Wonderful Shade Gardens

It’s that amazing time again!  Spring!  In my yard, it time to look for the fairies and prepare the soil for the upcoming May planting.


When I first moved to my house, I worried about my property with its mature trees and abundance of shade.  Then, with notebook in hand, I visited the library, researched on the internet and spoke to my local farmers and came up with a list of great shade-loving plants and flowers.

I came to learn to love my shady areas more than any other place in my garden. When my children were younger, before they became cool teenage boys, they claimed it’s where the fairies lived.  I’m certain they were correct!

Here are some of my favorites for my shade-loving areas in my yard.

Hostas: I always start out with planting one of my favorites called funkia or commonly known as Hostas. These shade-loving perennials can add spice and mystery to your garden.  They come in dozens of shapes, sizes and colors.  (Great for plating zones 3-8).

Ferns: While there are many varieties, please check with your local gardening center to see which grows best in your area.  For my garden, I have chosen the ostrich fern, which is hardy and easy to grow.  (Great for zones 2-8).

Solomon’s Seal: a native root to the eastern United States, the unassuming flowers can add touches of color to your garden.  They attract bees and hummingbirds, and appear to repel deer.  (Great for zones 5-9).

Impatiens: My shade garden would be incomplete without the pretty colors of the “Touch-me-not” as impatiens are known here in North America.  They come in a huge selection of colors and will truly spice up any shade garden. (Great for zones 9-11).

In my shade garden I start with preparing the soil with peat moss and composted manure.  The soil should be moist but not soggy.  This will spread disease.  Decide which type of shade you have:  full shade, partial shade and medium shade.  Then, get your pad and paper out and explore the colorful magickal shade garden that you can create.

This is only a short list of foliage that can be planted in the shade.  There are so many more options, such as Lady’s Mantle, Meadowsweet, Snapdragons, Winter Creeper and so much more.  Get your pad and pen out and explore the amazing garden you can grow under the cool guise of the shade.