelike group in the middle and let them form a hedgelike appearance with very little work on your part.
Shade can be a tricky planting situation,but I have never found it impossible!