Most people think that shade loving perennials are hard to grow but that is simply not the case. In this post, I will show you 7 shade loving plants that should be used in every shade garden. The first and my favorite shade loving perennial is Heuchera, also known as coral bell. Coral Bells can be silver, green, purple, burgundy, chartreuse, peach and many other colors. Heuchera likes well drained soil but can grow in Virginia's clay soil. They can tolerate up to 6 hours of sun but love to be in the shade. My favorite varieties include palace purple, sweet tea and electric lime. You can't go wrong with this perennial!
My second favorite shade loving perennial is Astilbe "Visions". Astilbes love partial to full shade. They are great in containers or bordering plant beds. They bloom raspberry, showy plumed flower spikes in midsummer. Other varieties that I like are Rheinland, Sprite and Bridal Veil. There are many colors to choose from.
Next, Hostas come in different sizes, colors and varieties. Hosta's can be planted under trees and shrubs and can be used to make a bold and dramatic change to a shade loving garden. Hostas form a tight circular mound and in mid summer the have spikes that are white, lavender or pink. The best part is their foliage that can be variegated, speckled, or striped. Their leaf colors range from greens, blues, golds, yellows, and whites. There range from miniature to giant in size. My favorite Hostas are Francee, Kiwi Spearmint Hosta, Autumn Frost Hosta and Frances William Hosta.
Fourth, Tiarella Cordifolia also know as The Foamflower. The green or variegated foliage makes a show in early spring. Foamflowers are evergreen in most climates and bloom a creamy bottlebrush flower. My favorite variety is Sugar & Spice and Cutting Edge.
The fifth shade loving perennial is Hellebores also known as Lenten Rose or the Christmas Rose is the first perennial that blooms through the snow to tell us spring is coming. I call it the hope plant because when it starts to bloom, I know that warm weather is around the corner. A few varieties that I like are Red Lady, Pink Lady and Winter Queen. A perennial must for a shady garden!
Pulmonaria, also known as Lungwort. This plant is deer resistant, as well as most blue and purple perennials. It blooms in the early spring unique salmon pink buds which transition to rich blue flowers. Its attractive foliage with silver speckling dusts on green leaves can be enjoyed after the spring flowers are finished. A few varieties I like are Raspberry Splash and Mrs. Moon.
Last, Lamium Maculatum also known as Dead Nettle is a deer resistant groundcover for partial shade to complete shade areas. It can be grown in normal to clay soil. My favorite Lamium is Beacon Silver which has silvery-white leaves with green edges and small pale pink flowers in the spring.
Join me next week on building raised beds for my vegatable gardens. Also checkout Sun loving perennials.
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