Posted June 6, 2019 in Plant and Tree
Walking up and down the long, straight, plant-lined aisles can be exhausting, especially when you’re fighting crowds while trying to read the care cards in the pots. All you wanted to do is find some plants that will tolerate the shaded parts of your landscape to complete the outdoor plan for your home, but you’re only met with frustration. While hunting for the perfect shade-loving plants can be a nice afternoon at the garden center, you can only peruse the plantings that are available at that location. A little research will serve you well when looking for something so specific, so let us do the groundwork for you!
First, let’s go over a few terms you may encounter in your quest for the ultimate shady characters for your space.
Shade tolerant: plants that are shade tolerant truly do prefer sunlight but will tolerate some hints of shade. This term is kind of deceiving since shade tolerant plants will not perform as well if they aren’t planted in full sun. Plants that do not receive enough sunlight will get leggy and their blooms may look a little pitiful, if you get any. Treat shade tolerant plants as full sun plants and you should be fine.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s start with annuals since they are already in bloom when ready to purchase. Many homeowners don’t like to purchase annuals because they will only provide joy for that one warm season, but instant color and interesting blooms sometimes just can’t be beat! Here are two of our favorite annuals that do well in shaded areas:
Groundcovers are amazing, they fill in and spread out over your landscaping beds, choking out weeds and eliminating the need for mulch in those areas over time…but which will perform in daytime shade?
This next group is known for their outstanding and dramatic foliage within the landscape making them sensational additions to dull or underwhelming areas around the property. Especially useful in areas of shade, you can count on the following perennial plantings to bring the dark areas to life:
It seems that homeowners are always desperately searching for flowering plants to brighten up the shady areas of the yard and we completely get it because colorful flowers certainly do make shadowy spots a little more joyful! Let’s take a look at a few drop-dead gorgeous shade location plantings guaranteed to lighten up the mood…
Last, but certainly not least, we come to flowering trees and shrubs, which are essentially the bones of a landscape. There are quite a few that will perform well in the shade, but here are a few of our favs:
There certainly are plenty of plants, flowers, vines, trees and shrubs that will work their magic in all types of shade locations, but this list is a good starting point for those who are looking for a little guidance! Actually, here at MasterPLAN Outdoor Living, we love educating homeowners as well as partnering with our clients to create beautiful and functional outdoor living spaces custom tailored for their family, home and lifestyle! We would love to experience the backyard transformation journey with you, discovering the true potential of your property to bring smiles and joy to your family. When you are ready to transform your backyard into the outdoor living space you have always wanted, reach out to MasterPLAN…we would love to welcome you into the family!
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