Gardening Made in the Shade

Summer is at its peak and your gardens should be looking their glorious best. I hope so, because for most of us it’s too hot to work in the garden for any length of time. Last week I mentioned how refreshing it is to have a few shade trees in your landscape. Why not take advantage of that shade and put in a shade garden?

Shade gardeners know that not only is the shade a welcome respite for the gardener, many plants will thank you for the cool relief. Don’t think shade gardening means a collection of Hosta and Impatiens. Certainly there are enough Hostas on the market to make an entire garden of them, but why limit yourself when there are hundreds of wonderful plants for growing in shade, as well as many sun lovers that will tolerate and even enjoy the relief of partial shading.

And shade gardening lets you hone your design skills by working more with form and texture and worrying less about having something in bloom at all times. Now is the perfect time for a garden made in the shade.

• Shade Gardening - Planning for Color and Interest with Shade Garden Plants
• Top Picks for Shade Garden Perennials