bright ideas for shade

Southern Living, Mar 2005 by Reed, Rebecca Bull

These easy plants shine where there is little light.

A COOL RESPITE, THE SHADE garden can be a study in understated elegance or an explosion of fantastic foliage, depending on your plant selections. Consider the following questions before shopping for plants, and, before long, you will become quite fond of your shady situation.

How Shady Is My Garden?

Jeff Zahner, horticulturist and owner of Chattooga Gardens in Cashiers, North Carolina, understands shade. "First you must identify how much sun you have," he advises.

* Deep shade, found under trees, against walls, and along the north side of buildings, receives no direct light.

* High or dappled shade, found in open woods or beneath high branches, receives bright but little direct light.

* Partial shade receives direct light for a limited amount of time during the day-usually for one to five hours.

Check plant tags for sun and shade information. If you are still unsure, ask your nursery professional, who will be glad to tell you what will work in your region.

Which Colors Will Look Best?

Light colors and variegated leaves are musts for the shade garden. Their reflective qualities brighten a dim space.

* Flowers that are white, pale pink, or soft lavender will glow in low light, where dark purples, blues, and reds will seem to recede and go unnoticed.

* Don't rely solely on flowers. Texture from leaves and fronds adds a whole lot of drama and depth to a space.

* Varying leaf size, shape, and form can be just as powerful as using color.

* Work in layers. Plant beneath trees and in front of shrubs to provide an assortment of heights from tall, fairy-like wands of foliage to ground-hugging creepers.

Do I Have Good Soil?

Consider your soil conditions. Whether you have clay or sand, be sure to amend with plenty of organic matter prior to planting.

* Shade plants usually prefer rich soil, but there are exceptions such as barrenwort (Epimedium sp.), bishop's weed (Aegopodium podagraria), and carpet bugleweed (Ajuga reptans).

* If areas with poor soil are too large to amend, it is important for you to select plants that will flourish even in unfavorable conditions.

* Dry, shaded soil with excessive tree roots can be particularly frustrating. Rather than spending your time fighting this problem, choose a plant such as barrenwort to fill thespace. REBECCA BULL REED

20 GREAT PLANTS FOR SHADE

American alum root

(Heuchera americana)

astilbe

(Astilbe × arendsii)

caladium

(Caladium bicolor)

coleus

(Coleus × hybridus)

coral beils

(Heuchera sanguinea)

edging lobelia

(Lobelia erinus)

false Solomon's seal

(Smilacina racemosa)

foamflower

(Tiarella cordifolia)

hellebore

(Helleborus sp.)

hosta

(Hosta sp.)

impatiens

(Impatiens walleriana)

Japanese painted fern

(Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum')

lady's-mantle

(Alchemilla mollis)

lungwort

(Pulmonaria sp.)

'Prelude Pink' wax begonia

(Begonia x semperflorens 'Prelude Pink')

Southern shield fern

(Thelypteris kunthii)

spiderwort

(Tradescantia virginiana)

strawberry begonia

(Saxifraga stolonifera)

variegated sedge

(Carex morrowii 'Variegata')

wishbone flower

(Torenia fournieri)