Shade-loving annual plants for the garden. Perennials: plants for shady places in the garden

We all know from school that for normal growth and development plants require sufficient quantity sunlight. Without delving particularly deeply into the jungle of biology, we often mistakenly believe that trees, shrubs, vegetable and ornamental crops cannot grow, bloom, or bear fruit in the shade. Therefore, we simply impoverish both ourselves and appearance your estate, without planting anything in the shade of a house or fence. In the meantime, in any region, even with the harshest climate and short summers, you can select shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants that will decorate the facade of the house and the line of the continuous fence.

Majority shade-loving plants consistently decorative throughout the warm season. However, they are not distinguished by abundant or very lush flowering. All their beauty lies in the unusual color of the foliage and the shape of the bushes.

The shaded areas of a dacha or country house are very different from each other. Some of them are illuminated by the sun for only a few hours a day, while some receive only passing rays. And there are also those where the sun never looks at all. What to plant along the fence if your favorite plants simply don’t want to grow in the shade?

Shade-tolerant and shade-loving trees

Only a small number of trees can be planted between the house and the fence, that is, where there is least sunlight. It is difficult to grow and develop well in such conditions. However, there are tree species that will brighten up a shaded corner on your property. A little patience in studying this issue and you will know which trees to plant along the fence to improve the appearance of the entire estate.

Although most coniferous plants prefer sunny open spaces, among them there are specimens for planting in front of a house or fence, where there is little sun. The following shade-tolerant conifers are most often planted on the street side:

• Pointed yew "Nana". This compact tree will thrive in areas that receive only a short amount of sun. Its small dimensions (height - up to 90 cm, crown diameter - from 0 to 90 cm) allow this variety of yew to be planted in front of the house on the street side, as well as between the house and the fence. Yew Nana grows slowly, prefers moist, loose soil. It’s great if the snow cover in the region in winter is very high.

Pointed yew "Nana"

• Siberian fir. The shade-tolerant plant thrives in the northern regions of our country, where it is widely used by landscape design specialists. Until the age of ten it grows slowly. The decorative value of this fir variety is especially evident in the spring, when young cones have a purple tint, and the male oval inflorescences are brownish-red or yellow with a red tinge. Siberian fir can grow well in sunny places. Therefore, it can be used to decorate a corner where the sun gives way to shadow during the day.

• Viburnum common. This woody flowering plant does well in the shade. Low-growing trees reach a height of no more than 90 cm. Viburnum can be planted as a hedge in front of the house on the street side, replacing the usual fence.

Kalina common variety"Roseum"

• Rowan. The trees, decorated with clusters of bright umbrellas with berries, are unpretentious to their growing conditions. With their help they create beautiful contrasting compositions. Rowan can be safely planted in a corner where other plants do not take root well.

What shrubs to plant in the shade

Landscaping on the shady side personal plot can be carried out using fruit and flowering bushes. It is better to use species that are accustomed to the local climate for this purpose. The most popular shrub plants that grow well in shaded areas:

• Hydrangea paniculata DVP Pinky. Flowering bushes can be planted in a corner where the sun's rays penetrate only in the afternoon. Flowers in the form of fluffy panicles grow very high. At the beginning of flowering panicles have White color, and as they ripen they gradually turn pink from the base until they completely turn bright pink. Single bushes will look great near the house. They can also be used to form a luxurious hedge.

Hydrangea paniculata DVP Pinky

• Black and red elderberries have excellent decorative properties. They are unpretentious in care, practically do not get sick and tolerate not only the lack of bright light, but also harsh climatic conditions.

Red elderberry

• Red and black currants. In the southern regions, these fruiting bushes will feel good only in the shade. Currants love moisture, so in strong sun they can simply die. In the middle zone, these shrubs are also best planted in shaded areas, but it is worth considering that the fruits will ripen later.

Red currant berries

• Raspberries in a dark patch of garden will produce many large and fragrant berries. It can be placed between the house and the fence. And the place will not remain empty, and will be used practically.
• Irga in nature grows under the forest canopy, so this shrub will feel great in the shady area of ​​the garden. And a seemingly useless place in the garden will turn into a productive berry conveyor belt.

Vegetables

The space in front of the house is often not used in any way due to the fact that most The sun doesn't reach there during the day. However, there are a number of vegetable crops that are worth growing in the front garden or near the fence on the street side. Help to implement the project:

• Perennial onion varieties. A very practical option, because in addition to lush greenery, it has decorative properties. For example, chives have huge lilac caps that attract bees.
• Beet. Tolerates shade quite well. The root vegetables will be small but sweet. But not everyone likes coarse, large beets.
• Rhubarb. If you water it regularly, there will always be luxurious bushes of this plant along the fence.
• Cheremsha. In early spring, people rush into the forest to collect young and very healthy wild garlic. If it grows well under trees, then it is quite possible to grow it on your site, where light-loving plants do not want to grow.
• Borago. Borage grows best where there is little direct sunlight. You don’t need special care for her, she’s not afraid spring frosts, and is practically not susceptible to diseases and insect attacks. By planting it in front of your house, you can provide yourself with the necessary vitamins.

Borage borage

• Greens and herbs. Any greens you like will produce well in the shade. It is important to provide it with moisture and reserves can be made even for the winter.
• Horseradish. Spicy foliage is actively used by housewives for winter preparations. And it grows equally well both in the sun and in shady areas.

Perennials for the shade garden

It is among perennial plants that most of all are those that prefer areas protected from sunlight. Thanks to this diversity, you can create flower beds, flower beds, mixborders and place them in the shade, either from the street or from the courtyard. Experienced gardeners especially love these plants:

• Hosta grows best away from the sun. And with good soil moisture, its foliage will be simply magnificent, which, depending on the variety, can be monochromatic or variegated. The choice is great. Hostas combine well with other perennials and annuals.

Hosta in the flowerbed

• Lily of the valley is a classic plant for shaded areas of the garden. Flowers in the form of bells will especially delight you in early spring, when they are especially decorative.

Silver lily of the valley

• Astilbe japonica "Bonn" prefers moist soils. Flowers of bright carmine color are shaped like curls. Astilbe needs shade in the afternoon.

Astilbe Japanese variety"bonn"

• Meadowsweet will fill the most seemingly lifeless areas with the aromas of summer. Flowers of the “Nana” variety delight the eye with a deep pink hue. Meadowsweet prefers moist, well-drained soil.

• Brunnera tolerates any degree of shade very well. It is worth considering that it grows very quickly. Therefore, it is better to plant it in places that require urgent and abundant landscaping.

Brunera sibirica

• Ferns. You simply cannot do without this plant in a shady garden. It goes well with other types of plants. Prefers moist soil.

Popular biennials for shaded areas

If you don’t plan to admire the same picture all the time, but also don’t want to replant plants often, you can stick to biennial plants, which grow quite well without an abundance of sunlight.

Best suited for this purpose Pansies. Different varieties of this plant have flowers that have bright, rich shades. If you sow several varieties at once, you can achieve their flowering throughout the warm season.

Pansy (violet tricolor)

An entire carpet can be created from delicate forget-me-nots. They disperse on their own and grow well without sunlight. And the flowers of a blue hue are pleasantly pleasing to the eye.

Beautiful carpet of forget-me-nots

Foxglove thrives in the shade of a fence, house or trees. But it will delight you with its decorative effect only if agrotechnical rules are observed.

Foxglove (digitalis)

What annuals to plant in the shade

Among annual plants, there are not many representatives that can tolerate the lack of sunlight. For this purpose you can use:

• Balsam. It will grow well in partial shade. In the complete absence of sun, flowers will not please you.

• Fragrant tobacco is a luxurious plant that best reveals all its decorative properties in diffused light. It can be placed between young trees.
• Begonia everblooming looks beautiful in shaded flower beds and in single plantings.

On a note

Before choosing plants for a shady area of ​​the garden, a corner of a house or a line along a blind fence, you need to assess the degree of illumination of the area using the following indicators:

1. Penumbra - a place where the sun's rays fall in the morning or evening and illuminate the area for only 4 - 6 hours
2. Shade – areas illuminated from 1 to 4 hours, or receiving diffuse sunlight
3. Deep shadow is a place where sunlight penetrates for only 1 hour, or does not reach it at all.

Having decided on the level of illumination of the area, you can begin to study plants that prefer to grow in the shade, or simply tolerate it well. In other words, the choice must be made between shade-loving and shade-tolerant representatives of the flora. A little patience, and even the most abandoned areas of the garden and a piece of the street in front of the house will become a real paradise!

In every garden there is a place that, due to its shade, remains pale and dull. Such places are found under the closed crown of tall trees, along fences and walls of buildings. Sometimes this even becomes a problem, as moss begins to grow in such places. In this situation, shade-loving perennials come to the aid of the gardener. By correctly selecting and planting them, you will solve the problem of creating a shady area for more than one year.

In relation to the illumination of the growing area, all plants, including perennials, can be divided into light-loving, shade-loving and shade-tolerant.

Light-loving plants prefer places that are well lit during the day; in other conditions they can become very elongated and will not bloom. Shade-tolerant - they love sunny areas, but tolerate light shading well, although they can bloom less intensely. And shade-loving plants feel good in the shade. Such plants in the sun can get burned and dry out.

In order to choose the right place for each of them, you also need to understand what shaded areas are.

– Shade is a place where sunlight reaches less than three hours during the day. Regardless of the time of day (morning, afternoon or evening).

– Partial shade is when the sun hits the site for more than three hours a day (most often only in the morning or evening).

– A sparse shadow forms under the thin crown of trees when the sun’s rays penetrate between the foliage.

– Deep shadows are places where sunlight does not penetrate at all or for a very short time.

In nature, for each of these places there are suitable plants. In order to choose them correctly and form a flower garden that will look decorative all season, it is also necessary to determine the flowering time of certain shade-loving perennials.

The success of any design is a harmonious combination of it key elements which is achieved with the right...

Spring

Although the sun is not very active in spring, while the leaves have not yet appeared on the trees, they feel good in the shade of the branches spring primroses. Snowdrop (Galanthus) and scilla (Scilla) are forest dwellers and therefore it is natural and comfortable for them to grow in the shade. Muscari (Muscari), daffodils (Narcissus), frost-resistant varieties of kandyk or erythrónium (Erythrónium), beautiful Puschkinia (Puschkinia), gentle liverwort (Hepatica), as well as “broken hearts” dicentra (Dicentra) are well tolerated by slight shade.
Suitable perennials for planting even in dense shade are lilies of the valley (Convallaria). Curtains of lilies of the valley look beautiful in a shady corner of the garden.

Snowdrops
Scillas
Muscari
Daffodils
Erythronium

Pushkinia
liverwort
Dicentra
Lilies of the valley

In areas where the sun appears only in the morning, Brunnera will feel ideal. For its small blue flowers that form miniature clouds from the inflorescences, it is also called forget-me-not. Flowering begins in May and ends by July. But Brunnera is not only good for its flowers; after flowering, it is also decorative due to its large, beautifully colored leaves. Brunnera is indispensable for rockeries and mixborders. This plant will help gardeners in filling shady and waterlogged places.

Brunner

Ayuga (tenacious)

It is not for nothing that the cute ground cover plant Ajuga received its second name - tenacious. It can grow in almost any conditions. And what’s important is that it is shade-tolerant. In a short period of time it creates a dense, beautiful carpet. After all, its leaves can be burgundy, green and chocolate. Ayuga blooms in May. On a low (10-15 cm) peduncle it forms a false spikelet of a dozen small blue-violet flowers. Flowering lasts for a long time and therefore the carpet of tenacious takes on a bluish tint. Excellent for shady rock gardens. It can be used to decorate slopes and slopes.

You can see an example of designing a spring flower garden in the proposed diagram. The upper tier of the mixborder is represented by shade-loving shrubs.

Mahonia aquifōlium - evergreen shrub, bloom in spring, have a spicy aroma. Grows from 30 to 100 cm. It lends itself well to cutting. Leathery leaves are very decorative. Reddish in the spring, they turn dark green and shiny in the summer, and take on a bronze hue in the fall. Shade-tolerant plant.

Mahonia holly

Rhododendron atlantis

Atlantic rhododendron (Rhododendron atlanticum) is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 60 cm. Winter-hardy and shade-tolerant. The leaves appear at the same time as the flowers in May. The flowers are fragrant white stars with a pinkish tint, collected in a brush. The leaves turn bright yellow in autumn.

Garden azalea (Azalia, Azalea) - very beautiful. It will not grow in the sun or in dense shade. She needs partial shade. Azalea is quite demanding to care for, but when it blooms in May, the flowers cover the entire bush so that even the leaves are not visible. It looks amazingly beautiful!

Garden azalea

The middle tier was filled with plants beautiful leaves.

Female Kochedyzhnik

Female fern (Athyrium filix-femma) is a fern with delicate, beautifully dissected foliage about a meter high. Shade-loving plant. Frost-resistant. Unpretentious.

Bergenia crassifolia (Bergénia crassifolia) is an evergreen perennial. Its dark green leaves, thick and round, do not die in winter. In spring, its brownish-green leaf ears begin to peek out from under the snow. In autumn they turn bright red. Large panicle inflorescences consist of pink flowers that bloom in May. Shade-tolerant and easy to care for.

Bergenia thickleaf

Hosta plantain

Hosta plantain (Hosta plantaginea) - has large bright green heart-shaped leaves. The leaf shape and pronounced veins resemble a plantain leaf. On a high stalk there are large white star flowers that have a delicate lily scent. Blooms in August. But all types of hosta are valued primarily for their large and beautiful leaves. Very shade-tolerant, survives in places where other plants might die.

Hosta albo-marginata is a plant with very beautiful oval-pointed white-green leaves. Purple bell-shaped flowers are collected in a raceme-like inflorescence. Blooms in July. Like other types of hosta, it is a shade-tolerant plant.

Hosta white-edged

Fragrant violet

The decoration of the lower tier is the fragrant violet (Viola odorata). This is a gentle forest guest, and therefore shade-tolerant and unpretentious. Everyone knows its miniature purple butterfly flowers with a wonderful aroma. It blooms in May, and then again at the end of summer. Eat decorative varieties with large flowers of white, dark purple and reddish-purple color.

Summer

Summer is a sunny time. But even at this time of year there are shade-loving garden flowers and shrubs. Using the example of designing a summer-flowering shady mixborder, we will get acquainted with such plants.

We are already familiar with bergenia and hosta from spring flower beds. These plants are decorative throughout the warm season, so they are often used in landscape design.

In our composition, the central place was occupied by foxglove (Digitalis), a biennial unpretentious plant. She feels quite good both in the sun and in the shade. A tall (more than one and a half meters) peduncle is crowned with a one-sided spike of large bells. Their coloring is very diverse. It can be pink, white, yellow, purple, red, as well as with a pattern of blurry spots and dark dots. Blooms almost all summer. Very beautiful, but poisonous plant.

Digitalis

The backdrop is lush bushes of two types of hydrangeas: tree hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) and large-leaved or garden hydrangea (Hydrángea macrophýlla). This type of shrub loves light shade. Blooms in summer. Beautiful caps of pink, blue and white flowers cover almost the entire bush and look incredibly beautiful.

Hydrangea
Large-leaved hydrangea (garden)

Phlox paniculata

Also occupying the upper tier is paniculata phlox (Phlox paniculata), a perennial with many varieties. Their coloring is very diverse, there are also two-colored ones. Height ranges from 60 cm to 1.3 m. Flowers are collected in fairly dense inflorescences various forms. They bloom all summer and some varieties even in autumn. Shade-tolerant and unpretentious plant, but sensitive to drought.

The middle tier, along with hostas and bergenia, is occupied by perennial shade-loving flowers - astilbe (Astilbe) and aquilegia (Aquilegia). Astilbe can be called a universal plant; it can grow almost anywhere. But the ideal place for it is partial shade. Valued by designers for its beautiful paniculate inflorescences of small flowers of various colors. Blooms in summer. (You can find out more about this elegant plant). Aquilegia is also a lover of partial shade. The unusual shape of the flower with a spur gives it its charm. The colors of the flowers are varied - both single-color and two-color. For its ability to collect droplets of water in flowers, it was given a second name - catchment.

Astilbe
Astilbe
Aquilegia

The lower tier is decorated with soft mantle (Alchemilla mollis), heuchera (Heuchera) and garden primrose (Primula).

Cuff is a creeping perennial with inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers. The main advantage of this plant is its rounded fan-shaped leaves, with pubescent, slightly concave blades, on which droplets of dew miraculously linger, giving the plant additional charm. Practically does not suffer from the illumination of the area. Feels normal everywhere.

Cuff (flowers)
Cuff

Heuchera is a very popular plant due to its decorative leaves and small (up to 50 cm) height. The round-lobed, pubescent leaves are collected in a rosette. Their colors are varied: green, red, yellow, silver-gray. The flowers, similar to bells, are collected in small loose panicles of white and reddish-pink shades. Loves shaded places.

Heuchera

Primrose or primrose is a beautiful flower, the variety of its species allows flower beds to bloom from spring to autumn. In our case, we present a primrose that blooms in summer. Primroses are mostly low-growing, rounded leaves form a rosette. The flowers are collected in a group (bouquet) and have a variety of colors, both monochromatic and bicolor. They do not like direct sunlight and prefer to grow in partial shade.

Primrose (primrose)

You can also recall such summer shade-loving garden flowers as periwinkle (Vinca), Helenium (Helenium), bells (Campanula), forget-me-not (Myosotis), kupena (Polygonatum multiflorum), Rogersia (Rodgersia) and others.

Periwinkle
Helenium
Bells

Forget-me-not
Kupena
Rogersia

Autumn

In autumn, the sun gradually loses its activity, the flowering of plants begins to decline, but nevertheless, it is still possible to create an attractive shady flower garden at this time. Let's look at the diagram.

As you can see, the autumn composition does not spoil us with blooms. Now plants with beautiful leaves are coming to the rescue again. Among them are various different varieties hosts, namely Siebold (Hosta sieboldii), swollen (Hosta ventricosa) and wavy (Hosta undulata). The hybrid astilbe (Astilbe) also helps us out, blooming in early autumn with pretty panicles. The spreading black cohosh (Cimicifuga rasemosa), which grows up to 2 m, also pleases with its flowering. Its flowers are small, white, collected in a pyramidal inflorescence, and have a specific medicinal smell. The stem and leaves of this type of black cohosh are green-violet in color, which is also decorative. Since black cohosh is a forest plant, it grows well in the shade.

Hosta Siebold
Hosta Siebold
Hosta swollen

Hosta wavy

Every homestead or summer cottage has shaded areas where the sun's rays practically do not penetrate. As a rule, recreation areas are created there, where it is good to wait out the summer heat. For this reason, I want to make this place beautiful and attractive, for example, by arranging a flower bed here. However, it should be borne in mind that not every plant is able to develop normally with a lack of sunlight.

What flowers can be planted in the shade at the dacha? Today, gardeners know dozens of varieties, including annuals and perennial crops that can survive and maintain their decorative properties in such conditions.

Distinctive features of shade-loving plants

Cultures that prefer to “live” away from the sun’s rays can be divided into two groups.

Not all garden flowers are able to grow and develop in the shade.

The first includes shade-loving plants that will take root and grow even in the most shaded area. The second category combines shade-tolerant crops, still need daylight, albeit in small quantities. And also among these varieties there are flowers that can grow in both open and shaded flower beds.

On a note. Shade and semi-shade plants are characterized by an increased need for moisture and intolerance to drought, as well as, in most cases, a short flowering period. But at the same time, many crops have the original shape of shrubs or leaves, which makes them decorative and allows you to create a luxurious flower bed in the shade.

Plants that can be planted in the shade at the dacha: description and photo

To create a flowerbed in the shade, you can choose one plant variety, but compositions of several species look most advantageous. When wondering what flowers to plant, you should pay attention to the crops listed below.

Periwinkle

This perennial plant is a kind of “green carpet” of dense creeping stems covered with dark green leaves. This crop blooms profusely in the spring, and the shade of the petals can be white, blue, blue, lilac or violet.

The advantage of the small periwinkle is that it can grow in any light: in the sun, in partial shade or in shaded areas. In addition, all its varieties are cold-resistant and winter quietly under the cover of snow.

This plant also has a second name - “Solomon’s seal”. This culture has a strong, branched rhizome and is abundantly covered with large leaves that are dark green or variegated with light veins.

The flowering period of kupena occurs in May and lasts 21-28 days. At this time, bell-shaped flowers appear on the bushes, colored white, cream, pink, greenish or purple. After they wither, the fruits ripen in the form of red or dark blue berries.

This culture will take root well in the shade and will look good next to ferns, doronicum, irises, tulips or primroses.

Attention! When planting and caring for this plant, precautions should be taken, since all its parts are poisonous.

This low bush from 30 to 40 cm, covered with small leaves and producing a large number of ground cover flowers, is an excellent honey plant. If you taste the peduncle, it will be sweet.

Lungwort can be recognized by white spots on the leaves and flowers, the petals of which can change color from pink to blue. This crop is an early flowering crop, and the first buds appear already in April.

The plant is a perennial, and it is recommended to divide and replant it every 3 years.

This culture produces buds in early spring and is pleasing to the eye. beautiful flowers from April to May. Primrose bushes are low, from 10 to 20 cm in length, and the flowers are double, decorated with “rims” of various shades along the edge of the petals.

Such a perennial will feel great in the shade, sheltered from the sun's rays by tall plants. There are many varieties of this crop and you can combine several varieties with different petal colors in a flowerbed.

Advice. Primrose is extremely difficult to grow from seeds at home, so it should be propagated by dividing old bushes, or purchasing ready-made seedlings.

These are large plants, capable of reaching from 1 to 1.8 m in height. Such plantings will look good along a fence in a shaded area.

You can recognize Rogers by its finger-like leaves on long petioles and flowers without petals, collected in fluffy panicles. This perennial propagates by dividing the bush; such manipulations are allowed in spring or autumn.

Caring for Rogers requires abundant watering in dry summers and cutting the bush at the root in the fall, after flowering has ended.

If there are corners on the plot where the sun practically does not penetrate, smilatsina will become the best option for decorating a flower bed in this place.

These are perennial plants ranging from 60 to 90 cm in height, with arched stems and racemose inflorescences consisting of small star-shaped flowers. They decorate the bushes from May to June and exude a subtle, pleasant aroma, and at the end of the flowering period they are replaced by red berries.

When choosing a place for smilacina, it is important to pay attention to the fact that the sun’s rays practically do not penetrate into this area, and, if necessary, create shading.

This perennial crop, 30 to 50 cm high, blooms in different time, depending on the type. For some, this period occurs in May and June, and some varieties bloom from early summer until September.

Tiarella is distinguished by beautiful green leaves, which turn bronze or red in autumn, and small flowers collected in racemose panicles. The plant takes root well under tall trees with a dense crown, does not tolerate exposure to direct sunlight and is intolerant of lack of moisture.

This is far from full list plants that can grow in the shade. Here are the most common types that do not require special care.

Plants for growing in partial shade with descriptions and photos

There is a much wider choice of plants that are suitable for growing in partial shade. These include the types presented below.

This is a tall plant, reaching 90 cm in length with pinnately dissected leaves, which acquire a copper tint in spring. Astilbe flowers are collected in beautiful panicles, which remain on the bushes until autumn.

This culture can be placed in the middle of a flower bed or in the background in a semi-shaded area. The perennial is very unpretentious, but it needs plenty of watering, especially on hot days. There are also drought-resistant species of this plant, for example, Chinese astilbe.

Astrantia or asterisk

This perennial from the Apiaceae family is a lush bush with small green leaves and small “star” flowers, consisting of delicate, sharp petals and a fluffy center. Depending on the variety, they can be colored in different shades, from light pink to dark purple.

The plant is unpretentious and adapts perfectly to any conditions, feeling equally well both in open areas and in partial shade or dense shade of trees, however, in the absence of sunlight it will not bloom so profusely.

The advantage of astrantia is its long flowering period, which lasts throughout the summer months.

This crop has small white or blue flowers with short spurs. It can be both tall and dwarf for a rock garden.

Columbine plants love shaded areas and bloom profusely from June to May. To extend this period, you will need to promptly remove dried buds and regularly add moisture on dry days.

The plant propagates by seeds, which can be placed in a garden bed in the spring, and perennial bushes are divided, performing these manipulations in April.

This is a beautiful perennial plant, reaching a height of up to 30 cm. Most often, dicentra is planted along borders, in areas protected from the sun.

From May to June, these plantings with feathery foliage are decorated with beautiful medallion-shaped flowers located on arched peduncles. The color of the petals can be pink, purple or red.

Attention! Since the roots of this crop are shallow, you should not loosen the soil in the flowerbed so as not to damage the underground part. It is also worth protecting the dicentra from drafts, otherwise it will have a bad effect on its growth and development.

These low bushes, reaching from 10 to 20 cm, are grown in the shade not only as decorative culture, from May to June, covered with small white flowers, but also for the sake of tasty and healthy berries, which appear in July.

Strawberries multiply quickly and are aggressive. If its growth is not controlled, it will suppress weaker crops and spread throughout the entire area.

Siberian iris

This is a beautiful medium-sized plant with long green leaves and unusual shape flowers. Their colors can be white, yellow, pink, lavender, blue, crimson and purple.

The best place to grow irises is in shaded areas. The culture is unpretentious and does not require special care; it looks great as an independent decoration of the front garden or as an element of mixed plantings.

Garden fern

There are many types of this ornamental plant, which differ in bush shape, leaf color and size.

There are ferns that grow only up to 30 cm, for example, the subspecies maidenhair, which can be recognized by its yellow-green leaves arranged in a layer.

There are also tall varieties of fern, for example, ostrich fern, which grows up to 1.5 m and attracts attention with elegant light green leaves, shaped like ostrich feathers, for which it received its name.

Snowdrop

These are early bloomers bulbous plants, related to low-growing crops. Snowdrop bushes with elongated dark green leaves reach a height of only 15-20 cm.

The flowers of the crop are small, bell-shaped, greenish-white in color. They appear in early spring and are pleasing to the eye for only a few weeks.

Snowdrops should be planted in soil rich in microelements and flavored with humus in shaded areas.

Despite the fact that the ideal location for this crop is partial shade, it is able to survive and not lose its decorative effect even with an acute shortage of sunlight.

These are beautiful lush bushes with grassy-green foliage, which in the fall changes color to golden or crimson, giving the plantings a special charm. The flowers of the culture are double, collected in lush inflorescences, and the petals have different colors, from light pink to dark purple.

This low-growing perennial, during the flowering period exudes a stunning thick aroma. Depending on the species, the bushes can reach a height of 10 to 20 cm, and the petals are colored white, yellow, blue, pink, lilac or purple.

Some types of violets bloom in May, and this period does not last long, while some varieties can please the eye throughout the summer and bloom only in September.

Violets should be planted in shade or partial shade and watered abundantly during drought. In addition, the plant should be protected from attacks by slugs, and dried inflorescences should be removed in a timely manner to prolong the flowering period.

This culture can be annual or perennial. The first reach a height of 20 to 50 cm, and the second grow up to 50-80 cm. The flowers are bell-shaped and collected in inflorescences, the diameter of which reaches 10 cm. The petals are round or pointed, depending on the variety, and the colors can be very varied .

The plant loves partial shade and blooms profusely in the second half of summer. To preserve the decorative appearance of phloxes, they need to be watered moderately, mulch the soil in the spring, and cut the bushes at the roots at the end of autumn.

This border perennial, up to 50 cm tall, is grown for its luxurious foliage, which is bluish-green with longitudinal stripes of white or yellow.

Hosta blooms from June to August, and feels best in partial shade under trees. The flowers of the plant resemble bells and are collected in paniculate inflorescences.

Before planting hostas in open ground, you will need to drain the soil well and add organic matter, and during the period of active growth, protect the plantings from slugs.

Read about at different times of the year.

Before giving preference to one or another type of plant, you need to familiarize yourself with the recommendations for planting it and subsequent care.

Shade or partial shade: how to determine the degree of shading of an area

Many gardeners, especially beginners, have difficulty determining the degree of shade in an area. This can be done by observing how the area is illuminated by rays during the summer solstice, namely June 21 and 22.

Partial shade areas are areas illuminated by the sun during one of the following time periods:

• from sunrise to 11:00 o'clock;
• from 8:00 to 12:00 hours;
• no more than 2 hours 30 minutes between 10:00 and 14:00;
• from 12:00 to 18:00 hours;
• from 13:00 until sunset.

Before choosing flowers, you should determine the degree of shading of the area.

Shaded areas are considered to be areas where the sun's rays “look” during one of these periods:

• from sunrise to 8:00 am;
• from 8:00 to 10:00 am;
• no more than 1 hour between 11:00 and 12:00;
• from 11:00 to 16:00 hours;
• from 15:00 until sunset.

It should also be remembered that plants are able to use not only direct or diffused sunlight, but also sunlight reflected from buildings and the soil surface. To “lighten” areas, fences and walls of buildings are painted white, and paths are covered with light-colored materials.

Guided by this information, it will not be difficult for the gardener to choose correct area for one or another type of planting and arrange beautiful flower bed by growing healthy, viable flowers.

In the video, the gardener talks about shade-loving flowers that you can grow in your dacha.

Shade-tolerant annuals grow and bloom in light partial shade. Most of the beautifully and long-flowering annuals can withstand light afternoon shading from the scorching rays of the sun.

Shadow intensity

Each area is illuminated non-uniformly. The following shadow areas are distinguished:

• scattered - from the foliage of trees through which the sun's rays pass;
• dense – often created by leafy trees;
• partial – the sun hits here for a while;
• stable - or deaf, located on the north side of buildings, fences, dense planting of conifers.

Shade-loving and shade-tolerant annuals can grow in deep and dense shade, but without flowers. For flowering annuals, areas with partial and diffuse shade are most suitable. Many shade-tolerant annuals suitable for flowers partial shade, especially in the middle of the day.

Important! Lightly shaded areas are enlivened by shade-tolerant and shade-loving annuals with white and yellow flowers: cosmos, lobelia, calceolaria, mimulus, fragrant tobacco, asters (Callistephus chinensis).

How to choose annuals for shade

Florists divide plants into shade-loving and shade-tolerant. The first category includes flowers that primarily grow in the shade and produce lush greenery, but become less picturesque in open areas. Shade-tolerant plants are flowering annuals that only need a few hours of sunlight to fully develop. Annual flowers for shady areas are provided with the required soil type.

Shade-loving annuals are flowers that grow naturally in forests: balsam, begonia, mimulus, calceolaria, sweet tobacco, climbing peas, saxifrage, alyssum. Shade-tolerant plants include beautifully flowering annuals: asters, ageratum, mirabilis, nasturtium, calendula, chamomile, mallow, cosmos, iberis.

Advice! Lush flowering bushes of shade-loving begonia, shade-tolerant lobelia, nasturtium, and low marigolds will help hide the withered leaves of spring bulbs under trees.

Annual shade-loving flowers for the garden

Shade-loving annuals with dense, green foliage are planted in corners with diffused light.

Balsam

Shade-loving balsam can be used indoors or in gardens. Sometimes domestic perennial species are found in flower beds. A beautifully flowering shade-loving annual with a corolla, which differs from indoor plants, is planted in partial shade. They provide fertile, light soil, which is loosened and watered, and fed with mineral complexes until buds.

Seeds are sown in March and moved to the garden at the end of May-June. Flowering seedlings have been coloring the area since June. They are also sown in the garden; flowers appear from August to autumn. The palette of petals is varied: red, pink, purple and white shades.

Begonia

Typical annual flowers that grow in the shade are ever-blooming begonias. From low, 15-20 cm, shade-loving plants, designers create spectacular bedspreads in flower beds. The flowers of different varieties are white, pink, crimson, red, orange, yellow; simple and terry. Flowering varieties differ in the shape and color of the leaves - green or bronze. The shade-loving crop grows on fertilized and moist soils and requires regular watering. Blooms from June to October.

They are planted as seedlings, the seeds are sown very early, at the end or even mid-January in a poorly nutritious substrate. The seedlings develop slowly at first and look weak. They dive in a month and a half. They are moved to the flowerbed from the end of May. After transplantation, they are fed with nitrogen preparations for lush growth. Fertilize with mineral complexes with low nitrogen content before bud formation and flowering. Drip irrigation is used for begonias.

Saxifrage

Modest, unpretentious flowers Shade-loving saxifrage has a bright color, 20-30 cm high. This annual prefers dry, shady places. The soil is suitable: ordinary, garden, light. On heavy soils, drainage must be provided, since the shade-loving annual does not tolerate stagnant water. Feed once a month along with watering with mineral fertilizers, excluding nitrogen fertilizers.

Saxifraga is sown in early spring in boxes, which are placed in the cold for 15-20 days so that the seeds undergo stratification. Small grains are sprinkled with sand. The seedlings are transferred to the garden in June. Seeds are also sown immediately after the snow melts. Under such conditions, natural stratification takes place. The annual shade-loving saxifrage blooms in July and decorates the garden until autumn. They sell a multi-colored mixture of pink, light red and white shades.

Calceolaria

Sometimes shade-loving indoor flowers with cheerful colors are planted in the garden for the summer. But how are garden crops popularized by more unpretentious ones? flowering species. Shade-loving Mexican calceolaria or rugose calceolaria, a flower native to Chile, is placed near the stream, under the trees. Bright annual shade-loving flowers need fertile soil, organic matter, and watering. To get flowering from May, they are grown as seedlings. When sowing seeds in the garden, you admire the bright blooming lanterns on the plants from June to autumn.

The corollas of both shade-loving species are light yellow. Calceolaria Mexicana, 20-50 cm high, with beautiful small flowers up to 5 mm in diameter, which enliven shady areas. The Chilean species is the same height, but the flowering corollas are larger - up to 1.5-2 cm. Some hybrids have decorative brown dots on yellow petals.

Mimulus

Also suitable for a coastal zone or marshy area are low-growing, shade-loving annuals that bloom all summer, such as mimulus. Popularly, expressive flowers that reach a diameter of 5-8 cm are often called lipsticks for the shape of the petals. The bushes rise to 20-30 cm. They are placed in border plantings, on the discounts that are located on the north side. Shade-loving plants develop best in moist, fertile soil, which is regularly loosened. Feed with complex fertilizers.

Grow by seedlings: seeds are sown in April, without covering with soil. After two months, the seedlings are transferred to permanent place. Flowers decorate the site all summer. The shade-loving plant produces colorful buds regardless of the amount of sunlight it receives. Then the shoots are pruned, stimulating the appearance of a new wave of flowering, which continues until late autumn. This beautifully flowering annual can withstand early frosts down to 3 o C. The corollas are bright, with stripes and streaks.

Shade-tolerant annual flowers

Many beautifully blooming annual flowers will adapt to dappled to partial shade if given 4-5 hours of sun in the morning and evening. In some shade-tolerant flowers, the corolla remains brightly colored, while in others it becomes paler. Shade-tolerant annuals that bloom throughout the warm season, unlike shade-loving ones, grow well in the sun.

Cosmea

The unpretentious, shade-tolerant annual retains cheerful colors everywhere: white, pink, purple in the double-pinnate cosmos, bright orange and yellow in the sulfur-yellow. Different varieties have been bred that differ in plant height and petal border, semi-double and with a corolla up to 12 cm in diameter. On fertile soils and with sparse planting, it forms more green openwork mass than flowers; tall varieties rise to 120-160 cm.

Shade-tolerant cosmos grows on fertile and relatively poor, loose soils and tolerates drought. Sown in the garden in May-April, blooms from July until frost. The shade-tolerant annual is also grown as seedlings, planted in May. Cosmea reproduces successfully by self-sowing, and the sprouts are also transplanted. Samoseykas bloom earlier - from the second ten days of June.

Attention! Rich flowering of cosmos is ensured by timely removal of faded heads.

Marigold

Brightly flowering annuals are sun-loving, but also shade-tolerant. There are 3 common types: erect, low-growing, thin-leaved. The height of the flowers varies from 20 to 130 cm. Marigolds develop well on fertile loams and require abundant watering at the beginning of growth. Seeds are sown in the soil when it warms up to 15 o C. Shade-tolerant plants bloom from July until the end of the warm season.

For flowering, seedlings are grown in June and transferred to the garden when the threat of frost has passed. Erect or African marigolds are tall, with double flowers in warm colors ranging from orange and yellow to creamy white. Shade-tolerant marigolds grow up to 20-60 cm, come with full inflorescences and simple ones. The colors are enriched with deep red-brown shades. Fine-leaved marigolds have bright red-orange and golden colors. This, still quite rare species in our gardens, has beautiful openwork foliage.

Lobelia

These annual flowers develop well in diffuse shade, as well as in the sun. Compact spherical bushes 10-20 cm in height, with small, up to 1.5-2 cm flowers in white and blue tones, some blue, violet, purple. Blooms from May to September.

The shade-tolerant annual, which blooms all summer, reproduces by seedlings: the seeds are sown from the beginning of February in a substrate of coconut fiber, sand, garden soil. Small grains are laid out on the surface, lightly sprinkled with sand so that the moisture does not evaporate so quickly. Watering is regular, and the temperature is not higher than 20 o C. The first month the sprouts develop slowly. After two months, 2-3 seedlings are planted in pots. When shade-tolerant plants rise to 6-7 cm, they are pinched for splendor. Plant in loam or sandy loam and water abundantly.

Nasturtium

A good annual for shade that blooms all summer is nasturtium. This is an unpretentious, drought-resistant plant. Young bushes are watered abundantly. In the dense shade you may not be able to wait for flowering, but the leaves are lush and beautiful and are used in salads. Low-growing shade-tolerant plants rise up to 20-50 cm, decorated with large corollas up to 5 cm in diameter. Warm colors - yellow, orange, red, crimson, and sometimes fawn. Climbing nasturtium, up to 3 m, requires a sunny place.

The seeds are planted in the spring on the site, deepening it into the soil by 2-3 cm, when the warmth finally sets in, in the middle or end of May. When propagating seedlings in April, they are sown in separate pots, because the root system is weak and superficial and is easily injured. Shade-tolerant plants love slightly acidic, light soil and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers before flowering.

Sweet tobacco

Fragrant evening plants from 20 to 90 cm in height depending on the variety, blooming in shades of crimson, pink, and white. Shade-tolerant flowers up to 4-8 cm in diameter, open from June to October. Planted in partial shade on light loams, they provide moisture; tobacco does not tolerate drought well. Planted once, it spreads by self-seeding, but blooms later.

Seeds are sown in March and early April, only lightly covered with substrate. They are planted in separate containers when the second leaf appears. Move to the flowerbed at the end of May.

Conclusion

Shade-tolerant annuals add variety to unsightly areas under trees or in the yard. They are mostly unpretentious and easy to care for. Planted as seedlings or directly from seeds into the ground, the flowers will create a colorful appearance.

Related Posts

There are no similar entries.

A rich, varied garden is the pride of any owner! But when the garden grows, the gardener is faced with the problem of what to plant in the shade of the trees. And buildings can significantly shade the site. Almost every summer resident eventually has a question: what plants can be planted in the shade? And there are not so few design options for shady corners.

What to plant in the shade - a list of shade-tolerant perennials

It’s hard to imagine a home or home without a garden. country cottage area, after all, having free territory, how can you deny yourself the pleasure of growing fruits and berries rich in vitamins? Along with the growth and development of trees, there are fewer and fewer sunny and light areas in the yard.

In addition to fruit and berry crops, shade is created by ornamental shrubs planted to decorate the territory, unexpectedly large trees with a lush crown, growing wild behind a fence or among neighbors, as well as walls of buildings and blank fences.

It's time to remember that there is a large category of perennial shade-tolerant and shade-loving plants that grow well not only in partial shade, but also in full. So why not decorate empty and boring shady areas with luxurious flower beds, lovely lawns, or create a recreation area with pleasant landscaping in the cool shade?

We determine the degree of shady area, assess the difficulties

First, you need to assess the degree of shading of the area, pay attention to soil moisture, and also think about what difficulties may arise when planting, for example, drafts and tree roots located near the surface.

1. Combinations of building walls and high fences, dense plantings of trees and shrubs create significant shadow. These are really dark areas where daylight barely penetrates during the day, not to mention the sun's rays.
2. The crowns of mature trees and shrubs, light hedges provide diffuse shadow. Such areas are partially illuminated during the day.

What problems may arise when decorating shady areas of the garden?

Critical Shadow

Often on sites there are places that represent a kind of blind corner, for example, on one side there is a wall of a building, on the other there is a blind fence, and on top it is shaded by tree branches. Such an area can hardly be decorated with plants, but it’s easy to arrange it as a place to relax! A paved or mulched area, a table, a bench or a sun lounger in such a place is a pretty good idea for relaxing in the summer heat.

Tree roots located near the soil surface

It is almost impossible to dig up such a place. Covering with a layer of earth is not the best idea; the roots will grow to a new level, and if the embankment is too voluminous, the trees may die due to oxygen deficiency. Therefore, in such a place you should abandon flower beds; it is better to decorate the area with ground cover plants and containers with flowers.

Low tree branches

Of course, there can be no talk of a flower garden if the branches are located at a distance of half a meter from the surface of the earth. When there is no opportunity or desire to remove the lower branches, but you want to decorate the place, then this can be done with mulch, which will give two advantages - a neat, well-groomed appearance, and the absence of weeds. The mulch layer should be no more than 5–10 cm, otherwise it can harm the trees.

Features of arranging a shady garden

Taking into account the fact that perennials are best suited for decorating a shady area, you should approach the choice of plants with special responsibility, and it is better to plan a flower garden - draw examples of successful flower beds, dream up and imagine how they will look in the future.

When choosing a place for plants in shady garden be sure to remember that they are divided into two types - shade-tolerant and shade-loving, some require almost no sunlight, while others need it at least partially. For significant shadows, special selection should be made unpretentious species. Plants are drought-resistant and moisture-loving; dry shade is suitable for the former, and places with well-moistened soil are suitable for the latter.

It is advisable to immediately decide on the location of paths, garden fences, figurines and other decorative elements for the garden, and also take care that the planted flower beds are not damaged during harvesting. Think carefully about their location and provide the opportunity to approach the tree and install a stepladder.

Perennials for the shade garden

So, you have done a little diagnostics of the site and studied some of its features from the point of view of ease of garden care. Now let's figure out what plants can be planted in the shade.

• Aquilegia. It blooms extremely rarely in significant shade; partial shade with well-moistened soil is more suitable.
  
• Aconite. Loves a humid environment and tolerates shade well, but it is better not to plant under a dense canopy of trees.
• Astilbe. A shade-tolerant, moisture-loving plant, however, good, dense flowering can only be expected when exposed to sunlight.
  
• Badan. In conditions of significant shade it grows profusely, but blooms poorly and loves moisture.
  
• Periwinkle. ground cover plant with silver foliage and blue flowers will perfectly decorate a shady garden with an incredibly beautiful carpet under the treetops.
• Brunner. An absolutely unpretentious plant with broad foliage, the flowers look like forget-me-nots.
  
• Buzulnik. Unpretentious and incredibly beautiful with its large leaves.
• Monetary loosestrife. An early flowering ground cover plant, adapts well to sparse shade from trees.
  
• Volzhanka. Unpretentious, large and beautiful flowering plant. There are miniature species (~25 cm).
  
• Heuchera. Does not like drafts and complete shade; sunlight is needed at least two hours a day. In waterlogged soil, the plant will die.
  
• Garden geranium. A beautiful perennial, it grows well in dense shade, but it is better to plant in partial shade, it loves moisture.
  
• Dicentra. All varieties grow well in partial shade and shade, and are moisture-loving.
• Elecampane. An unpretentious plant.
• Doronicum. In early spring, while the buds on the fruit trees have not yet blossomed, you will be pleased with pleasant flowers.
  
• Darmera thyroid. An unpretentious decorative foliage plant.
• Tenacious. Suitable for dry partial shade and shade.
  
• Bell. Medium and tall varieties are suitable for a shady garden.
• Swimsuit (European, yellow, Siberian and orange). Yellow is the most shade-tolerant and demanding of moisture.
• Bought. An unpretentious tall plant.
  
• Lily of the valley. Grows well even in full shade.
• Wild strawberry. Loves moist shade and partial shade.
  
• Day-lily. For shade, you can choose an early flowering one. yellow variety and late blooming orange. In partial shade it will bloom well, but in significant shade the bush will become too sparse.
  
• Lupine. Can be planted in partial shade.
• Lungwort. Tolerates any shade well and loves moisture.
  
• Hellebore. Just like the previous plant, it blooms in early spring, so it can be planted under fruit trees.
  
• Peppermint. Grows well in diffuse shade and grows strongly.
• Sedum runner. It grows quickly and thrives in partial shade.
• Fern. Any species tolerates any shade well and loves moisture. This is exactly what can be safely planted in the shade behind the house.
  
• Liverwort. An early flowering plant that tolerates shade from trees well.
  
• Ivy. All varieties are absolutely unpretentious.
  
• Primroses. Almost all varieties and species grow well in partial shade. It blooms in spring, so can be planted under tree canopies. Primroses are often planted in full shade, but they will not bloom well in such conditions.
  
• Rogersia concochestanifolia. A chic, unpretentious plant with large foliage and beautiful flowering.
  
• Cyanosis. An unpretentious plant that is often unjustifiably neglected by gardeners.
• Common moth. Green and variegated leaves are suitable for shady areas.
  
• Spiraea. A shade-tolerant herbaceous perennial, it can be planted in the background of flower beds.
  
• Tiarella. The plant can be planted in deep shade and is drought-resistant.
  
• Fragrant violet. It is better to choose a white-flowered variety; violet with a blue flower quickly turns into a weed; the plant tolerates any shade well.
  
• Hosta. Almost all varieties grow well in any shade, except for species with white and yellow stripes on the foliage - they need at least partial sunlight. Loves moisture.
  
• Speckled lily. A low and unpretentious flowering plant.

Daffodils and small-bulbed plants such as crocuses, scilla, snowdrop, spring whiteflower, chionodoxa and others grow well in the shade - they manage to bloom before the buds of fruit trees bloom.

Design options for shady areas

Flower beds

Taking into account the variety of plants in size, height, flowering period and decorative value, designing flower beds becomes enjoyable, creative activity with a lot various options. You can create a combined composition where the plants will bloom one after another or make a flower garden in which the main ones will not be flowering varieties, but with beautiful and colorful foliage. Imagine!

You can decorate and edge flower beds with small mounds of small pebbles, colored wood chips, mulch or decorative low fences, and sow lawn grass around them and pave paths.

Rock garden

Why not? Stones can be placed among flower beds, used as edging, or large specimens can be installed in different parts garden, decorate them with smaller stones, and to prevent them from looking boring, you can plant unobtrusive cereal perennials or ferns nearby.

Relaxation area and decorative elements

It is not at all necessary to arrange a leisure space with complex structures in a shady garden; a small table with a bench, a hammock or a simple small bench near a flowerbed will be enough. Garden figures and paths of various types, flowers in pots, etc. will be useful. The main thing is that the territory allows it.

Design of tree trunk circles

You can decorate the tree trunk area under three conditions: the tree must be mature and without surface roots; plants should not be planted too close to the tree trunk. For large trees with a lush crown and low-lying branches, it is necessary to select drought-resistant plants or plant early flowering species.

Well, some shade-tolerant vegetables and herbs can be added to the garden. For example, we often plant tomatoes to protect apple and pear trees from the codling moth. There are quite a few plants that can protect fruit trees from pests, for example, nasturtium will protect apple and cherry trees from apple borer and blood aphids, and daisies and marigolds will protect against aphids and nematodes. Lilies of the valley are a preventive measure against coccomycosis in stone fruits.

We study such properties of plants in practice and describe them on the pages of our website “ECOgarden for everyone”, because it’s so cool to use natural phytoncides to protect plants without resorting to chemicals.

There are many variations in the design of tree-trunk flower beds; they can be ordinary or multi-level; asymmetry and flower beds in the shape of a semicircle are welcome, especially if the trees grow along the wall.

A desolate area located in the shade can be turned into a fabulous, incredibly beautiful place. Use these tips and you will not have any questions about what to plant in the shade on your site.