Ten flowering plants for shady spots
Flowering plants for shady spots
Poke around the average garden and it won’t take you long to find a dark, dank, miserable patch of soil wallowing in self pity.
Every garden has one, some use it to place a composter, others a rusty wheel barrow, thats ok we all need a storage space!
What if:
It didn’t have to be like that?
I told you there were plants that love shade?
You already knew these plants and didn’t know they love shade too?
These plants were easy to find in Garden Centres?
Our favourite flowering plants for shady spots
Flowering shrubs that love shade
Many shrubs love shade, we think these are some of the best and what’s more all of them flower!
Shrubs provide structure to a planted border, bringing height and interest, without which gardens can look flat.
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Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ is a particular favourite of the shady gardener. Viburnum are versatile plants, they enjoy most soil conditions (provided it’s not boggy) and will thrive in full shade, partial shade and full sun. They are very hardy and evergreen!
Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ flower in spring, with clusters of small pink / white flowers which are slightly scented as a bonus, they then develop small shiny purple/black fruits for autumn interest.
Viburnums are easy to look after, just give them a light trim after flowering if needed to keep them the size you want. (potential height and spread 1.5m x 1.5m)
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Weigela are a great all round deciduous shrub, they enjoy most soil conditions (provided it’s not boggy) and will thrive in full shade, partial shade and full sun.
Weigela are very hardy and come in a wide variety of foliage and flower colours.
Weigela flower in late spring to early summer, with trumpet shaped flowers in shades from crisp whites to striking reds.
Weigela are easy to look after, just give them a light prune in light summer to ensure lots of blooms the following year.
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Mahonias make a striking addition to a shady border. They enjoy most soil conditions (provided it’s not boggy) and will thrive in full shade, partial shade and full sun.
Mahonia are very hardy, with spiky evergreen leaves and cluster spikes of scented yellow flowers in spring followed by black berries in autumn.
They respond well to hard pruning if they become sparse at the base, otherwise leave them be.
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Vinca minor are fantastic ground cover plants. They come in a few colours and most are evergreen.
Vinca are reliable ground cover or trailing plants and thrive in full shade, partial shade and full sun.
Vinca minor ‘Argenteovariegata’ is our favourite. It’s a fast growing, evergreen with shiny dark green and yellow edged leaves. Small purple flowers appear sporadically from spring through to autumn.
Herbaceous perennials that love shade
Herbaceous perennials are a diverse group of plants, some are evergreen, however most are deciduous, dying back over winter to virtually nothing, then bursting forth in spring to strut their stuff.
Herbaceous perennials are important to all gardens, they are the plants that bring variety to beds and borders. Here we have selected some of our favourites for a shady spot.
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Bergenia are a must have for the shady gardener. Bergenia are hardy, clump forming evergreen plants, they enjoy most soil conditions (provided it’s not boggy) and will thrive in full shade, partial shade and full sun.
Bergenia flower in spring, with erect clusters of bell shaped pink or white flowers. The large leathery, rounded leaves are dark green, sometimes tinged with red. The foliage can also turn dark red in winter as a bonus.
Our favourite is Bergenia Autumn Magic.
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Yes we did say Geraniums!
Many of the hardy herbaceous (cranes bill) geraniums thrive in shade, which is handy as they are available in many, many colours. Geraniums enjoy most soil conditions (provided it’s not boggy) and will thrive in full shade, partial shade and full sun. They are very hardy and come in a wide variety of foliage and flower colours.
Geraniums flower in late spring through summer, with pretty flowers in shades from crisp whites to deep blues, many with coloured veins and stripes.
Geraniums are easy to look after, cut them right back after they finish flowering and they will regrow and bloom again.
Our favourite is Brookside, however there are so many available it’s worth browsing.
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Heuchera make a striking addition to the shady border. They enjoy most soil conditions (provided it’s not boggy) and will thrive in full shade, partial shade and full sun.
Heuchera are hardy, with a breathtaking variety of colours available, from purple, to mottled greens, yellows, the variations are almost limitless, some produce delicate flowers, all are truly fascinating plants.
We have included a link to Heucheraholics to show the sheer variety.
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Pulmonaria are fantastic ground cover plants. They come in many colours and are semi evergreen. Pulmonaria thrive in full shade and partial shade.
Pulmonaria longifolia is our favourite. It’s semi evergreen with long dark green leaves spotted with silver and has clusters of dark blue flowers in spring. The leaves are particularly special through summer after the flowers are but a memory.
Climbing plants that love shade
Our last recommendation for a shady spot is Hydrangea Petiolaris.
This climbing hydrangea is deciduous, but it more than makes up for this, with its lush green leaves that turn yellow in autumn and massive (20cm) white pom pom flowers from July to August.
They can grow very big and are ideal if you have lots of space to cover, alternatively just prune them after flowering to fit the space.
Well there we go, that’s our flowering plants for shady spots!