Even if your garden is mostly shady, you still can fill it with color. Many spring bulbs are ideal for planting in shady areas at the base of shrubs, beneath large shade trees, and along woodland paths. At this time of the year, the trees have no leaves yet. They are the earliest bulbs to bloom and the first food for bees: Snowdrops, Anemones, Fritillaria, Crocus, Narcissus, or Scilla are the first blooms in your garden. But don't forget to plant them in the fall! Other spring flowers such as Primula, Pulmonaria, Bleeding Heart, Foamflower, Spiderwort, Aquilegia, or Obelia.
Quite a few plants are thriving in shade gardens from early summer into fall. Some are colorful, some are white-blooming, and some have attractive silver leaves. However, flowering shrubs bloom best with some sun (preferably in the morning because the hot afternoon sun isn't a friend to shade lovers). And if you're planting shrubs or perennials, which come back every year, make sure they are suited to your hardiness zone.
Here is a selection of flowers that don't mind shade to plant this early fall or next spring - beside begonias, pansies, or impatiens:
Astranti: the Most Beautiful Shade Perennial You’ve Never Heard Of
https://seedterra.com/astrantia-masterwort-purple-seeds-astrantia-major/
Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica)
https://savvygardening.com/shade-loving-perennial-flowers/
Brunnera Macrophylla: Silver Leaf Plant for Shade
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/brunnera-macrophylla-looking-glass-siberian-bugloss
https://www.fromhousetohome.com/garden/compact-shade-plants/
https://www.gardenia.net/plant-variety/brunnera-macrophylla-siberian-bugloss
Switch Grass
https://www.bluestem.ca/panicum-rotstrahlbusch.htm
Japanese Painted Fern
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-and-care-for-japanese-painted-ferns-4691739
Goatsbeard
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/goats-beard/goats-beard-plant-info.htm
Astilbe
https://www.gardendesign.com/plants/astilbe.html
Variegated Solomon’s Seal
https://www.gardenista.com/posts/gardening-101-solomons-seal/
Hardy Cyclamen: My Favored Fall Shade Plants
https://garden-dream.blogspot.com/2021/09/hardy-cyclamen-becoming-my-favored-fall.html
Ligularia
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/ligularia-dentata-desdemona
Heuchera in all Colors: yellow, copper, or maroon
https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/heuchera
Hostas in blue-green, grey, or yellow - avoid the boring green ones...
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/hosta/growing-hosta-plants.htm
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As you can see, there are dozens and dozens of flowering blooms that gardeners can plant in the shade. Many people think that if they have a shady garden they can’t grow flowers. Nothing could be further from the truth! If you have a garden space with less than full sun, you can still have a beautiful flower garden.
