Do you love gardening as much as I do? I read somewhere recently that there is some kind of chemical in the dirt that releases endorphins in the brain. Finding shade garden plants has been a challenge for me. I’ve been in my current home for over 10 years now, and by lots of trial and error, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t in my shady garden areas. If you have a shady garden, this post is for you.
1. Hostas will probably be at the top of every shade garden plant list because they work. They do come in a variety of sizes and colors for added interest. Keep in mind they get big fast and need to be divided every other year or so to keep them under control. Other than that, they are very low maintenance.
2. Heuchera is something I just recently discovered. We were visiting my husband’s cousin last weekend, and walking through her amazing gardens, which you may remember from this post. I don’t have any experience with this one myself yet.
3. Impatiens LOVE the shade. Very low maintenance and a great way to add some pops of color to the shady spots. I plant these every year.
via Indulgy
4. Coleus is another of my favorites for shade foliage. This also requires no upkeep and comes in a variety of colors.
5. We have a dwarf Japanese Maple in the center of our front yard garden and it’s the star of the show! They’re a little pricey but worth it.
6. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers (tied with Gerbera Daisies). I planted a row of hydrangeas on the side of my house a year or two ago so I’m still learning with these. Different varieties require different upkeep. Since I don’t know which varieties I have, I just water them and that’s it. They seem to do fine with that. My blue/purple hydrangeas keep their color without me taking any measures such as adding pennies to the soil, which you may have heard of.
7. Astilbe is another flower I haven’t tried yet. My daughter and I saw these at a gardening center last week and I’ve been kicking myself that I didn’t grab a few. I love the feathery blooms on these!
8. Lilies. Now, all the gardening websites say lilies need 6 hours of sunlight a day. I have several varieties of lilies in my shady gardens and they are all thriving. Stargazer Lilies which I dug up from the garden of my last house to take with me. I have Daylilies around a shady tree and they also do well. And I have some pure white lilies in the shade, also thriving. Lilies are low maintenance and come back every year. Only the Daylilies require a little maintenance. When the stems dry up, just pluck them out and new stems will form. They will rebloom most of the summer.
American Meadows
9. Begonias are another sure bet in the shade. No maintenance, great for added color.
10. Ferns are great shade plants but definitely multiply and divide so they need to be kept under control. I have some in my backyard that got so big my husband calls them the prehistoric ferns.
I’d love to hear about any shade garden plants you love that aren’t listed above, please leave a comment with your favorites! My gardens are still a work in progress, but I’ll share some pictures of them soon!
Cathy says
June 18, 2015 at 5:53 pmI had a large shade garden before we moved to the south and I filled it with hostas, impatiens, hydrangea, coleus, and daylilies. It was such a gorgeous combination and I still long for some nice shady area so I can reproduce that garden again. Great picks – some of my favorites.
RoxanneK says
June 18, 2015 at 6:16 pmThanks, Cathy. That garden sounds perfect! I’m beginning to love my shade gardens more than my sun filled garden.
Patti says
July 26, 2018 at 4:06 pmI too love my shade garden, unfortunately, so do the deer!!! I had the most beautiful hostas, all different varieties! I now have several areas of green stalks sticking up!!! I have found nothing that will deter them from eating all my beautiful leaves! Our backyard is fenced in with 4′
split rail, but they come over it like it is not even there!!!!!
Liz says
January 1, 2019 at 7:37 pmMy aunt used to use dried blood from the slaughter houses. Animals do not like the scent of blood, and stay away.
Stephanie @ Casa Watkins says
June 18, 2015 at 9:03 pmGreat tips Roxanne! I am so bad at gardening but I love the look of a well groomed garden. Thanks for sharing these tips. Ill be sure to save it to Pinterest for when I muster up the courage to garden. 🙂
Loni says
April 18, 2016 at 11:38 pmI have sweet woodruff and pachysandra growing as a ground cover around my hostas and astilbes. The sweet woodruff has taken off like crazy and the sweet white flowers are so pretty in spring.
Brenda says
April 20, 2016 at 4:34 pmHeuchera and Tiarella are one of my favorites for shade gardens because of the pop of color. Darker colors tend to tolerate a bit more sun. Hummingbirds love them. They don’t like wet feet and make great fall accents.
Willie says
December 8, 2018 at 4:15 pmI am 2 years into my flower garden and I love the Lillie’s. I have mostly sun and very little shade but I will try these in the shaded areas I do have. Thanks.