The Best Plants for Shade & How to Grow Them

If you’ve got big trees in your yard, or if tall buildings and fences surround your yard, you may not get much sun. But that doesn’t mean you can’t grow a lush, vibrant garden! There are plenty of beautiful plants that thrive in full shade. If you’re having trouble finding shade-tolerant plants to add to your yard, these stunners will fill your shady landscape with unbeatable colour. 

What Plants Will Grow in All Shade?

While many of our favourite garden plants need several hours of bright sunshine to stay vibrant and strong, other plants are more sensitive and can get scorched from direct sunlight. If any spots in your garden remain under shade for most of the day, consider planting any of these pretty plants. 

Coleus

Since the Victorian era, this annual plant has been popular for its colourful foliage and ability to grow in the sun or shade. Many cultivars are available with unique colours and patterns to suit your style. They are a fantastic option for garden beds, window boxes, or anywhere you want to fill with foliage. 

The best soil conditions for this shade-loving plant are rich, loose, and well-draining; you can add amendments to your soil, such as compost or perlite, before planting. Coleus is happiest with filtered morning sun and shade in the afternoon, so this is an excellent option if you have an east-facing garden bed alongside your home that needs some filler!

Beacon Impatiens

The Beacon impatiens are an excellent cultivar suitable for hanging baskets, windowboxes, shaded landscapes, and garden beds. Their bright blooms will perk up any shady corner in your landscape. This particular brand is highly resistant to powdery mildew so that you can grow your impatiens without worry. They come in many colours, including red, violet, orange, salmon, coral, white, and mixes. Feel free to plant these gorgeous plants in the shade with moist, well-draining soil.

Nonstop Begonias

They’re called nonstop for a reason! These double blooms will brighten the shady corners of your garden from spring to frost. You don’t need to deadhead the blooms either; simply plant and enjoy! Be sure to plant in a place with good air circulation and drainage to prevent mildew development. Planting in a wind-sheltered location will help protect those rose-like blooms that we love. Nonstop begonias come in a wide variety of colours and are deer and rabbit resistant, making them perfect for any garden!

Browallia

This lovely, low-growing plant loves the shade and is very low maintenance. Browallia has dark green foliage with blooms in blue, purple, and white shades. It grows quickly and looks lovely in containers, hanging baskets, tumbling over a rock wall, or a garden bed. You only need to prune browallia if it grows in a container and can’t get too big; otherwise, you can let it grow naturally. Be sure to give these plants lots of space to grow, planting seeds or seedlings at least 10 inches apart. Make sure that your browallia doesn’t get too much water, as this will result in more foliage than flowers. 

Fuchsias

Look no further for unique blooms with vibrant colours! Fuchsias are gorgeous plants with drooping blooms that stick around from spring to fall and make your containers look like a chandelier. They are lovely in hanging baskets and will attract hummingbirds to your yard! Be sure that your baskets or planters have good drainage so that your plant isn’t sitting in excess water. Fuchsia loves the shade and grows best in heat and humidity, so ensure that the weather is consistently warm before planting! 

Whether your yard is drenched with sun, filled with shade, or a little bit of both, the staff at Windsor Greenhouse can help you find the perfect plants to suit your space. Visit us soon to see all our available shade plants in Abbotsford, ready to plant now for spring 2022!