What to Grow in a Garden with Lots of Shade

I have been poking around gardens my whole life. When we moved into our current home, my husband the engineer was in charge of rehabbing the old farmhouse. I was in charge of getting the land shipshape. So I spent the first six months hauling out debris with my yard cart and discovering old flower beds. After that I pretty much knew the shady spots from the sunny spots and everything in the middle. Well you might be more lucky and not have so much clean-up to do. However that means you might not have an idea of how much sun various parts of your garden get.

Listen to John Peters and Kimberly Bird from Calloway's Nursery in Texas, discuss why a shade calculator is so important. It's certainly handy if you're new to your yard. But landscape is always changing. The first thing I did was add lots of trees to our yard. So over the last few years the shade to sun ratio has been increasing.

In the Spring I do use a shade calculator to get a clear idea of where I need to put plants that require full shade or partial shade. I only plant full-shade perennials in stable shade areas that I know will be shady. Of course sometimes Mother Nature takes out a tree or two with a hurricane or blizzard. But I do my best to minimize the cost of needless replanting.

Shade gardens tend to be very soothing because of the dark green colors of some shade plants, the cooler temperature, and the darker light in general. But don't believe for a minute that your shade has to be all green. Hosta plants, the most basic and hardy of shade plants come in a variety of color. Although I do love using dark green hosta plants as the canvas for my shade gardens.

Calladium plants have stunning foliage in vibrant red, pink, green and white. While they love the shade they also love water, so be prepared to spend some time keeping them watered.

Impatiens are the perfect beginner gardener shade plant. They'll add a bright red color to your shade garden. If you're always wondering what to grow in a garden, then impatiens are the plant for you. If your patio is shady or you just want some bright color at eye level. Consider a hanging basket of impatiens. You can use a plant stand on your patio or hang a basket brimming with impatiens from a tree!

Fuschia is another vibrant plant that has exotic shaped blooms in red, pink and purple. It also can be planted on the ground or in a hanging basket.