Alliums do well on the northwest side of this shade garden. Apparently a few hours of sun is enough for them even though they are supposed to be full-sun plants. I enjoy their ball-shape flower heads and onion-like scent. Alliums attract both butterflies and bees. Visit here for a listing of articles and pictures of Alliums available on the Web.
Caladiums are wonderful in the shade or as houseplants. They are tender bulbs that need to be dug each fall (or left in containers). Slugs love these plant. I surround them with a layer of diatomaceous earth. Another year, I'll ring them with chicken grit (finely crushed granite). Another way to protect them would be to plant them in four-inch pots and partially bury them. Then surround the pot with something to deter slugs. I find their unusual flowers fascinating. A good mail order source is Caladium World.
Daffodils bloom reliably in this garden and manage to avoid being eaten by our neighborhood squirrels. Their bright colors perk up the spring garden. They do tend to lean toward the light and can get straggly looking if we have a cloudy spring. For excellent information on daffodils, please read Mary Lou Gripshover's monthly column. Check the links found at her site.
Dahlias grown either from tubers or seed are excellent container plants. I have to be careful to keep them on the northwest side rather than the northeast side or they just put out leaves and no flowers. By growing them in containers, I can move them to the south side for a vacation if I need to encourage flowering. New varieties are introduced every year. Some, like Park Princess, have been developed for container gardening. The American Dahlia Society Handbook is the best source on the Internet for information about these plants.
Lilies are so reliable they threaten to take over the garden. I had to dig the bulbs and move them to my perennial beds. They proved very faithful bloomers throughout July, but by August, all I had left were tall green plants. This past year I grew some oriental lilies that bloomed from late July to mid August. I'm waiting to see if they survive our cold, damp winters in this location before drawing any definite conclusions about their shade tolerance.
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