Perennial shade-tolerant flowers for the garden or how to organize the “shady” side? Make your shadow white: a review of shade-loving flowers Beautiful shade-tolerant flowers

First you need to decide on the “quality of the shadow”, because it can be very different.

Stable, for example, along the northern wall of the house, where the direct sun never looks.
Partial shade, for example, near a wall facing east, where there is sun in the morning, and stable shadow in the late afternoon.
Scattered, for example, under the canopy of trees or bushes.

It is immediately worth noting that abundantly flowering shade crops that provide bright flowers all summer, not so many, or at least they cannot be found in the lists of usual summer visitors. Most really shade-tolerant plants have graceful, delicate and quickly fading flowers. And most of them are perennials that rarely produce flowers all summer - it makes sense to think about several crops that will replace each other.

Therefore, we will consider all shade crops that will provide bright decorative effect, not necessarily thanks to the colors, but, for example, beautiful leaves, throughout the warm season, and also consider the flowering times of all possible crops for different types shadows.

The most spectacular and long-flowering crops that can tolerate partial shade

Below are flowers that really bloom brightly, for partial shade, partial shade or diffuse shade:

– many spectacular hybrid varieties require good lighting for abundant flowering, but in nature this plant grows on the edges of forests, that is, in partial shade, so it is quite possible to create a beautiful flowering bed of daylilies in the shade if you choose the right varieties – it is especially beautiful in partial shade (sun in the morning, light shade in the afternoon) varieties of dark shades (red-black, violet-black, violet) look good; in the sun they fade and quickly wither. There are different groups according to flowering time, flowering duration is about a month, but you can combine different varieties and get a long-flowering flower bed.
– for abundant flowering it needs good lighting in the first half of the day and shade starting at noon. Blooms from the beginning of June to the end of July, after proper trimming by the end of August it blooms again.
— blooms all summer, feels great in partial shade, flowers are like foxgloves, only brighter and larger, a rather rare plant, although undeservedly so.
Pansies- this charming annual grows in both sun and partial shade. In the sun, the flowers are larger and brighter, but in partial shade the flowering will last longer. The timing of flowering can be varied at your discretion (by sowing seeds at different times).
Balsam- the plant does not tolerate direct sunlight and only needs diffused light. Blooms from July until frost.
Ever-blooming begonia- requires bright but diffused light, can fade in direct sun, blooms all the time, in open ground it is grown in seedlings as an annual.
Fragrant tobacco-blooms from June until frost. Loves well-lit places, but light partial shade is acceptable.
Astilbe- blooms in June-July, for about a month, loves sparse soft shade. Panicle flowers are very spectacular, there are many varieties. The appearance of the plant is elegant, feminine, bright.
Astrantia— the flowering period depends on the variety, but this is one of the longest-lasting plants, some varieties bloom from June to the end of September, feels good in the sun, in partial shade, and even in full shade (only in heavily shaded places the flowering will not be so bright), grows well under trees.
Mimulus- Can get sunburned in direct sun, the best place is well lit, but with partial shading. It blooms with original flowers, reminiscent of orchids, in two waves - in spring and autumn.

Astilbe and Hosta ‘Sun Power’

Medicinal, spicy, aromatic herbs feel good in partial shade:

peppermint,
radiola pink,
tarragon,
borage,
perennial onions,
lemon balm.

Partial shade or diffuse shade is well tolerated species peonies: Maryin root, Caucasian, Wittmann - bloom from the beginning of May to the end of June Since August, the bushes have been decorated with quite spectacular fruits. Many herbs and grains also grow well in partial shade (, cortaderia, gray fescue).

Bulbous plants tolerate lack of light well:

Daffodils.
Kandyk.
Merendera.
Grouse.
Whiteflower.
Scylla (scilla).
Korolkovia.
Iridodictums.
Pushkinia.
Muscari.
Crocuses.
Hyacinthoides.

Tulips, primroses, pansies.

Plants that love light but do well in partial shade

That is, these plants can produce abundant flowering in a flowerbed, for example, on the western or eastern side of the house, where light only reaches part of the day. If they are planted in such an area, then you should treat them as capricious and provide very good other conditions ( correct soil, watering, fertilizing). All these plants bloom brightly and for a long time:

Snapdragon.
Ageratum.
Levka.
Balsam.
Lobelia.
Poppy self-seeding.
Petunia.
Pansies.
Sweet pea.
Kobeya.
Clove grenadine.
Daisies.
Heliotrope.
The bell is medium and large-flowered.

The bell is medium.

Flowering plants for deep shade

These are shade plants that never get direct sun. They will do well in the shade of buildings, even with north side, under a thick canopy of trees, near the fence:

Aquilegia (catchment) – blooms in June-July. Flowering time can be extended by picking off wilted flowers without allowing them to set seed pods.
. Almost all species grow well in partial shade; climbing aconite thrives in the shade. Flowering times vary - from 20 to 60 days depending on the type. Extremely poisonous!
Brunner- blooms in the spring, with good care, re-blooming in the fall is possible.
Cyanosis.
Fragrant violet.
Swimsuit.
Common primrose.
Chistous.
Forget-me-nots.
Digitalis.
Anemone.
Black cohosh.
May lily of the valley.
Fragrant violet.
Tiara cordifolia.
Bought.
Elecampane is magnificent.
Spring umbilicalus.
Lungwort.
Woodruff fragrant.
Turkish cloves.
Cuff.
Mountain cornflower.
Dicentra.
Doronicum eastern.
Gentian.
Garden geranium.
Avens.
Hellebore.
Siberian irises.

Ferns (shield and ostrich) look great in the shade, although they do not bloom.

Variegated lily of the valley and astilbe.

Shadow under the trees

Some tree species create a light openwork shade, but at the same time they dry out the soil greatly and this factor must be taken into account, because most shade-tolerant crops prefer moisture. Grow well in shade and dryness:

broadleaf purchase,
periwinkle,
horny weed,
wood anemone.
spring primrose,
bergenia,
comfrey,
garden geranium red-brown or Balkan.
cereals.

Under a pine tree, where the soil is sandy or sandy loam:

lilies of the valley,
periwinkles,
survivors
violets.

Trees and shrubs for shady areas

The compositions may require shade-tolerant trees and shrubs:

Korean fir,
black elderberry,

Creepers for shade

The most popular for shady areas:

round-leaved tree plier is universal, grows both in good light and in shade and partial shade. However, it does not bear fruit in dense shade;
actinidia kolomikta - beautiful decorative leaves variegated changeable color;
ivy - grows well even in heavy shade.

It is worth noting that most vines, being plants that depend on support, which in nature is usually a tall tree that creates shade, are accustomed to a lack of lighting.

This applies even to such a spectacular culture as. Many large-flowered hybrids like coolness, no higher than 25 degrees, and light or shade is secondary for them and shade may even be preferable - if it gives coolness.

Wintergreen (with red berries), skimmia, hellebores and ivy.

Decorative foliage

Spectacular large plants for shade with expressive foliage:

– blooms for a month from mid-July to mid-August. It has exotic leaves, decorative all season and especially beautiful in the fall.
– blooms for about a month, in August. Powerful, succulent, sculptural plant.
– flowering depends on the variety, some varieties are incredibly persistent flowering – up to 2 months. Textured appearance, fleshy round leaves. Ideal conditions for culture - partial shade.
– blooms for about a month in mid-summer with spectacular panicles. Openwork foliage. The plant is graceful, refined, elegant, lush.
– Recommendations for planting vary greatly. In any case, varieties with dark leaf colors do well in strong shade, while lighter ones need light partial shade. The appearance of the plant is exotic, bright, vibrating.
- classic shaded areas. Decorative throughout the growing season. It goes well with any other plants, has a lot of shapes and colors that are good both in single plantings and in compositions.
Chistets Byzantine- loves good light, but also grows well in partial shade. Attracts attention with its pubescent, woolly leaves of a bluish-gray hue.

Ground cover:

Pachysandra- a frost-resistant subshrub up to 25-35 cm high. The flowering is inexpressive, but is valued for its dense decorative foliage that does not change its appearance throughout the year.
Wintergreen- an evergreen groundcover shrub 10-15 cm high, blooms with elegant white flowers in June-August, then the plant is decorated with spectacular bright edible fruits that last until late spring. Feels great under trees.
White-edged warbler- beautiful white-green foliage, the plant is very unpretentious.
Mother of thousands— the leaves are similar to ivy leaves, beautiful “lipped” flowers appear on the plant from June until frost.
European hoofweed- has juicy, fleshy, large and thick leaves in the shape of a hoof, creating a dense covering.
Yasnotka- very beautiful silvery leaves, bright spongy flowers. Loves good lighting, but sparse, optimal places- those where the western or eastern sun hits.

Hosta, geranium, jasmine.

Container garden in the shade

Shade-tolerant plants that do not overwinter in open ground in the middle zone, but you can plant them in pots and create a container flower bed. If desired, you can bury them so that the pot is not visible. If you have the opportunity to tinker with digging for the winter, you can plant them in the summer open ground, although this is rare for the middle zone. All the plants listed below are decorative all summer and do not tolerate direct sunlight. The best place for them is partial shade or eastern windows:

Skimmia– subshrub, leathery glossy foliage, bright inflorescences all year round.
Coleus– does not like direct scorching rays of the sun. Highly decorative all summer.
Begonias- both tuberous and ever-flowering ones need bright diffused light, but not scorching sun.
Caladiums– in the West they are actively grown in open ground, in the conditions of the middle zone only in pots. The leaves are incredibly beautiful.
Fuchsia– needs no introduction. Charming in standard form. Blooms from spring to late autumn, feels good in partial shade.
Torenia- blooms all summer. Requires good lighting, but does not like direct midday sun.

Composition example

To create a flowerbed in the shade that blooms all summer, you can intelligently “mix” plants with different, albeit short, flowering periods.

For example, a composition for very humid partial shade:

Marigold - low bushes, 30-40 cm, blooms early spring, from late April to May, for 2-3 weeks. There are terry varieties.
Lungwort.
Forget-me-not.
Astilbe.
Hosts.
Garden geranium. The best types for shade: Himalayan, marsh, meadow.

In the photo, Terry marigold - Caltha palustris ‘Flore Pleno’

Unpretentious shade-loving perennials

The video below shows a selection of the most energy-efficient shade-loving flowers: these are perennials, which means you don’t need to plant them every year, they are generally unpretentious, which means they won’t require “dancing with tambourines.”

Is the garden not located in a sunny area? Then you will need shade-loving flowers. If you place such plants in your flowerbed, you can get a beautiful and bright landscape. To do this, you need to know the names of suitable flowers and the secrets of growing them.

Fragrant lilies of the valley and lupins

The most common perennials for shade are lilies of the valley. These plants are low (maximum 30 cm in length) and have broad, lanceolate, oblong leaves that resemble the ears of a hare. The flowers look like a brush, in which there are from 6 to 20 white jugs. Lilies of the valley bloom with their buds from May to June, and also emit a subtle and strong aroma.

To grow shade-loving perennials on your site, you need to plant them correctly. Most often, this process is performed in the fall (late September). It is better to place them under bushes or trees, and also choose places protected from the winds. The soil required is moist, slightly acidic or neutral. Before planting, it is necessary to fertilize the soil with humus or peat compost (10 kg per 1 m²). Placement of lilies of the valley in open ground is carried out using sprouts with part of the rhizomes in even rows in the grooves, and the distance between the flowers is 10-12 cm. The furrow should be approximately 1.5 cm deep. If the soil is dry, it must be watered after planting the lilies of the valley. As soon as frost sets in, you need to cover the area with mulch. This will protect you from freezing in the event of a snowless winter. It must be remembered that without transplantation, flowers can last for 5 years.

Plants take excellent care of themselves - they displace other representatives of the flora from the site. The only thing you need to do is water the crop in hot weather. In addition, loosening the soil and getting rid of weeds is mandatory. In case of diseases, it is necessary to treat the plants with fungicides.

Another shade-loving garden flowers are lupins. Buds - blue, pink, dark red, white, yellow. The plant is propagated by seeds or cuttings. It is completely undemanding to the soil, but when planting it is necessary to enrich it with peat.

Caring for flowers in the first year of life consists of removing weeds and loosening the soil. Be sure to add soil if the root neck of the plant suddenly becomes exposed. It wouldn’t hurt to fertilize a flower bed with lupins. mineral fertilizers. After 5-6 years, the bushes need to be removed and new ones planted, since the old flowers will not produce lush buds. If lupins grow in windy areas, then they definitely need to be tied up. Water the crop moderately, otherwise it may get sick.

Saxifraga and periwinkle

Excellent shade-tolerant flowers for the garden are saxifrages. This is a common plant that can decorate any flowerbed or garden plot. They decorate retaining canopies and alpine coaster. The culture includes more than 350 species that are found throughout the world. The plant is compact, frost-resistant and durable. The flowers are white, pink and red. The leaves are green with a silvery tint, the height of saxifrage is 70 cm, it creates original carpets that have an attractive appearance. The plant can be grown from seeds, followed by replanting in open soil. You need to know that the first leaves are weak, so picking must be done after their number increases.

Plant these shade-tolerant perennials recommended late May-early June. Saxifraga requires preparing soil with good drainage. The distance between the bushes should be 9-11 cm so that they have room to grow. This will create a continuous floral carpet.

In order for saxifrage to grow well, it is necessary to properly care for it. It is very important to moisten regularly, but the soil must have time to dry out. If the soil is flooded, the flowers may rot. For feeding, you should use complex fertilizers, which can be purchased at any florist store. In the first year, saxifrage will not bloom; this will happen only in the second summer.

Excellent plants for a shady garden are periwinkles. These are subshrubs that creep along the ground, characterized by leathery leaves of a dark green hue. Sometimes they have a cream border or spots. The flowers are solitary, the most common being blue, but there are also white, pink and pure purple buds. The mass opening of the crop occurs in the spring; during this period, periwinkles look especially attractive.

Plants are grown from seeds, which are placed in the soil in the spring or winter. Sometimes these perennial flowers are planted even in the summer, but in this case it is done on rainy or cloudy days. The sowing depth is 1 cm, then the furrows are covered with soil and watered. Caring for periwinkle is quite simple. You don’t even need to remove weeds, since the plant can handle it on its own. Sometimes you can feed the crop with organic matter or mineral fertilizers. At the end of mass flowering, it is necessary to trim the periwinkles so that next year they had a beautiful shape.

Anemones and marigolds

If you have a shady garden, then anemones are perfect for it. These are original herbaceous plants, surprising with their colors and buds. This culture prefers loose, fertile soil with good drainage. Plants can be grown from seeds or tubers, depending on the anemone variety. The most difficult thing to maintain when caring for plants is optimal level humidity, since the roots of the crop will not tolerate excess water.

To create mulch for anemones, experienced gardeners It is recommended to use peat, fallen leaves or special mixtures. The thickness of such a layer is approximately 4-5 cm. If the soil is enriched in advance, then you don’t have to feed the plants throughout the entire summer season.

The most common varieties of anemone:

1. Forest. They are dense bushes, up to 1.5 m in height. These garden perennials have buds that are arranged singly. Their diameter is 6-7 cm. The leaves of the plants are large and characterized by long petioles.
2. Crowned. The height of this anemone variety is 25 cm, and the flowers reach 6 cm in diameter and can be different shades. The leaves are collected in a rosette.
3. Japanese. The length of the bush is 40 cm. The palette is quite wide, the buds are groups of loose inflorescences.
4. Tender. This variety is low-growing (maximum 20 cm). They are very reminiscent of daisies, the color ranges from white to purple.

Note that these shade-tolerant garden plants are used to create bouquets.

Marigolds can decorate a shaded area. They are sown in open ground, for this purpose holes are made 2 cm deep. There should be a distance of 1.5 cm between the furrows, and after placement, the seeds must be covered with earth and watered. If the seedlings sprout very densely, they must be evenly placed in the flower bed. Caring for marigolds is not at all difficult. The main rule is to protect flowers from the wind. It is recommended to feed the plants once a month, and if you do this more often, the bushes will only stretch and will not open their buds. Colors - yellow, white, brown-orange, etc. There are many varieties that differ in height. For marigolds, it is very important that weeds are removed from the soil. Thanks to this, they will be able to take root well and present their owners with beautiful bouquets.

There is no such dacha plot that would not have any buildings and tall trees, fruit or ornamental. And if all this is present, then, consequently, there is a shadow that does not allow light-loving vegetables and flowers to be grown in this zone. But this is a solvable problem. This article talks about the types of flowers that will happily bloom in the shade.

Often a gardener looks with sadness at the empty areas of his plot, not knowing how to transform them. The walls of outbuildings, the dense crown of trees, fruit and ornamental bushes create a certain amount of shadow, and most plants simply die from lack of light. Therefore, the gardener should know that there are many flowers that not only tolerate shading, but also grow much worse in the sun.

When choosing flowers for shady places, you need to carefully read the agricultural cultivation techniques, which are indicated on the packaging from a responsible manufacturer. In addition, the shadow varies in intensity.

Stable

Stable or dead, as it is more often called, is when the sun's rays do not penetrate into this place throughout the day.

Partial

Partial shadow implies shading for a certain period of time, depending on the position of the daylight.

Thick

Elecampane, sedum, and kupena can grow in dense shade. Hellebore, primrose, astilbe, dark geranium will require good soil moisture and nutrition. Only in this case will they grow and develop well in shady places.

Absent-minded

Diffused shadow is formed in areas where the sun's rays penetrate through the foliage of trees. This shade is preferable for many plants.
In addition to the degree of shading of the site, soil moisture and its fertility should be taken into account.

The diffused shade created by tall plantings is suitable for daylilies and lupins. Peppermint and lemon balm grow well in such places. In addition, some plants not only are not afraid of shade, but prefer precisely such places.
This is the difference between shade-tolerant and shade-loving flowers.

Perennials growing in the shade

Most shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants can be found among perennials. Much of the flowering occurs in early spring, when the buds on the trees are just beginning to bloom. Therefore, planting shade-loving plants in tree trunk circles not only decorates the dacha plot, but also significantly saves the sown area.

Khosta

One of the few perennials that most fully reveals its decorative qualities precisely in deep shadow. This fact determines the status of the flower - the queen of the shady garden. Although it should be noted that this does not apply to all varieties of hosta.
Just a note. In dense shade, hostas grow more slowly but produce larger leaves. And the plant itself becomes taller and stronger.
A flower can grow in one place for about 20 years if it is properly cared for.

This tall perennial is also shade-loving. It can be planted in areas with any degree of shade. However, it must be taken into account that dense shade will weaken the abundance of flowering. Therefore, a place where the sun penetrates for 2-3 hours in the morning or evening will be ideal.
Planting in open sunny places can cause burns to the delicate openwork foliage of astilbe. The plant will need frequent watering and mulching of the soil.

Ideal for growing in areas with light shade. In a short period of time, it forms fluffy flowering mats that will transform empty spaces near trees and shrubs.

Violet flowers are small, up to 3 cm in diameter, purple or blue, but abundant flowering gives the impression of an ever-blue meadow

When dividing the bush in spring, the violet will bloom in the same year. Autumn transplant will allow the flower to form a good root system, and the flower will bloom in the spring of next year.

When choosing a place for this flower, it is best to choose a semi-shaded area, because the flower does not tolerate direct sunlight.

Aconite bush can reach a height of 1 m, and requires division every 3-5 years. The flowers are painted in all shades of blue and lilac.

Just a note. All parts of aconite are poisonous. Therefore, work related to planting a flower should be carried out with gloves.

An unpretentious shade-loving perennial with large heart-shaped leaves. Small blue flowers are collected in a panicle. Flowering begins in April and lasts for a month. In nature it grows in forests, so garden plots it can be grown among trees and shrubs.

An excellent flower for partial shade, where the soil is well moistened and fertile. In such conditions, the plant blooms many flowers in the form of stars. different colors. They can be white, red, pink and blue. It is necessary to renew plantings every 3-4 years, because the decorative qualities of the flower weaken.

Aquilegia is also called a catchment. After rain or morning dew, the flower cups are filled with droplets of water, which shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow in the rays of the rising sun.

Perennial creeping plant who is not afraid of the shadow. In early spring, periwinkle blooms with purple or blue flowers, with which it is practically covered.

Rooting periwinkle is quick and painless. In principle, this work can be carried out at any time warm time summer season, since the transplant will be carried out in a shady place and the plant will not suffer from sunlight.

It looks most impressive in shady places when it blooms white flowers with a delicate aroma. After flowering, a fruit is formed in their place, a small berry that ripens by the end of summer.

Just a note. The pretty red kupena berry contains toxic substances. Perhaps that is why it is called “wolfberry”.

Kupena belongs to medicinal plants.

A classic option for filling empty spaces under tree canopies and along fences. fragile and charming flower has quite aggressive properties. Powerful root system allows it to grow very quickly and capture new areas.

To limit its growth location, you can dig pieces of slate into the ground to a depth of about half a meter. This will prevent the roots from extending beyond the designated area.

The most charming primrose with many bright flowers of a wide variety of colors. Prefers partial shade, so plant under fruit trees and bushes will be the best place for them.

Primroses bloom almost immediately after the snow melts and bloom until the end of May. At this time, the foliage on the trees is still gaining strength and transmits a sufficient amount of light.

They can decorate any secluded corner of the garden. Shade and moist soil are the main conditions for growing green beauties. They can be planted individually or in groups, it all depends on the size of the adult plant. In the second case, when planting, you should take into account the spread of the leaves and leave a distance of about half a meter between the bushes.

Ferns are grown from spores, which can be purchased at a specialty store. And the plants already existing on the site are propagated by dividing the bush.

Ferns are not picky about soil. They can grow in poor, nutrient-deprived areas. But every gardener needs a beautiful and lush plant, so early in the spring ferns should be fed with complex mineral fertilizers. To maintain soil moisture, plantings are mulched.

In autumn, dying leaves are not cut off; they will serve as additional cover for the root system and supply it with nutrients. Spring shoots are able to break through all layers of mulch and old foliage. This creates conditions close to the growth of ferns in nature.

After 3-4 years, when the time comes to replant the plants, the root part should be cleared of dried stems from previous years, and the fern should be given a new shady area.

Flowers growing in the shade: video

Annuals growing in the shade

Where the early shade-loving flowers had faded, not very attractive places with withered foliage formed again. Annual plants will help “hide” them, among which there are also species that can cope with shading.

The flower comes from Central America, where it is cultivated as a perennial. And in the vastness of Russia, it is grown as an annual crop and propagated by annual sowing of seeds for seedlings. The bright, multi-colored colors of fairly large flowers will be a worthy decoration of a summer cottage. In addition, the flowers have an aroma that will accompany the gardener throughout the flowering period of fragrant tobacco.

The flowers, in the form of stars (up to 8 cm in diameter), are blue and lilac, crimson and pink, yellow and white. It should be noted that this is the merit of breeders: in nature, fragrant tobacco is found exclusively with white flowers.

Many gardeners believe that the flower has lost its relevance, has become outdated and not particularly attractive, and this is completely in vain. Nasturtium is truly versatile. Dwarf varieties can be used as a border or ground cover plant, their height is only 15-20 cm.

Climbing varieties can reach 2.5 m and look great in vertical gardening. Thickets of nasturtium along gazebos, terraces, and unsightly outbuildings fill the air with a pleasant aroma.

Medium-sized plants (up to half a meter in height) can be grown in containers - hanging or above ground, under fruit trees and shrubs. The main thing is that the shadow is diffused and not dull.

Nasturtium is grown from seeds. Some people use the seedling method, while others sow them directly into the ground. In any case, it should be remembered that the flower has a superficial and very delicate root system. Therefore, if a gardener wants to get earlier flowers, it is better to use peat containers so as not to injure the plant at the time of transplantation.

Shoots appear in 10-14 days. Young sprouts cannot tolerate even the slightest drop in temperature, and this must be remembered when sowing seeds directly into open ground.

Nasturtium flowers are relatively large, their diameter is 4-5 cm. They can be double, semi-double, simple or have an elegant color. Pink, salmon, dark red, yellow and bright orange.
Diffused shade will protect nasturtium leaves from burns, and flowers from burning out.

Another summer plant that prefers partial shade. It will grow well under the canopy garden trees and bushes. But under the scorching rays of the sun and in an open place blown by all the winds, the flower will not be able to survive.

Growing garden balsam begins in March by sowing seeds for seedlings. Next, the seedlings go through the diving stage, and with the arrival of stable heat, the grown bushes are transferred to open ground.

You can sow seeds directly on the site, but in this case flowering will occur much later.

Caring for the plant is not difficult. Regular watering and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Nitrogen-containing substances are added before the formation of buds.
Garden balsam blooms profusely and for a long time, from the beginning of June until the cold weather. Terry or simple flowers have a bright, rich color. From pink to dark red, from lilac to purple.

Vanka wet, as the flower is popularly called, is often grown as houseplant. But even in an apartment it should be protected from direct hit sun rays.

To create charming flower beds in shady corners of the garden, you need to be patient and familiarize yourself with the list of flowers for which these places will be the most suitable option.

On any personal or summer cottage There will certainly be shady places. And I want to decorate them no worse than the central flower beds and front alleys. With an illiterate approach to this issue, we often create unviable “beautiful pictures”, which subsequently turn into a headache for the owners, the source of their constant concern for the fading life of plants weakening from lack of sun. In desperation, we cover these areas with tiles or shyly block our view of these areas. Meanwhile, there is a fairly large selection of perennial shade-loving flowers for the garden that will enliven these difficult areas and make them attractive, interesting and, most importantly, viable.

Shade-tolerant and shade-loving - theoretically there is a difference!

Any plants need sunlight - this is the principle of their life, their biochemistry. However, they all need it differently. Some people need it bright and open, others prefer soft, diffused. Plants that have learned to make do with reflected light and tolerate shading are called shade-tolerant. And there are those for whom open sunlight is destructive; they feel much better in the shade. They are classified as shade-loving. It is these crops that are recommended to be planted in secluded corners of the garden, on the north side of houses and along high, blind fences that block out the sun.

But in fact, even experienced gardeners do not always see the difference between them (or do not always make it) and consider these two concepts to be synonymous. All flowering and simply decorative perennials, undemanding to the sun. Therefore, we will talk in general about plants that do not require a lot of light and are excellent candidates for landscaping shaded areas.

Zone separation

By and large, three categories of zones can be distinguished according to the degree of decorativeness, location and significance. This classification will depend right choice shade-loving perennials:

Classic compositions of herbaceous flowering crops planted for decorative purposes.
Natural areas. The purpose of planting them is to fill voids on the periphery of the site and prevent the growth of weeds.
Accent flower beds. Located in the central zone, where you have to be content with a small amount sunlight. This group includes accent perennials, which are especially distinguished by beautiful bloom or original decorative foliage.

Soil requirements

Plants that are little demanding of lighting are usually very demanding of soil. The soil should be moist, but without stagnant water, well drained. Its composition should be light and nutritious. Such as the soil of deciduous forests usually is. If the type of soil in a given location does not meet the requirements of shade-loving crops, you will have to take care of this by preparing special planting pits, filled with an optimally composed substrate.

Shade-loving perennial flowers for densely shaded areas of the garden

These zones include all places that are illuminated by the sun during the day for no more than 3 hours. Such shade is provided by buildings, wooded parts of the garden, and even solitary pine trees. A special microclimate is created here, characterized by high humidity both air and soil.

It looks spectacular among stones and conifers, winters well even in northern regions, but does not tolerate drought and open sun at all. Requires watering and good drainage, prone to self-sowing. Can serve as a replacement for moss in imitation of Japanese compositions. Although it is a perennial, it is not durable.

Quite a rare perennial in classical domestic gardens, which is more original than beautiful, but invariably attracts attention. In Britain it received the name “cobra lily”, which reflects it well appearance. Refers to evergreen grasses that have a pronounced dormant period.

Blooms long and profusely in slightly sparse shade. Forms a spreading bush with beautiful panicles, which can be in a wide variety of pink, purple, white and red shades. It looks especially impressive during the flowering period, but is decorative throughout the entire garden season.

Particularly valued for its early flowering. Its inflorescences, both rose-like and lantern-like, decorate the thawed patches of the garden already in March. It tolerates not only a lack of lighting, but also frosts and drought.

Carefully! Hellebore is a buttercup and, like all of them, is poisonous!

This is the real queen of the shadow, which has a huge number of varieties. It will compete with its flowering neighbors in the garden with its decorative effect. The hosta also blooms, but its color is quite modest, and the main advantage of this impressive group is the leaves. All shades of green, spotted, striped, speckled, white-yellow, golden, gray - their variety is truly impressive.

Choosing plants for semi-shaded areas

A lacy shadow forms under some fruit trees, such as cherry, plum, and some types of apple trees. On the one hand, less hardy perennials can be planted here, on the other hand, the trees greatly dry out the soil in a significant radius around them. And most shade-tolerant plants are moisture-loving. This should definitely be taken into account when choosing compositions for such plots. The best plants to take root here are cereals, periwinkle, mountain weed, comfrey, forest anemone, bergenia, and broad-leaved rosebush.

When planting shade-loving plants under fruit trees, keep in mind that they take away some of the nutrients necessary for the formation of the crop!

If the openwork shadow is formed by the crowns of non-fruit-bearing trees, and the sun illuminates the flowerbed for 3 to 5 hours during the day, lupins, daylilies and many medicinal herbs will feel comfortable in such flower beds: lungwort, Rhodiola rosea, lemon balm, spring navel, woodruff.

Shade-loving perennial shrubs for the garden

They are used mainly to create natural areas, but many of them also look great in accent compositions. Placed both in groups and solo.

In terms of decorativeness in the autumn and even winter seasons, this bush has few equals. When everything that pleases the eye in summer turns into a faded and gray boring background, the chic foliage of the euonymus becomes a real highlight of your garden.

It will pair with the autumn euonymus with its decorative foliage. One of the most unpretentious shrubs, which has a clear advantage over others - in the shade its leaves do not lose their variegated color. Their contrasting pattern creates the illusion of light highlights in the shady nooks and crannies of the garden, refreshing them and making them visually brighter.

Gaining increasing popularity in recent years. Voluminous foliage, spectacular flowers and seed pods - all this, against the backdrop of enviable unpretentiousness, is deservedly appreciated by gardeners and landscape designers.

Classification by seasons

A typical mistake when landscaping shady areas is failure to take into account the seasonality of flowering different cultures. As a result, the attractiveness of a decorated corner of the garden turns out to be short-lived. Meanwhile, if you take this point into account in advance, you can create sites where flowering will be continuous throughout the entire summer season.

Spring

Early spring is the time of primroses, which should not be neglected. After the dull monotony of winter, looking at them will rest almost more than looking at roses in summer. They will delight you with their early modest beauty for about a month. The buds will open first various types snowdrops, hellebore, corydalis, European commonweed, scillas. It won’t be long before the oak anemone, jeffersonia, and liverwort will bloom.

Primroses, as a rule, are prone to active self-seeding, and therefore require control over reproduction. It is best to identify new outbreaks in early spring, when they are just opening their buds.

By the end of spring, primroses are ready to be replaced by soldanella, common lumbago, mountain weed and uvularia, which will look especially advantageous against the backdrop of low-growing shade-loving shrubs. If it is necessary to cover a significant area, it is recommended to alternate saxifrage rotundifolia with phlox and hybrid primroses. They will create a fairly dense foliage-floral mat in places where the sun rarely shines.

Summer

Among the shade-loving perennials, blooming in summer, there is something to choose from, taking into account the location of the composition, conditions and general landscape design. We advise you to pay attention to the martagon (curly lily), which will bloom more and more luxuriously from year to year. However, it should be taken into account that this is a tall plant (some varieties grow more than 1.5 m in height) and it will look ugly under trees with low crowns. But it will be very advantageously placed along a fence or on the shady side of a garden building. Paired with lilies, the sinuous corydalis and bluebell look great, also calmly tolerating a lack of lighting.

Autumn

The cold season is not so generous with flowering shade-loving perennials, but at this time many ornamental shrubs delight with their lush foliage. Conifers and ferns also help out in such places. It is recommended to supplement the compositions with them so that with the onset of the first cold days the garden does not lose its attractiveness. This is a warty euonymus and white turf, as well as mahonia, forsythia and others. You should not ignore berry bushes such as barberry or hawthorn. Among the late-blooming shade-loving plants, one can distinguish palm-shaped Kirengeshoma. Its voluminous decorative leaves are advantageously complemented by bell-like inflorescences.

A rational approach to the selection of perennial flowers and shrubs for decorating shady places makes it easier to care for personal plot, eliminating its “poorly performing” functions. Mistakes in this matter will require constant maintenance and regular financial investments, which can be completely avoided with the right choice of compositions.