You may live in a neighborhood dominated by huge shade trees,  or perhaps some spots shaded by buildings. 

 

With only two to three hours of sunlight, sun-lovers will struggle, but plants that like part shade will do well.

 

Usually, shade and part-shade plants will do best where they don’t get hot afternoon sun.

 

Here are some perennials to grow in lower light situations: astilbe, hosta, cranesbill, bleeding hearts, foxgloves, ferns, columbine, coral bells, goatsbeard, monkshood,

ajuga, and brunnera.  There are also shrubs that will thrive in shady areas such as:

select hydrangeas, viburnum, false spirea and euonymus.  

 

Remember that most perennial flowers and roses do best in full sun. That means at least six hours of full sun.
 

Drop in and we can help you find the right plant for the shady areas of your yard.

  Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea
This hot new hydrangea features enormous ball shaped deep pink flower heads starting in mid summer. They make excellent cut flowers! It can be grown in a full sun or a full shade location. It prefers a moist location, and should not allowed to dry out. I find that with a thick mulch applied in the late fall around the root area, it does quite well in our climate. It may take a while to get going in the spring, but is well worth the wait! I also love cutting the flower stocks and bringing them indoors for a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers!

Millennium Series Delphiniums "Pagan Purples"

The "new" Millennium series delphiniums are a very showy double flower. They are much more sturdy and do not require staking! It matures at about 5 feet tall, with a 18" spread. It grows best in full sun, and average to moist conditions. It  will it attract butterflies, and hummingbirds to your garden. It also makes a great cut flower!











Ghost Weigela

This plant really was a pleasant surprise! It had beautiful showy flowers from late spring to mid fall. It's foliage was dense and full from early spring till after the frost came. By fall the foliage had turned a ghostly white colour, which made a great contrast for the purple coral bells I planted in front of it! It prefers full sun, but did perform very well in part shade for me. A good layer of mulch was all that was required to bring it through our winter! It is best to prune it after it flowers to avoid cutting off next year's blooms. It also attracts hummingbirds while in bloom!











Sunsation Japanese Barberry

This plant starts off as a brilliant golden colored dense shrub, and turns into a bright orange color in the fall! It is very compact growing and matures at 3' high and 3' wide. Deers tend to avoid this plant because of the spikey thorns. I use this plant alot in shrub beds, for color and texture. It can grow in sun or part shade, dry conditions, or wet conditions. It will not tolerate standing water though. I have found that it can die back some if we have a harsh winter. But if you are patient it usually makes a full recovery. Mulching can protect it if we have a winter with little snow cover.





Smooth Sumac

If you have a large area that you need to fill in, this is a great option. It can grow 12' high, and 12' wide at maturity.
It starts of with exotic tropical looking dark green leaves, and turns to a brilliant scarlet by fall. It has green flowers in mid summer followed by scarlet fruits that are displayed in abundance right through to late winter. It is a feast for the eyes throughout the season! It will grow in full sun to partial shade, in dry or moist conditions. It will not tolerate standing water. I find it is slow to leave out in spring. But once it starts it seems to fill out within days.