How to Choose Plants for a Shade Garden

Shady gardens can be lovely!

If you are choosing plants for a shady spot in your yard, you'll want to take several factors into consideration. Here are some ideas for successful shade gardening, including a list of great plants and flowers to consider.

Things You'll Need

• internet access
• a shady spot in your garden!
• a budget for your project
• some suggested plants
• mulch

Instructions

1. Know Your Zone. The first thing you want to do is have an understanding of what planting zone you're in. This will affect which plants you choose, and ultimately how they will perform. If you visit the National Gardening Association at http://www.garden.org/zipzone/ you will be able to enter your zip code and learn which plant zone you live in. Most plants and seeds include a listing of plant zones in which they'll thrive.

2. Know your garden space. Larger garden areas can be overwhelming. If you have a large spot, separate the space into smaller areas. Consider doing a rough sketch of the area so you can determine how many plants to choose for each area of the new shade garden.

3. Know your shade plants. Here is a listing of some of the most popular shade plants to consider for your garden: Hosta, Ajuga, Ferns, Caladium, Bleeding Heart, Ivy, Holly, Mountain Laurel, Pachysandra, Lenten Rose, Rhododendron, Trillium, Astilbe, Foxglove, Primrose, Liriope, and many others. You can do a Google search on any of these and click "Images" at the top of your screen in order to see what the plants look like.

Tips & Warnings

• Visit websites like backyardgardener.com, garden.org and other gardening websites to see pictures of shade gardens- for inspiration!

• Consider visiting your local bookstore to purchase a book on shade gardens.