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Hostas have become
almost synonymous with shade gardens, and with good reason: hostas are
hardy, vigorous, and reliable. Although they produce attractive spikes
of purple or white flowers in midsummer, hostas are grown primarily for
their attractive foliage, and plant breeders have created varieties in
a remarkable range of sizes and colors.
Experienced gardeners
know the value of foliage plants. Many types of perennial flowers are
at peak bloom for just a few weeks. Plants with attractive foliage such
as hosta fill in the gaps and help create season-long interest. This is
especially true in shade gardens, since many shade-loving plants have
more subtle blooms or have a shorter bloom time than many familiar sun-loving
plants.
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When
designing your shade garden, consider texture as well as color.
Here, the bright orange flowers and straplike foliage of crocosmia
contrast nicely with the broad, variegated foliage of Grand
Master Hosta.
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Understanding
Light Levels
Full
sun is commonly defined as direct sunlight for at least 6 hours during
the middle part of the day. If your garden gets direct sunshine from sunrise
until noon, or from 3 p.m. on, even if that equals six hours in mid-summer,
consider the site part shade. Morning and evening sunlight isn’t as strong
as mid-day sunlight. The same goes for sites that receive filtered or
dappled sunlight all day. For areas that fit these descriptions, choose
plants designate for part shade.
If your garden is
located on the north side of your house or shaded by a dense tree canopy,
you’ll need to choose plants adapted to full shade.
Designing
a Shade Garden
Hostas fit the bill in both situations: they adapt well to both part and
full shade. Following is a chart with some good companion plants for hosta.
This is just a small selection, so don't limit yourself to just these
few.
| Plant
Type |
USDA
Zone |
Part
Shade |
Full
Shade |
Varieties |
| astillbe |
4
to 8 |
 |
|
Fanal, Ostrich
Plume, Sprite |
| baptisia |
3
or 4 to 8 |
|
|
Purple
Smoke, Carolina
Moonlight |
| bellflower |
4
or 5 to 9 |
|
|
Bowl
of Cherries, Kent
Belle, Pink
Chimes |
| bleeding
heart |
varies
depending on variety |
|
|
Alba,
Golden
Heart |
| dianthus |
4
to 8 |
|
|
Bath
Pink, Firewitch |
| geranium |
4
or 5 to 8 |
|
|
Midnight
Reiter, New
Hampshire |
| heuchera |
4
to 9 |
|
|
Purple
Palace |
| lysimachia |
4
to 8 |
|
|
Creeping
Jenny |
| pulmonaria
(lungwort) |
4
to 9 |
|
|
Baby
Blue, Emerald
Isles, High
Contrast |
| tiarella |
4
to 9 |
|
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Iron
Butterfly, Black
Snow Flake, Jeepers
Creepers |
| tradescantia |
4
to 9 |
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Sweet
Kate |
Ground
Covers
There are several
plants that make excellent groundcovers, including lady's mantle, lamium,
lily-of-the-valley, pachysandra, and vinca. Since it can be challenging
to establish a lawn in shady areas, consider replacing lawn grasses with
shade-tolerant ground covers under trees or on the north side of your
house--wherever it's shady. Hostas may be planted among the ground cover
plants, or can be used on their own to cover large expanses. Cheescake
is an especially good hosta variety for using as a groundcover--it spreads
quickly, and grows to a height of just 8 inches.
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