A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Need idea's for planting colorful flowers in mostly shade

Hi all!
I'm pretty much an amature when it comes to gardening so bear with me
We just got new sod put in our front yard and there along the deck, is shaded except for about 2 hours in the mornings.(hope my picture works!) I had the guy just put down bark so I can plant some flowers. It will be watered plenty. I'd kind of like to keep the flower plants short (up to about 1 foot)...I want the kind that comes back every year (thats called perennials right?) I was wondering if you might give me some ideas for a lot of color? we live in southern Oregon, so not sure what zone we are? also, that hill there with bark along the driveway, is just the opposite (hard to keep watered!) and I wont worry about that part until after I get the shady part done there by the deck.

Hi TJ
I think that spot would look nice with Hosta's and Impatiens. I also like Astilbe, Columbine, Bleeding Hearts and Browallia for shade. Looks good...wish my grass was green! I just got rid of the last of the snow!

Gardening in the shade

Plants for partial shade

Plants for full shade

Groundcovers for the shade

Trees and shrubs for the shade

Thank you Netty & Bill!
Netty, are the flowers that you mentioned the kind that come back every year?

Impatiens and Browallia are annuals but flower all season for a good splash of color. The others all come back every year but flower for shorter periods.

Thank you so much! I have them written down and will get some this week. I Cant wait

Here's a pic of a small section of the flowers that I just planted along the other side of the driveway up in the railroad-tie planters. We are going to get the driveways paved sometime this spring also, and that will really perk up the looks.

I LOVE THAT BED!!

One looks like a primrose, that'll come back every year, if it's happy..

One looks like Bellis English Daisys'...
those can be tempermental/biennial type..
but will reseed for you..
*they like a poorer type soil*

And lot's of pansy's... that kind of plant is on
my top ten flowers.. they are so delicate....

TJ, I like your landscaping and your flower bed. Good job! I have hostas, ferns, Coral Bells, lily of the valley, Bleeding Heart, and Astilbe in my shade garden. I know the hostas and fern don't add much color, but I learned to love

there is a japanese painted fern that might like that area.

what a great area..creeping phlox does pretty good for a border. Everyone beat me to the great ones

Thank you! when I get the new plants in I will get a picture of it. Should be this week sometime.

Weezie, I looked at all your pictures, they are awesome! Thay made my spring fever kick into 100%!

YAYYYYYYYY! I got all my plants and going out to get them in the ground today. (even though it's sorta sprinkling hehe)..pictures to follow!!!!!

welp, it realy started pooring and I still have two 6" pots to plant then four 4" ones tomorrow 'then' I'll get a picture. It's looking sooo good!! ........although, guess what I did? I thought the azalia would be pretty to, so I planted it "then" I read that it can get 5' tall oh well, I'll trim it back I guess, lol.

TJ, Did you tell us what plants you got so far???

here's a picture of the cards that came with them to show the colors.


here's a pic I took before it started pooring...


I have more that I bought to put in that section, but I'm thinking that might be enough for there, what do you think??

I really love the look of the columbine so I got 3. That smaller looking one is the hosta, about 5 or 6 of them in the pot.

FYI,
Here's a picture of my Dicentra/Bleeding Heart..

Take your arms/hands, and stretch them out about
say, 5ft/6ft... that's how wide mine is..
**Mind you I haven't done anything with it, like divide it or anything since I planted it..
But those puppies can get BIG**

I LOVE,


I don't have a picture of my hosta's, but you can
stretch your arms out 5ft also for that measurements for that plant...

You've got some good sized plants in a small area..

Wow Now those are Big can't wait till mine are as big as those weezie!! must be all that compost!!!

sheesh!!!!! Oh well, I'll just let them grow. If it comes over the porch or the lawn too much I suppose I can clip them back.

Compost is about the only thing they get
now adays...
I think I watered that bed twice last year..
*(that's the "Back 40 Bed")*

They are beautiful, they look like you tend to them everyday! ......hmmmm, maybe I should get into making some compost

Tend to them every day..
I am lucky to pass by that side in the back...
about 3 or 4 times A SUMMER...

I'm in the middle, doing the veggie garden and
in the greenhouse and composting...
then its 15 different ways now adays..

The columbines are just neglected...
I let them go..
They reseed and reseed..
*They were my Grannies..*

I had some light pink one's from here, and I felt sooo bad.. that when I went to get them (on her old property) they were gone/lost...

And a great little suprise, where I live here now, *well, I should back up, I like to let things grow, especially weeds, and I reconized some assorted columbines, but my husband kept weed wackin' them off, so I never knew what color they were...
so I fired his butt from that chore... the first year I got a flower, THEY WERE BABY PALE PINK !!

Long story, but they take care of themselves..
*I grow alot of plants that HAVE to be that way*

Here's the pink ones'..

Heres' some more in the Back 40 Bed
in the shade...*(full sun from 11:00am to 3:00pm)

[img]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/P1010025abc.bmp[/img]

I'm so jealous!!!!!!! I love your stuff!!
here's a picture of one of my favorites, but whats it called? lol!!!!!! I threw the plastic thingy's away

English Daisy (Bellis Perennis)

They are veryyyyyyy pretty...
*they are a perennial, but can be short lived..
just so you know... but they do reseed...*