Home » Plants & Animals » Container Gardening » Made in the Shade

Made in the Shade

© Kathy Reiffenstein

A shady deck or patio has been known to plunge even the most enthusiastic gardener into despair. The colorful flowers typically shown on the front of glossy garden magazines won’t grow there; no chance for luscious summer tomatoes; the area is rather dark and dull. Must we simply settle for the ubiquitous impatiens and go on envying our more fortunate gardening friends who have sun?? Not at all!! There are a surprising number of plants that will thrive in shady conditions and produce vibrant color, both in their flowers and their foliage.

Before heading to the nursery in search of shade plants, it’s important to first determine what type of shade you have. Shade isn’t just shade. The plant books talk about partial shade and dappled shade and afternoon shade and full shade. Understanding the variations in the shade spectrum will help you choose the best plants for your specific conditions.

Types of Shade

• Partial shade, also called dappled or filtered shade, is the brightest shade condition and generally means the area gets 3-4 hours of sun a day. Partial shade gives you the most plant choices.

• Light shade is found under trees with small leaves and high branches and may have as much as a couple hours a day of full sun.

• Medium shade occurs under larger, taller trees. The area may get some sun in the early to mid-morning or late afternoon, but is shaded during the brightest daylight hours.

• Full shade is created by tall trees with large leaves, smaller trees with branches closer to the ground or tall buildings. There is very little light in these conditions.

Foliage Plants

An important component in the shade garden is foliage. Because of the lower light conditions, variegated and colored foliage and dramatic leaf markings can add brightness, depth and texture. Coleus (Coleus hybridus - Zones 9-11) immediately comes to mind for its brilliantly colored leaves in shades of magenta, orange, yellow, red, chartreuse and purple. Most coleuses prefer filtered shade. Flower spikes should be pinched out to maintain the shape of the plant and promote vigorous growth.

Heuchera (Heuchera spp. - Zones 4-8), also known as coral bells, has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years among home gardeners. It has stunning scalloped foliage and grows in compact clumps. Leaf colors include green mottled with white, green with a strong reddish tinge, mahogany and several varieties of silvery purple. There are small, bell-shaped clusters of flowers that open at the top of wiry stems and are appealing to hummingbirds, but heucheras are currently being developed and grown more for their leaf color than their flowers. ‘Pewter Moon” and ‘Palace Purple’ are two of my favorite varieties that are generally available. Combine several varieties in a container for an eye-catching display.

Green Heuchera

Red Heuchera

Hydrangea

The copyright of the article Made in the Shade in Container Gardening is owned by . Permission to republish Made in the Shade in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.