There’s nothing more relaxing than a quiet, shady corner of a garden. However, finding gardening ideas for areas with heavy shade can be a pain. Not every plant is suitable for dense shade.

Whether you want a lush outdoor reading nook or a winding tranquil path, here are five plants you can plant in heavy shade.

Brunnera

Brunnera plants are the answer to your shady garden blues. With glossy silver or white leaves and delicate blue blooms, they’re like a combination of a fern and a flower.

They’re a perennial that needs almost full shade and well-drained soil. Because of this, they’re great additions to flower beds on sides of houses or along shady garden paths. If your gardening ideas are limited by dense shade, the brunnera plant is your best friend.

Japanese Painted Ferns

Ferns are great, but they can be a little… boring. They’re green, leafy and do well in shade, but what if you want a little more personality?

Enter the Japanese painted fern. They range from bluish-green to silver and purple. If you need something to spice up the area under windows and around patios, the Japanese painted fern does well in heavy shade and well-drained soil.

Wax Begonias

Like you, harsh summer sun stresses wax begonias out. If you need something to fill a shaded garden bed on the side of your home, wax begonias are a lush, low and colorful choice.

They bloom in almost unrealistic shades of white, pink and red while their foliage ranges from glossy green to almost bronze. They come in perennial and annual varieties that do well in dense shade. With so many wax begonia types to choose from, there’s one out there that’s perfect for your gardening ideas.

Ligularia

The deep green and purple leaves of ligularia look beautiful under indirect sunlight. Their yellow, tower-like blooms look like rays of sun in the shade. Let’s paint the picture.

Imagine you have an outdoor kitchen ringed by beautiful rock walls. The shade from your trees or house makes it hard to add a splash of color. With ligularia blossoms peeking over the walls, your outdoor space will look like a fairy’s dream.

Coral Bells

Have you ever wanted a shady stone pond or waterfall teeming with wildlife and color? If so, coral bells are the shade-loving perennial for you.

They only need 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight, so they’re great to plant along the edge of woods. While their red, white or pink flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies, some varieties’ leaves change color with the season. Their leaves emerge in spring dazzlingly red, change to taupe in the hot summer and turn deep red in the fall.

Bring Gardening Ideas to Life With Every Season Landscaping

If you have shaded gardening ideas floating around in your head, let Every Season Landscaping of Savage, Minnesota, make them a reality. As a family-owned full-service landscaping service, we’re focused on the details. For year-round lawn care and hardscape or softscape features tailored to your home, contact us today.