Thursday, September 3, 2009

Shade Loving Perennials for Containers

If you do not have a lot of gardening space, and the space that you have is often shady, you are probably in need of some shade loving perennials suitable for containers. Selecting the proper plants can be a challenge since you will need to consider both the light requirements and the space requirements of plants, but there are several shade loving perennials that are suitable for container gardening.

Three of the best shade loving perennials for containers belong to the following plant families:
  1. Huecheras. There are over 50 different species of huecheras available, and some of the most commonly known varieties go by names such as coral bells and alumroot. Most have very colorful foliage and are well suited for shade conditions. Ask at your local plant nursery about which varieties are best suited for containers.

  2. Hostas. The hosta is probably the most well known shade plant and there are hundreds of varieties available. For a container, you will need to select a plant that is small in size (depending on the size of your container, of course), but you should still have a wide variety of selections available to you at your local nursery or online.

  3. Brunneras. Another excellent shade loving perennial plant suitable for container gardening. The variety "Mr. Morse" is an excellent option for containers, and is consider by many to be one of the top ten shade loving perennials suitable for any garden.
So, if you have a small spot in the shade in need of some plants, consider one of these shade loving perennials for your yard.

For more suggestions, tips and advice on how to create a beautiful shade garden, please return to the Shade Perennial Garden homepage.