Not all plants are created equal in terms of soil and lighting requirements. Come find out the best shade plants to plant to bring color to your home garden.
Shade loving plants are adapted to very little sunlight because of their place in the forest understory. Since the canopies of larger trees and shrubs block as much as 95% of the sunlight that reaches
This garden designer is a pro at plantings for shade. She did the heavy lifting so you don't have to. Find plants here for a colorful shade garden.
Stunning mauve flowers
Use this guide to find the best shade perennials for your garden, plus get care tips for helping these plants thrive in your landscape.
Is there anything lovelier than a shade garden on a warm day? It's hard to beat!
Shade plants and flowers bring beautiful blooms to areas of your property that receive little light. These gorgeous plants don't need a ton of sun to flourish...
As I sat down to write this post, I tried to think of the perfect adjective to describe Joe and the word "gentleman" sprang to mind. ...
Use this guide to find the best shade perennials for your garden, plus get care tips for helping these plants thrive in your landscape.
If your border is short on sunlight, fill it up with this lush, shade-loving combo. Your garden will look fresh all season long.
Explore KarlGercens.com GARDEN LECTURES' 191314 photos on Flickr!
Fill your yard with non-stop color using these popular flowering perennials. HGTV shares the best perennials for a colorful garden year after year.
Ligularia is a shade perennial with impressive leaves and golden summer flowers.
These shade loving shrubs will fill in the space under trees with beautiful flowers and interesting foliage to beautify those shady areas.
Shade, garden, Partial shade, dappled shade, dry shade, damp shade, full shade, plants for shade, holley designs, pulmonaria, geranium, tiarella
Today I thought I'd share with you what's blooming in the garden. Tomorrow I'll share with you my how I went from being a "pot of geraniums on the porch" kind of non-gardener to a having a
Use this tough plants for dry shade guide to find the best plants for dry shade. These drought-tolerant perennials, ground covers, and shrubs are the plants that tolerate dry shade.
It's often hard to know what to grow in a shady area. Here's a list of beautiful, shade-tolerant plants, including astilbe, hostas, anemone, aquilegia, epimedium, and trillium. Photographs & descriptions of these shade-loving plants.
Find fast-growing vines for a fence, trellis or arbor from gardening pros at HGTV. Learn about wisteria, honeysuckle, bougainvillea and other trellis plants.
Throughout the garden, and especially along its outer perimeter, mature trees cast pockets of the Chen and Linda's magnificent garden called 'Garden Canadensis' into shade and part shade. What I think will surprise and delight you is just how vibrant shady areas in a garden can be. Here then are some of the many wonderful plant parings from Garden Canadensis for shade/part shade, with a brief explanation of why each combination works, as well as a bit of information on a key perennial in each grouping. Plant combination: Dicentra 'Stuart Boothman' and Hosta 'Dancing in the Rain' What's nice about this mix is the combination of fern-like foliage and the large, broad leaves of the hosta. Chen writes: "I like all Dicentras, the fern-like leaves and the dainty flowers, and would like to have all varieties if I can, eventually. Ideally, I try to plant them in the shade of some trees with enough sunlight for decent blooms, but not so much that their leaves deteriorate too quickly into summer." See more of Chen's collection of Dicentra including: Dicentra 'Stuart Boothman' which is pictured above and has pale pink flowers and greyish foliage. Dicentra 'Aurora' A good reliable creamy white dwarf Dicentra. Dicenta 'Bleeding Hearts' Chen writes, "This is probably the most showy Dicentra, although it is not vigorous in my garden. I have lost 2 trials mostly because of vole problems." Plant Combination: Brunnera 'Jack Frost' (left) with Heuchera 'Silver Scroll' (in the foreground) and Hosta 'Fire and Ice' (in the upper right). What's nice about this combination: Both the Brunnera and the Heuchera have silver foliage, but they couldn't be more different or more complimentary. The cream of the hosta's foliage adds that all important element of contrast. Plant Combination: On the right is Pulmonaria longifolia 'Diana Clare' and to the bottom left is a deciduous rhododendron: Rhododendron schlippenbach which the "rabbits like to chew on". Above them is a hosta with a lots of cream trough the centre of its dark green foliage. What's nice about this combination: I would particularly like to draw to your attention to the silvered-grey-green Pulmonaria. Chen notes that: "The quiet beauty of Pulmonarias is indispensable for the shady parts of my garden. The flowers may be early and brief, but their foliage is highly ornamental from early spring into late fall. In mid-summer they typically go through a decline, but this can easily be taken care of by removing their foliage. New foliage will emerge, and be ready, as the weather is cooling off. They appear to self-sow readily (but not wildly) in my garden. This presents a problem for keeping the named cultivars intact after a few years. I suspect that many Pulmonarias on the market are just derivative seedlings of some kind. For the same reason, many name cultivars are not that distinct from each other." Just a few of Chen's Pulmonarias that caught my eye are : Pulmonaria 'Diane Clare' shown above has pale blue flowers:"Its foliage is highly ornamental for the whole season. It is a very vigorous Pulmonaria." Pulmonaria 'Opal' which has white flowers. Chen describes this variety as a "must have". Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' which is a vigourous plant with showy red flowers and is "one of the best Pulmonarias". Plant Combination: Chen tells me that the neat green mound at the front of this planting is Buxus microphylla 'Kingsville'. It is "probably the most dwarf form of boxwood, and is popular to use in bonsai." The large golden Heuchera in the centre of the picture is Heuchera 'Carmel'. In front of 'Carmel' is what Chen describes as a"very weak, but pretty" Heuchera 'Autumn Leaves' (with reddish foliage). In the lower left corner is Heuchera 'Christa'. Behind 'Caramel' and to the right with the purplish-green foliage is Heuchera 'Petite Pearl Fairy'. Peaking out from behind it is the green foliage of Heuchera 'Silver Scroll'. What is interesting about this planting is how multi-colored it is despite the shade conditions and minimal flowers. Planting Combination: On the top left is Hosta 'Sagae'. Below it is lime colored Hosta ' Blaze of Glory'. With tiny white flowers in the centre is Corydallis ochroleuca. Peaking out from the lower right is Heuchera 'Delta Dawn'. Bending over the whole group is a Japanese Maple Acer palmatum 'Peaches and Cream'. It may be primarily one color: green, but what makes this combination work is contrast. There are the cut leaves of the Japanese maple, the large leaves of the hosta and the small, dainty fern-like leaves of the Corydallis ochroleuca. Each green is distinct and mixed together they are actually quite colorful. An excerpt from Chen's notes on Corydallis: "This is a delicate and elegant class of perennials like their relative, Dicentra. The blue flowered varieties are particularly precious, but they are not the easiest to grow here. I like Corydallis enough that I tolerate some of them that tend to self-sow wildly, bordering on weedy. Fortunately, they are relatively easy to weed... Corydallis ochroleuca is an important filler plant for me; both for the foliage and the flowers...." Read more and see the Chen's collection of Corydallis here. Another beautiful Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum 'Shigitasu sawa' which Chen says is one of his favourite maples. When I was going through my pictures, I came across this planting and was surprised to see hostas and conifers grouped together. I had always thought that most conifers needed sun. So I asked Chen about it. "I would estimate that this part of the bed is at least in 50% shade, if not more. Those conifers are not afraid of shade at all, especially the Alberta Spruce (I have some in very dense shade). The blue conifer in the front and the bright green conifer behind it are the common Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard' and Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Gracilis' respectively. They can take full sun to a fair amount of shade.", Chen tells me. What's nice about this combination: I love the way Chen has echoed the bluish-green color of the Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard' with the frosty, blue-green Hosta 'Regal Splendor'. The lime colored hosta in foreground is Hosta 'Silk Kimono'. The maroon foliage of the Japanese Maple makes a perfect counterpoint to all the cool greens. I am embarrassed to admit that I used to think hostas were kind of boring! In truth, I just hadn't seen anyone use them quite so imaginatively. Plant combination: Hosta 'Sum and Substance' (upper right) and Hosta 'Smooth Sailing' (in the foreground) light up in contrast with the deep, dark plum leaves of Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford'. Not only is this color combination sublime, this mix of perennials offers an interesting variety of leaf shapes and sizes as well. Chen speaks highly of the contribution hostas make to any garden, particularly a northern one: "I would think hosta is an essential perennial for the northern garden...They add an element of large leaf texture that is not prevalent in northern vegetation (in comparison with tropical environments). Depending on the variety, hosta can take full sun to full shade, and are hardy and (practically) maintenance free (except for the HVX virus). Unfortunately, it is often relatively expensive for a fair sized specimen, and takes years to develop into a nice size clump...Although I am not a Hosta addict by any means, I do like to acquire a few each year since they are so useful, elegant and take care of themselves." Here is another combination that includes conifers in shade conditions. Chen tells me that this area, "... only sees sunlight very early in the morning, and for a very short time at noon, when the sun passes between the large conifer, and the cover of a forty plus year old crabapple tree. I would estimate that this part of the garden has 60% shade or more." Plant combination: The light green conifer in the back is Juniperus rigida. As well as several hosta, there is a Japanese maple on the left: Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan' and the lime colored maple on the right: Acer palmatum 'Purple Ghost'. In the foreground with tall red flower spikes is Rheum palmatum 'Atrosanguineum'. Why this combination works: Each and every plant contributes something new and appealing to the grouping. Every green is distinct and the deep maroon of the maple adds a nice punch of warm color. The mixture of scale and texture makes an area that is largely green anything, but boring. A few more examples from Chen's hosta collection. On the left is Hosta 'Gypsy Rose' and on the lower right is Hosta 'Orange Marmalade'. The lime colored hosta behind it is Hosta 'Ogon Amagi'. In the foreground of the righthand picture you can see a very unique hosta cultivar that has upright foliage. In the picture on the right you can see Chen's photograph of it in flower. This is Hosta 'Praying Hands'. Read more and see additional hosta pictures here. This paring is quite stunning don't you think? Plant Combination: The vivid chartreuse of Hosta 'Sun Power' practically glows in contrast with the deep maroon of the Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum 'Tamuke yama'. Up next will be perennials and plant combinations from 'Garden Canadensis' for sun.
Looking for shade plants that can make your not-so-sunny garden look great? These are some of the best!
I think I struck a cord with my last post highlighting a small suburban shade garden. Obviously gardeners are hungry for planting suggestions for shade. In this…
HGTV shares some of the best shrubs for shade gardens, including shade shrubs such as oakleaf hydrangeas, euonymus, viburnum and elderberries that will add color to your garden with their flowers and foliage.
Every garden needs some big-ass leaves. Who couldn't use a little big-leaf eye candy to kick off the short work week? Tetrapanax 'Steroidal Giant' is
There are so many beautiful options beyond hostas and impatiens.
Stop by for lots of creative ideas for shade container gardens and all the information you need to keep them thriving. Plus, lots of pictures!
In my area, the garden tour season kicks off with the annual Canadian Cancer Society Tour in late May. Not only does the tour support a worthy cause, it is a wonderful opportunity to see local gardens in all their late spring splendour. Today I want to share with you a garden that was a standout on last year's tour. The lot runs wide to the road and so it was hard to get everything in a single shot. This is a view of the central portion of the front garden. In the beginning, Liz Maliki inherited a builder's beige front garden with a few rather nondescript planting beds and some basic hardscaping. What she really wanted was a garden with interesting sight lines, texture, color and a full four seasons of interest. To determine a new layout for her garden, Liz stood at the front of the house in the dead of winter, when there are less visual distractions from foliage and flowers, and devised her plan. The lot she had to work with was a wide rectangle that sloped gently down to the road. Though the plantings were initially unspectacular, Liz was lucky to have inherited some mature trees including some pines and a red maple. In her new design, Liz incorporated a sweeping series of curved flowerbeds, a fresh mix of plants, and new pathway leading to the entrance to the house. Let's take a look at this pretty garden over twenty years in the making and still evolving to this day: Everywhere you look there are beautiful combinations of color and texture. Even when there is little in bloom, this planting bed will still be colorful. Here we are looking at the same bed as in the previous shot, but this time from the opposite angle. The pink flower in the middle foreground is the Tree Peony in the next shot. Tree Peony A closer look at that mix of perennials and shrubs including hosta, blue and golden colored evergreens, a maroon colored Barberry bush, a golden colored Heuchera (to the left of the Barberry) and Zebra grass (middle foreground). Most of the planting beds can be viewed from both sides and a variety of perspectives. The plantings are not stepped in the traditional way: shorter perennials in front, intermediate and then taller perennials at the back. Instead, Liz has made a point of keeping sight lines visually appealing by varying plant heights like notes in a musical score. A few of the perennials in this bed are hightlighted below: a mix of Heuchera (top right), Hosta (left) the unexpected use of Chives (lower left) and a creamy yellow Tree Peony (lower right). Hostas aren't ordinary when you combine a bright, lime-colored cultivar, a deeply-ribbed, solid green one and bookend them with two variegated varieties. What I think Liz has created here is visual music. The busier variegation of the Euonymous is like the lively notes of a violin singing above the deep, mellow notes of a chello or base, which in this case, are the big-leafed hostas. This is the walkway leading to the front door. On the left, boxwood frames a flowerbed filled with Rhododendrons, Euonymus, a Korean Lilac (on the left edge of the picture). And this is a portion of the flowerbed on the opposite side of the front walkway. Two final pictures of the front walkway. That is a pink Weigela cascading down into the picture frame on the right. In this detail shot, Liz has planted a combination of Hosta, Heather (lower left) pink Azalea and a Spirea (lower right corner). In the next post, we will head into the back garden. More Information and Links: Here are all the details you need to know to attend this year's Canadian Cancer Society Tour. I am going to link this post with the Garden Party at Fishtailcottage and to Fertilizer Friday at Tootsie Time.
% The best climbing plants for shade %
Shade plants and flowers bring beautiful blooms to areas of your property that receive little light. These gorgeous plants don't need a ton of sun to flourish...
Discover the secrets of creating stunning color in your landscape. Learn how to use the color wheel to achieve perfect textural contrast.
Use this tough plants for dry shade guide to find the best plants for dry shade. These drought-tolerant perennials, ground covers, and shrubs are the plants that tolerate dry shade.
These low-lift plants provide stable attractions year after year!
Most gardeners are familiar with daylilies, peonies, hostas, and iris, but other perennials can add color and interest.
Add a fruity-spicy scent to your yard or garden when you plant this attractive, almost carefree shrub.
Though I value the role that hostas play in any garden, I have always been reluctant to invest any serious money in them. My collection...
Shade plants and flowers bring beautiful blooms to areas of your property that receive little light. These gorgeous plants don't need a ton of sun to flourish...
Clivias are a hardy, shade-loving plant that can survive almost anywhere. The popularity of clivias coincides with more gardeners seeking out evergreen plants to cover the ground en masse with the added bonus of flowers. Here's how to keep your clivia plants happy for years to come.
These fast growing climbing vines can hide unwelcome features, cover bare walls and fences, and lend an air of wildness to even the most staid landscape.
While you need plenty of sun to grow many of the better-known flowers for cutting, there are several excellent cut flowers that thrive in the shade.
Learn how to grow hostas for a beautiful garden! Get tips on ideal planting location, soil preparation, watering, fertilizing, pruning & deadheading, and more.
The last garden post overlooked some moments and photos so I’m backtracking a bit. I planted these Forget Me Nots years ago and they’ve always done okay but this year one of the plants …
HGTV shares some of the best shrubs for shade gardens, including shade shrubs such as oakleaf hydrangeas, euonymus, viburnum and elderberries that will add color to your garden with their flowers and foliage.
Perennials are kind of plants that live for years and mostly grow little buds that bloom into roses of different colors. Perennials grow through different seasons of the year; it depends on the type o
Learn how to grow low-maintenance coral bells. They come in a rainbow of colors, with some grown specifically for their flowers.
