My shady border looks good for longer than anywhere else in the garden. And it’s less work!
A shady border doesn’t get as many weeds. And when plants flower in a shade, they stay in flower for longer.
Plus, of course, there’s much less watering in a hot, dry summer. I have never watered any plant in my shady border and they have all survived some exceptionally hot dry spells without wilting or scorching.
If you look up ‘plants for shade’, you usually will see barely repressed pity for those with shady gardens or borders. The implication is usually that this is the ‘difficult’ part of your garden, and that you will struggle to make it even look acceptable…if only all borders could be in full sun, our gardens would be perfect…
But there are thousands of plants which are happy in shade or partial shade. And the bonus of less work is hard to ignore.
I’ve spent 10+ hours weeding the sunny border this year, and it’s still bursting with weeds. They come back vigorously to enjoy the sunshine. The shady border does have weeds in it, but they are slower growing.
In which border do flowers last longer? While my sunny border flowers go over at astonishing speed, the shade garden side offers a long, leisurely season of enjoyment. At the moment, the shady border has Solomon’s seal, saxifrage ‘London Pride’ and lily of the valley in flower, while the last hellebores are just going over.
And for later season plants that bloom for a long time, see 18 long flowering plants that bloom from summer until frost.
And which border is best all-year round? Definitely the shady one, as far as I’m concerned.
I was originally going to call this ‘the best plants for a shade garden’ or some such, but the more research I did on plants that were suitable for shady gardens, the longer the list grew. It’s much, much too long for one post.
But, just for starters: lamium, hydrangeas, tiarellas, astilbe, Japanese Anemone (esp Honorine Joubert), skimmia, cyclamen, alchemilla mollis, acanthus mollis, hardy geraniums, ferns, hellebores, persicaria, eupatorium…
The fact is that some plants do better in full sun and others in shade or part-shade. Either way, your choice of plant is restricted by aspect. You will generally see more plants for ‘full sun’ in plant brochures, but a friend of mine thinks that’s a bit like the label on clothes that says ‘dry clean only.’ It’s generally ‘safer’ advice.
I’ve got a group of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ who absolutely adore my ‘full shade’ border. I’ve tried to relocate them to where they’re supposed to be – in full sun – but they keep coming back. Oddly enough, however, they don’t like either of the semi-shady beds. I think plants just don’t read their own labels sometimes…
The most difficult area in a garden is dry shade, I will admit that! So see how to choose plants for dry shade here.
Partial shade can be a tricky lighting condition when planning flower beds and borders. Unlike full sun or deep shade these dappled “in-between” spots require plants that can thrive with only about 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily. The good news is many gorgeous perennials actually prefer partial shade and will flourish beautifully in these areas. With the right plant selection it’s easy to create striking borders that add vibrance, texture and blooms.
Here are 15 of the best border plants for partial shade
1. Astilbe
With fluffy, featherlike plumes of flowers in white, pink, red and purple, astilbe adds airy color impact where brighter sun-lovers struggle. The graceful, fern-like foliage also provides wonderful texture contrast. Give astilbe rich, consistently moist soil for the best blooms. Deadheading spent flowers encourages more blossoms.
2. Coral Bells
Coral bells offer more than just charming bell-shaped blooms. The foliage comes in a stunning range like burgundy, chartreuse and silvery blue. Plant in masses along the border for brilliant pops of color. The long-lasting blooms make gorgeous cut flowers too.
3. Japanese Forest Grass
The slender, gracefully arching blades of this Asian-inspired ornamental grass form green and white variegated mounds. Japanese forest grass spreads nicely to cover area along partially shaded borders.
4. Candytuft
Candytuft bursts forth vigorously with clusters of white or pink blooms starting in late spring. The neat evergreen foliage maintains structure and shape after the blossoms fade. Lightly trim back spent flowers to keep plants compact.
5. Yellow Archangel
Also called yellow creeping Charlie, this trailing plant offers cheery chartreuse leaves and cute little purple flowers. It will cascade nicely along borders or soften the edges of garden paths. Cut back if growth becomes too exuberant.
6. Siberian Bugloss
With electric blue blooms dancing on tall, slender stems above clumps of hairy green foliage, Siberian bugloss brings a lovely pop of color to dappled border spots. Remove spent blooms to encourage repeat flowering into summer.
7. Lungwort
One of the earliest bloomers, lungwort starts brightening shady beds and borders as early as February with clusters of pink and blue blooms. The unique silver-spotted foliage adds year-round interest. Plant in drifts along borders and pathways.
8. Lamium
Lamium offers showy silver, burgundy or chartreuse foliage and whorls of tubular pink and white blooms on short flower stalks. Good edger choices include ‘White Nancy’ and ‘Anne Greenaway’. Trim back by half after the main flush of spring flowers finishes.
9. Lenten Rose
Starting late winter large rose-like flowers in pink, white, purple and yellow open on the hardy evergreen foliage. Plant lenten roses along woodland borders or feature in containers. They’re one of the first blooms of spring.
10. Japanese Painted Fern
Valued for their ornamental fronds painted with hues of red, silver and purple, painted ferns are ideal for the front of borders thanks to their short stature. Rich, moist soil helps these woodland beauties thrive.
11. Foamflower
Foamflower produces frothy spikes of delicate white blooms dancing above lush green foliage. It’s fantastic for softening the edges of paths or filling in along borders, spreading nicely to form a dense carpet in moist woodland soil.
12. Dead Nettle
An early spring bloomer, dead nettle offers cheery pink or purple blooms atop attractive gray-green foliage. It spreads at a moderate rate, with the stoloniferous habit quickly filling any empty spots along the border.
13. Alchemilla Mollis
With scalloped, velvety chartreuse leaves and sprays of tiny yellow blooms, lady’s mantle provides wonderful texture and color. Use it to full effect along border fronts and rambling into pathways. Trim off spent blooms to encourage more flowers.
14. Bleeding Heart Vine
A climbing cousin of the old-fashioned bleeding heart flower, this vine shows off rows of red and white heart-shaped blooms from spring to fall once established. It can grow up to 10 feet tall against fences or trellises.
15. Columbine
Columbines produce elegant, nodding blooms in a variety of bicolors like red and yellow that seem to dance above the lobed green leaves. Best in cooler climates, plant in rich, moist but well-drained soil.
Design Tips for Partial Shade Borders
- Use foliage color and texture for interest since flowers are fewer
- Incorporate evergreen choices like coral bells for year-round structure
- Mass plantings of one variety together create greater impact
- Edge borders with spreading choices like candytuft and dead nettle
- Add height with mid-border plants like Siberian bugloss
- Include a few trailing plants like bleeding heart vine
Caring for Partial Shade Border Plants
- Water regularly, especially during droughts
- Apply compost or organic fertilizer annually
- Cut back by 1/3 after the main flush of spring blooms
- Prune wayward growth as needed
- Mulch annually with 2-3 inches of organic matter
- Dig and divide overcrowded clumps every 3-4 years
- Group plants with similar needs to simplify care
With smart plant choices like astilbe, coral bells and candytuft, it’s easy to create vibrant borders in partial shade. Use leaf shapes and colors to add interest since flowers are fewer. Maintain moist, fertile soil and trim back spent blooms to keep plants looking their best. A thoughtfully designed border allows these plants to shine and bloom beautifully, even with only 4-6 hours of direct sun.
Do you actually need MORE shade in your garden?
As two friends and I were going round the wonderful Jardin Agapanthe in Northern France, we all mused that we needed more shade in our garden.
Le Jardin Agapanthe is an example of a garden where the owner deliberately created shade – it could have been an open expanse of sunny and colourful borders.
But the owner has deliberately planted a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees to create a mysterious and magical effect. It’s a layered plantaholic’s delight and one of the most romantic gardens I’ve ever seen.
Garden design inspiration for a shady border
There are several garden design themes you can use for a shady border or area of your garden. Or even your whole garden if it’s in the shade.
Many exotic plants are shade-loving because a jungle is quite a shady place. There’s a growing fashion for ‘exotic’ or jungle gardens, particularly in city gardens which are often surrounded by houses and quite shady.
If you want a jungle garden and don’t have lots of shade, you’ll need to think about creating more shade. A jungle is layered, with only the tallest trees getting full sun.
Those who create exotic gardens in temperate climates make excellent use of shade-loving plants to create a lush atmosphere. See Philip Oostenbrink’s tiny shady courtyard with its brilliant jungle garden theme.
Stumperies are another design feature you could use in a shady border or area. A stumpery is a group of tree stumps, logs and associated wood, set out in a sculptural way to show off the beauty of the roots, bark or other aspects of a dead tree.
A stumpery is brilliant for wildlife. And if you have a part of the garden that really does seem too shady for a border, it’s worth considering a stumpery. They can work in both small and large gardens. Find out more about how to create a stumpery here.
There are more shade garden design options in 10 shady corner ideas – and two to avoid!
10 Best Perennials for Partial Shade – Lush, Colorful, and Easy to Grow!
FAQ
What is a shade-loving border plant?
If you have dry shade, be sure to check plants like Brilliance Autumn fern, grassy Carex pensylvanica, miniature Hosta ‘Mini Skirt’, and Saxifraga stolonifera. If you are looking for flowering shade plants, check out Lamium ‘Chequers’, Gentiana ‘True Blue’, Phlox procumbens ‘Variegata’, and Meehania cordata.
What plants work well in partial shade?
- Soapwort (Saponaria)
- Golden Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha)
- Little Treasure Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha v. chaplinei)
- Coral Bells (Heuchera)
- Bluebells (Campanula)
- ‘Siskiyou Blue’ Fescue Grass (Festuca)
- Red Flowered Lamb’s Ear (Stachys coccinea)
- ‘Marion Sampson’ Scarlet Monardella.
What plants are good for narrow shady borders?
For shady spots, an assortment of ferns is perfect for greening up the soil. If your border is at the base of a wall or fence, the soil may well be dry. For dry shade, go for ferns like Dryopteris affinis, Asplenium scolopendrium and Polypodium vulgare.
What are the best low maintenance border plants?
- Alchemilla. …
- Liriope. …
- Rudbeckia. …
- Hardy geraniums. …
- Heuchera. …
- Choisya ternata. Year-round interest. …
- Juniperus communis. Low-spreading evergreen shrub. …
- Plomis. Drought-resistant and architectural.
What are the best border plants for partial shade?
Here are 15 ideal border plants for partial shade areas: 1. Astilbe With plumes of flowers in white pink red and purple, Astilbe adds airy color impact. The fern-like foliage offers wonderful texture as well. Give Astilbe medium to moist soil for best blooms. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage more. 2. Coral Bells
Which flowers are best for a shaded garden?
Violas are ideal for borders, containers, or as ground cover, offering versatility in garden design. Their resilience and beauty ensure a delightful addition to any shaded garden. 24. Rhododendron Large flowers can create a dramatic effect in gardens. Rhododendrons, with their showy blooms, are perfect for adding color to shaded areas.
How much sun does a partial shade plant need?
Partial shade presents unique challenges when planning borders and beds. Neither consistently sunny nor deeply shaded, these “in between” spots require plants adapted to both. The good news is many perennials thrive with around 4-6 hours of sunlight daily. Here are 15 ideal border plants for partial shade areas: 1. Astilbe
What makes a good border plant?
A great border plant must be of a scale to fit within the overall landscape plan. It should stay in place without constant pruning. It must be suitable for the location and should not have acute pest or disease problems. The texture and color should complement the garden space. Check out these 20 plants to use as lawn and garden borders. 1.
What color should a shade border be?
When it comes to foliage plants, don’t be afraid to integrate every color of green into your shade border, using bright greens to the darkest olive greens. Light colored leaves, variegated foliage, or those with cream or white margins illuminate the shade border while medium tones are neutral, easing the transition between contrasting colors.
What are the different types of border plants?
Evergreen border plants, like a swooping line of formal boxwood, usher you right there. Flowering shrubs (hydrangeas and rhododendrons) and evergreen shrubs stand tall in dramatic fashion, while low-growing and low maintenance border plants like lamb’s ear, impatiens, and catmint hug the ground. Perennial border plants show off year after year.