Best Choices for Colored Foliage in the Shade Garden
When it comes to designing a garden, choosing the right plants for the right spots can be a little daunting. You have to consider sizes, shapes, colors, textures, form and…
When it comes to designing a garden, choosing the right plants for the right spots can be a little daunting. You have to consider sizes, shapes, colors, textures, form and maintenance. However, once you have the perfect plants selected for the ideal areas within your yard, you can get started in creating the beautiful, thriving garden of your dreams.
As you begin selecting plants for the shady spots of your garden, remembering the effects that color can have. Planting dark-colored foliage in the shade can result in those areas resembling a black hole. (Also keep in mind that many purple-leaved plants need lots of bright sunlight to retain their best color. By planting in the shade, you risk duller, less vibrant hues.) Instead, choose plants with bright foliage—such as gold, silver or white—to highlight and brighten those shady spots within your garden.
Images: Top: 'Dancing Queen' hosta offers bright yellow foliage all season in shade. Bottom: 'Royal Wedding' hosta's crisp white edges add a spot of brightness to shady spaces.
Check out these helpful design and shade-gardening tips:
Flowering shrubs for shade gardens
Book review: Planting the Dry Shade Garden
Groundcovers for shade
Perennials for shade
What texture means in terms of plants and garden design
Images courtesy of PerennialResource.com.
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The Horticulture: Gardening In the Shade CD offers insightful strategies for gardening in the shade.
Learn how to grow a flourishing, beautiful shade garden with the Garden How-To University: Shade Gardening.
The Smart Gardening Guide: Problem Solving is a wonderful, downloadable PDF filled with design strategies and plant selections perfect for overcoming common garden challenges.
Garden Design with Rebecca Sweet is an exclusive value pack that includes key resources for improving your garden design.
Download Design Perspectives for insightful and sound advice for improving your overall landscape from noted garden designers, Susan Cohan and Rebecca Sweet.
