Shade Ideas, Tips & Guides

How to Grow Cowslip Cowslip (Primula veris) is a beautiful early-spring flower for shade. Learn how to grow it here! Cowslip Primula veris

How to Grow Coral Bells Coral bells bring colorful foliage and airy blossoms to any garden! Here's how to grow them. Add coral bells to your garden!

Spring Shade Garden Plan with Cowslip Fill your spring shade garden with cowslip, coral bells and bleeding heart! Enjoy spring blooms in shade with cowslip

Showy Shade Garden Ideas Create a beautiful shade garden with these plant combinations that showcase foliage and shade-blooming flowers. Planting ideas for your shade garden

Northern (also called upland, or inland) sea oats is native to Eastern North America, says the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, specifically “from PA south to n. FL, west as far as s. IL, e. KS, and central TX,” and into northern Mexico. It’s easy to grow, and some birds enjoy its seeds, as do small mammals. Me, too.Chasmanthium likes a semi-shady to shady spot where the soil is moist, and it can even take poor drainage. This is a low-maintenance plant suited to that hardest of spots–a shady slope—because sea oats forms strong, widening clumps, and also reseeds (some gardeners in certain locations say it does t

Hyacinthoides hispanica, or Spanish bluebells, used to be called Scilla, and also Endymion. I have some mixed colors (pink, white, pale blue) acquired by those names growing in quite-shady spots from eons ago, where they have just carried on with virtually no care. Lately, though, I wanted to make more of a deliberate show, and ‘Excelsior’ (a nice blue), at about 15 inches high, came highly recommended.Other Spanish bluebell plusses: Animals don’t eat them, they can tolerate a fair amount of shade, are very hardy (Zones 3-8), naturalize well (meaning they multiply and persist, so keep that in mind when placing them), and as mentioned require no care.The scaled-down Narcissus above called ‘Hawera’ (Zone 4-9) is animal proof (like all daffodils) and naturalizes easily, too. Each 6-to-8-inch-high stem produces multiple fragrant pale yellow nodding flowers with tiny cups. Its delicate stature is deceptive; this is one tough little bulb

With A Way to Garden and Loomis CreekSaturday, September 11, 8:30am-1 pmRAIN DATE: Sunday, September 12This hands-on workshop offers participants practical approaches for designing, planting and rejuvenating a shade border.It’s been a challenging hot, dry summer in the Hudson Valley; fall is a great time for planting. Come learn and share with us. Light breakfast refreshments at Margaret’s is included, and gives us a chance to get acquainted and see what the gro

Thankfully, for the latter areas, I have old clumps of lower-light plants to divide, including those in this new slideshow of my top 54 shade subjects. I included some woodland-garden shrubs and trees for those seeking to manufacture some shade of their own—or wanting to add more understory structure to what nature has provided.a mostly alphabetical tour of 54 favorites for shadeplant profiles of shade subjectsPerennialsAstilboides tabularis Aralia cordata and Aralia racemosa Cimicifuga, or Actaea, racemosa Dicentra ‘Gold Heart’ Epimedium Ferns:Japanese painted, and Autumn fern plus a wider range

MY GARDEN, LIKE MOST (and like the assortment at the garden center), is a jumble of non-native and native plants. But at the moment of early spring, a half-dozen Eastern wildflowers take my breath away. In a slideshow, six easy, captivating natives for the woodland or shade garden.Follow each plant’s name (the green links) to a full plant portrait, with all the details.Twinleaf, Jeffersonia diphylla: Delicate and fleeting white flowers, but I love this plant from the moment it emerges from the ground, all purple-bronze (thanks to pigments called anthocyanins—read about why plants disguise themselves with non-green pigments in early spring).

Your Urgent Garden Questions have been arriving in blog comments, on Facebook, and in emails, and we’ve rounded up the most representative ones to tackle today, in the monthly Q&A episode of the program. (All past editions of our Q&As together are at this link.)Ken, an award-winning garden photographer and author of more books than I can count, including “The New Shade Garden” and “Making More Plants,” produced his own “Real Dirt” podcast for 10 years, all available on KenDruse dot com (and on iTunes, too).Let’s dig right in:Read along as you listen to the April 24, 2107 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).Oh, an

The selection is unlike in the early 1990s, when Ken published his first big shade-garden book and most people knew maybe two, hostas and astibles. Then, gardeners cursed shady areas of their yards as a liability to be eliminated instead of a refuge to be celebrated and expanded upon.Ken has been called the “guru of natural gardening” by “The New York Times,” but I just call him my old friend and the longtime master of the shade, and I’m was glad to welcome him back to my public-radio program to talk about making gardens in th

Karen Perkins has since 2009 owned Garden Visions Epimediums, a small retail mail-order nursery located in rural central Massachusetts, and founded in 1997 by Darrell Probst. She’s also open for visits and in-person shopping a couple of spectacular weeks each May during Epimedium peak season.Read along as you listen to the March 11, 2019 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).epimediums for shade gardens, with karen perkinsQ. I wish

And extra good news: For those subscribing or listening to the podcast version instead of ion live radio, each month’s Q&A show will be longer than a normal broadcast—like a doubleheader with bonus minutes, so we can get to even more of your questions if you subscribe free on Stitcher or iTunes. Part 2 of the first call-in program—where we talked more about peas, and took questions on gardening under black walnuts, growing strawberries in pots, and badly pruned hydrangeas, is at this link.Ken, an award-winning garden photographer and author of more books than I can count, including “The New Shade Garden” and “Making More Plants,” produced his own “Real Dirt” podcast for 10 years, until summer 2016. The Real Dirt podcast archive and much more from Ken is available on the newly re-launched website KenDruse dot com…and is still

You all know Ken Druse, author and photographer of 20 garden books and a daring gardener and plant propagator. He spoke to me from his garden among the trees in New Jersey to talk about oh-so-carefully tucking small things in among tree roots, about creating a bit more light with artful pruning, some favorite plants and more.Plus: Enter to win a copy of his 2015 book “The New Shade Garden” (affiliate link) by commenting in the box near the bottom of the page.Read along as you listen to the January 17, 2022 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).shade-garden tips with ken druse

Ken is a familiar voice here at A Way to Garden, one of my longest gardening friendships and the author of 20 garden books, including “The New Shade Garden: Creating A Lush Oasis In The Age Of Climate Change” (affiliate link). He gardens in New Jersey, mostly in the shade, which is our subject today.Plus: Enter to win a copy of Ken’s shade book by commenting in the box near the bottom of the page.Read along as you listen to the Aug. 1, 2022 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTune

Spending time outside is generally good for you, even if you're just lazily lounging in your own backyard. The sun and heat can also be overbearing at times, generating intense heat and harmful radiation that chases many people indoors on otherwise beautiful summer days. Adding shade elements to your garden and around your home and windows can provide cooler spaces and can even lower your energy bill.

By the time we get to the summer months, the leafy canopy overhead has closed in and shady spots in the garden are even darker. Spring flowers such as wood anemones and bulbs including snowdrops and bluebells have died back and vanished underground. Happily, there are some shade-loving plants that will flower in summer. We asked head gardener Phil Cormie, currently at the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, to pick his top 10 flowers for shade in summer.

By the time we get to the summer months, the leafy canopy overhead has closed in and shady spots in the garden are even darker. Spring flowers such as wood anemones and bulbs including snowdrops and bluebells have died back and vanished underground. Happily, there are some shade-loving plants that will flower in summer. We asked head gardener Phil Cormie, currently at the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, to pick his top 10 flowers for shade in summer.

Do you have a patch in your garden that falls under shade for the most part of the day? You may be wrong if you think it is a useless space and you cannot grow anything. Check out the Vegetables that Grow in the Shade in our article on Best Shade Loving Vegetables. 

Shade is welcome most of the year in the Southwest, but too much shade can limit other options. Larger-leaved trees can cast dense shade, and when their leaves drop, extracting them from spiny desert companions can be difficult. However, many ornamental plants that thrive in the Southwest actually appreciate the bright dappled shade cast by the light open canopy of desert trees. This provides ideal conditions for succulents in the genera Aloe, Aeonium, Echeveria, and Agave, as well as cacti such as flowering Echinopsis hybrids.

It took me far too long to discover the beauty and special quality of the shade garden. Since I’ve always been into those tough, hard-scrabble plants that eke out a living in any condition, the idea of a garden full of particular and at times sensitive plants was not of interest to me.But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve discovered a keen appreciation for these gar

Shady gardens not only add texture and dimension to your garden, but they also thrive in shady areas. So, let’s get into the top picks for the Best Ornamental Grasses for Shade.

Many gardeners are fans of hydrangeas, hard-working shrubs with enormous blossoms and easy care ways. Hydrangeas are incredibly tolerant of different growing conditions as long as they have well-draining soil and the occasional drink.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you are growing an edible landscape,

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Do you have an area of your g

When gardeners talk about shade, they often do so in a negative context, taking about shade as something to cope with or overcome. Good garden design recognizes, however, that shade can also be a good thing.

Shady areas can be challenging to grow in, but filling low-light areas with shade ground cover plants is a great low-maintenance option for gardeners. Thankfully there are a surprising number of options when it comes to shade-loving ground covers. In this article, I’ll introduce you to my favorites, along with sharing some quick tidbits of info on establishing these ground-hugging plants.

Succulents are the most trendy plants. All of them are easy to grow, low maintenance and showy. They grow best in warm conditions and full sun. However, there are Succulents that Grow in Shade. We’ve added 22 of them that you can grow indoors or in shady corners of your garden!

Botanical Name:  Begonia spp

If you don’t have a sunny garden but still want to grow roses, then fret not! Here are some gorgeous Roses that Bloom in Shade for you!

Not all homes enjoy full sunlight. If you too have a spot at your home or garden that looks gloomy in the shade, then don’t worry! These Ornamental Plants for Shade are going to thrive in dappled sunlight and will look at their best all year round!

If your garden is devoid of ample sunlight, then don’t worry. Grow these Shade Loving Ground Covers to beautify your landscape!

Begonias have gained much popularity because of the striking foliage and equally amazing flowers. There are around 1000 species, coming in a myriad of colors, sizes, and shapes! You can adorn your gardens with these wonderful specimens or place indoors near a bright spot and see them thrive! Here’re some of the best begonia types you can grow!

Check out our step-by-step guide on How to Make a Lamp Shade of Twigs and showcase it on the patio or in your garden. Also, don’t forget the list of some awesome DIY Lamp Shades!

Would you like to experiment? In theory, plants such as tomatoes, peppers, strawberries or those that set fruits need a lot of sun in order to provide juicy fruits. They grow sometimes in less sunny positions but it’s hard for them to bear fruits in shade.

Whether you prefer delicate flowers, bold foliage, or a combination of both, there are perennials that can meet your gardening needs. Read on to learn more about Perennials for Shade That Bloom all Summer.