Things You'll Need:
- Horticulturist
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Step 1
Select semi-shade perennials according to their bloom schedule. Some semi-shade perennials, such as European ginger and day lilies, bloom in early spring. Others, such as astilbe, plumbago and loosestrife, bloom later in the summer and even into the fall. By coordinating your plantings, you can create color in your garden throughout the year.
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Step 2
Choose perennials for semi-shade areas based upon their ability to act as ground cover and to obscure bare areas in your garden. European ginger, plumbago, bergenia, barrenwort, sweet woodruff and marsh blue violets are all spreading pants that are especially effective at the bases of shrubbery and trees.
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Step 3
Find perennials that work well in a variety of exposures, ranging from full sun to shade. Solomon's Seal, primrose, loosestrife, big blue lobelia, coral bells and leopard's bane are the right perennials to select when the amount of shade changes throughout the day. Many of these perennials produce more prolific blooms, however, with increased exposure to the sun.
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Step 4
Select perennials that are less invasive and perform well when planted next to taller plants. Columbine, monkshood, hardy begonia, turtlehead, cohosh, Jacob's ladder, creeping polemonium, lungwort and lavender mist all perform well as border plants, accentuating the edges of flowerbeds where sunlight may be limited by the taller plants.
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Step 5
Consult with a local horticulturist at an outdoor nursery on how to select semi-shade perennials that do well in your particular climate zone. You may even view the horticulturist's portfolio for ideas on how to group these semi-shade perennials according to size, bloom schedule and ability to produce color with limited sunlight. Your local gardening society will also have tips on how to select the right perennials for your semi-shade locations. You may even be invited to the homes of local gardeners, which will help you to come up with ideas of your own.
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Step 6
Consult a book on the topic, such as "50 Best Perennials for Shade: Easy Plants for More Beautiful Gardens," by Frances Tenenbaum, available at Amazon.com (see Resources below).
