Container Plants For Shade
If you don’t have sunlight in your outdoor space, don’t despair because there are beautiful container plants for shade.
In fact, you can plan to add shade plants in under utilized areas near trees or where there is just no adequate sunlight.
I love planting my garden in containers, as I can be flexible in their placement. Plus I can use the type of soil I need in that container without it affecting the entire garden space.
Gardening in containers means that people with disabilities can join in the gardening fun.
If you have a container plant that you think will be killed during the first frost, just move it inside a garage.
I have ordered plant caddies from Amazon to put my heavier containers on so they’re easier to move.
So there are many reasons to garden in containers, as well as design a shade garden to put in them.
10 Annuals For Shade:
- Fuchia
- Balsam
- Lobelia
- Torenia
- Oxalis
- Impatiens
- Coleus
- Sweet potato vine
- Viola/pansy
- Sweet alyssum
I think it is fun to take a large container and put a blend of shade-loving plants inside for various textures and colors. You have much more control over container grown plants than those you plant in the ground.
If you live in an apartment and only have a small balcony to garden on, planting in pots is ideal.
10 Perennials For Shade:
- Hosta
- Toad lily
- Ajuga
- Old-fashioned bleeding heart
- Hosta
- Coral bells
- Lamium
- Hellebore
- Astilbe
- Ferns
Other shade plants are impatiens, begonia, caladium, coral bells, coleus, ferns, hosta, and hydrangea. And many I won’t list.
The best plants to plant in the shade depends on a variety of factors, including your soil type and your geographical location (overall temperature, moisture, etc.)
You will be disappointed if you plant a sun-loving plant in the shade. It will get leggy, straining to lean toward the sun. And it won’t provide you with the blooms you may desire.
You will basically have wasted your money. All it takes before plant shopping is to look up plants you might like that will grow in the shade. Or ask someone who works in the garden section of a store of nursery for their expert help.
They will guide you to your best options. I prefer shopping for my garden plants at plant nurseries for this very reason.
If You Desire A Fragrant Garden In The Shade:
Just because your garden will be in the shade does not mean that you can’t have a fragrant garden.
There is Sweet Woodruff, Hardy Geranium, Lily-Of-The-Valley, and English Bluebells, just to name a few. These plants will provide you with the sweet scent you may be wanting.
Use The “Thriller, Filler, Spiller” Technique:
When combining multiple plants in one large container, select your “thriller” plant first. This plant should be tall to be the center of attention.
Next choose your “filler”. This plant should be of medium-height to fill in the arrangement, such as verbena and/or salvia.
And lastly choose your “spiller.” These plants should spill over the sides of the container. You could use creeping jenny, petunia, or sweet potato vine, among others.
Using this technique will be sure to make your pot more interesting. You could use one or two colors in your design, or many. You are only limited by your creativity.
What Does Sun To Part Shade Mean:
Full sun means at least 6 hours of sun per day. Some plants like vegetables really need 8-10 hours of sun per day.
Partial sun or partial shade means that the plants needs 3-6 hours of direct sun per day. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably.
Full shade is defined as an area of the garden that receives 4 or fewer hours of sun.
I do have a few spaces in the yard for plants requiring a bit of shade. I do appreciate this list and I really like seeing the container pots with a variety of plants. I love the pot with the elephant ears — the colors look so pretty together. And coleus always look so nice and are so easy to care for.
Enjoyed this post very much, as I mostly have a shade garden now with only morning sun. Surprisingly, I have had success with salvias though I suppose they would flower more with more sun. I love their heart-shaped leaves! Coleus was a success last year so I hope to have more than one color variety this year. Blue daze evolvulus also does very well for me since it likes heat, which we have plenty of in Austin. Keep the gardening posts coming! It’s an exciting time of year for container gardeners like us.
Thanks for sharing this great information. I actually need plants for sun. Hope you are well.