Calhoun County, AL – If you are starting your first shade garden or you want to improve it, I am sharing my favorite plants. I started 7 years ago with hostas, elephant ears, ferns, caladiums, and coleus. I like Albo hostas because they are frost hardy to return every spring. Albo hostas are green leafed with a white edging. I added blue elegance hostas. Blue Elegance stays blue in a deeper shade, it gets greener with more light filtering in. Any type of elephant ears will be a plus in your shade garden. I planted Lady Ferns that are winter hardy, returning every year. Lady Ferns are up to two feet vertical with feathering lacy leaves. I buy any type of caladium, however, you will need to dig them up before a freeze. Caladiums come in several shades, sizes, and colors. Keep in mind that all your shade perennials will require a spring dose of snail bait pellets. Snails are zapped quickly by using snail bait pellets. I use colored, variegated annual coleus in the ground and potted. Coleus colors add great interest, soothing eye appeal to any shade garden. I also use potted bamboo in the shade garden. Bamboo canes are perfect in pots to control the roots’ spreading. If you like spreading bamboo, the choices are unlimited. The best investment in shrubs will be in using hydrangeas in the shade zone. Hydrangeas are perfect shade shrubs with interesting leaf colors and several sizes of blooms. A cheap method to create vertical walls in the shade garden is to use vines on trellises that face sunlight. The backside of the vines will help protect your shade plants. The success of your shade garden starts with a soil mixture that is rich in compost, plus mulching to hold moisture.
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She has been an organic gardener since 1998. The signature flower she grows is Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, a raised bed garden, and an in-ground garden. Both her surnames are from agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions, including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: bettyclark2151959@gmail.com
