There are many perennials that are wonderful for shade. These include hostas, ferns, astilbe, lungwort and brunnera among others. While most of these plants flower, the bloom time is short and the color impact is low. These plants depend largely on foliage and vigor to add interest to the garden. Use these plants for structure and texture in shade gardens. Plant shade-loving annuals among perennials or in container gardens to add color and drama.
Flowering Shade Plants
When it comes to shade annuals, impatiens reign supreme. No other shade plant matches its color impact or vigor. Colors range from white and pastel pink and lavender to vibrant red and shocking fuchsia. Double impatiens look like mini rose bushes. Hybrid varieties such as Fusion offer unusual bi-color blooms on larger plants.
Cool weather performers, pansies and violas, add plenty of color in the spring and fall. Colors include pale to deep yellow, white, blue, deep purple and orange. Many are bi-color and add interest as well as color. Other flowering shade plants are begonias, torenia and lobelia. Colors include yellow, pink, purple, red, white, lavender and blue.
Upright fuchsia varieties are also a good choice for shade gardens. Gartenmeister is an excellent shade plant that provides dramatic foliage color with dark green and burgundy foliage. It also has electric pink-orange blooms. Other upright fuchsia varieties have gorgeous bi-color blooms in red, white, purple or pink.
Colorful Foliage for Shade Gardens
Coleus is one of the best foliage plants for shade gardens. Varieties come in an array of sizes from 6 to 36 inches. Colors include deep burgundy, bright pink, lime green, dark purple, yellow and white. Most varieties are multi-colored and have interesting and varied leaf shape. Kong coleus is excellent planted among hostas or ferns. This fast growing annual rivals the size of many perennials and adds excellent color contrast.
Caladiums are a fast growing tropical bulb used as an annual in most climates. Foliage colors range from pink and red to white and green. Arrow shaped leaves are generally multi-colored with contrasting veins, edging or spots. These are also vigorous enough to plant among large perennials.
Using Container Gardens in Shady Areas
Another way to add color to shady areas is to use containers of annuals among perennials. This expands the number of plants available to use in shade areas since containers can be rotated to sunnier areas if necessary. Containers also add height, dimension and structure to a garden.
Upright fuchsias, such as the previously mentioned Gartenmeister, make excellent focal points for shade containers by adding height, color and drama. Begonias, larger coleus varieties and grasses like Baby Tut can also be used as container focal points. Use impatiens, lobelia, torenia and pansies to fill in containers.
Varieties of trailing impatiens are excellent in containers, either alone or as spiller plants in combinations. Colors are limited to red, white, orange, pink and lavender. Trailing torenia is perfect to fill out container combinations. It comes in yellow and purple bi-color and blue varieties.
Plant perennials in the shade garden for structure and texture. Then plant colorful annuals among them or in container gardens to add color and dimension. For more ideas on how to use color in the garden see Using Color in Garden Design.
Paula Lovgren - Paula is a freelance writer, gardener, garden designer and mother to two children and three cats. She has previously worked as a marketing ...
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