When you think about shade gardens, what comes to mind? Green, green, and more green? Well think again! It’s time to think outside the box and turn your plain ol’ shady spots into beautiful fountains of color and texture.
First of all, let’s talk about the advantages of creating a shade garden. True, the plant palette is a bit more limited than a sun garden. However, because of the lower light level, weeds won’t take over like they would in the sun. You also don’t have to worry about the soil drying out as quickly. And thanks to modern plant breeders, there is a wonderful array of varieties that will add a bright splash of color for shade gardens.
When creating a shade garden, keep in mind that there are three levels of interest. The canopy is the tall skeleton of your area that provides the structure and shade for your garden. In many cases, the canopy is already established if you’re planning your shade garden in a woodland setting. To keep the topography interesting, you’ll then want to look at your understory, where you’ll put your large perennials, shrubs, and small trees, such as bleeding hearts, rhodendrums, and Japanese maples. And finally, the ground floor is the area where you will add your ground covers and low-growing plants, such as hostas, coral bells, and lily-of-the-valley.
So now let’s look at three must-haves for every shade garden. These are easy-care plants that will provide reliable color and texture year after year.
Hefner's Red Japanese Maple
The first is a wonderful unique Japanese Maple called Hefner’s Red Japanese Maple (No, not Hugh!). From Hefner’s Nursery in North Carolina, this is a wonderful foundation tree with deep burgundy leaves and an upright, elegant growth habit. Great for both sunny and shady spots, this beauty will provide a brilliant focal point in the understory of your woodland garden.
Royal Hellebore Mix
Hellebores, or Lenten roses, are such a wonderful way to start the blooming season, as they begin to provide beautiful bloom color as early as late winter. And they thrive in the shade with evergreen foliage. Our Royal Hellebore Mix is great for highlighting showy flowers in a variety of hues, all guaranteed to thrive in your garden.
Younique Silvery Pink Astilbe
If you’ve ever experienced the vibrant pop of color that a plume of astilbe can provide, you’ll be hooked! This gorgeous perennial creates bright plumes in shades of pink, purple, peach, and white year after year. In addition to creating great color and texture to the shade garden, they’re also stunning in floral arrangements! Try our Younique line of astilbe, such as the beautiful Younique Silvery Pink Astilbe. So what are you waiting for? With just a few easy-care additions, you can easily jazz up your shade garden with season-long color that will brighten up your whole space.
Remember—gardening is simply playing in the dirt with a purpose. So go out there and have fun!