When planning your garden or figuring out where you’ll place your potted plants and flowers, chances are you look for somewhere sunny. After all, plants and flowers need light to survive, right? While yes, the sun is probably a factor that you’ve associated with healthy plants and flowers since you first learned about science and nature, keep in mind that there are also some species that can do well in shade – in fact, some even prefer it!
If your home is surrounded by mostly shady conditions, consider including these flowers in your garden for the best results:
- Hydrangeas. Available in a ton of different colors and sizes, hydrangeas give you a wide variety of options when it comes to designing your garden. Although they can be grown successfully in environments that receive full sun, they really do thrive in shade – especially when they are exposed to afternoon shade in particular. One of the reasons for this is that they don’t particularly like when it gets too hot, and the shade can help keep things cool!
- Bleeding hearts. Bleeding hearts are extremely unique, so if you’re hoping to have a garden that looks like no other on your block, you’ll want to plant some of these! Producing flowers that look like hearts with what some say is a “drop of blood” at the very bottom, bleeding hearts prefer an environment that receives either full shade or partial shade, especially in the south where temperatures are warmer.
- Begonias. A benefit of planting begonias is that they are relatively easy to care for once you have some practice and know what to do. Aside from following the right watering schedule, annual begonias will need a spot that receives afternoon shade, as full sun can cause unnecessary stress on the plant in the summer. As the season continues and your flowers start to grow, you’ll always want to deadhead blooms that have served their purpose and make sure that the soil is kept moist.
- Jacob’s ladder. Jacob’s ladder plants can tolerate sun, but as they are a woodland perennial, they’d much prefer to be planted somewhere that is either fully shaded or partially shaded. Aside from the beautiful blooms that Jacob’s ladder plants produce, the foliage is also something to note and is what makes them so appealing for gardeners. Not to mention, maintenance really only includes some occasional trimming, so there’s no need to worry if you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to your garden.
- Impatiens. Impatiens are a beautiful addition to any garden, and being that they are available in a variety of colors, you can do pretty much anything with them to brighten things up! They are relatively easy to grow, but something important to keep in mind is that they will start to wilt rather quickly if they aren’t provided with the right amount of water – at least two inches of water per week is recommended for those impatiens that are planted in the ground.
Do you have a shady front or back yard at home? If you’ve been putting off planting for fear that your flowers wouldn’t survive, we hope you have a new perspective on things now! So long as you choose the right flower type, you too can have a garden that’s just as bright as those that are given full sun.
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