| I live in massachusetts and i have a lot of trees on my property. I do not have a green thumb and would like to know what types of flowers I can grow in my yard. Thank You. Shannon Goddard |
| There are lots of colorful plants you can include in your shade garden. Here are a few of my favorites: Rheinland Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii 'Rheinland') Zones 3-9. Clear pink plumes in June. 24? tall. Purple Lance Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis 'Purple Lance') Zones 3-9. Violet-purple, lance-shaped flowerheads. 40? tall. The Rocket Ligularia (Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket') Zones 4-9. Yellow flower spikes. 4? tall. Pink Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) Zones 3-9. Rose-pink blooms in late summer. 30? tall. Fairy Candles (Cimicifuga racemosa ?Atropurpurea?) Zones 3-9. Purple-veined leaves and stems, white wandlike flowers. 5' tall. Golden Corydalis (Corydalis lutea) Zones 4-9. Bright yellow flowers, ferny foliage. 12? tall. Fernleaf Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia ?Zestful?) Zones 3-9. Pink blooms, ferny foliage. 12?-15? tall. Barrenwort (Epimedium x youngianum 'Roseum') Zones 4-8. Pink flowers, heart-shaped leaves. 10? tall. Spotted Dead Nettle (Lamium maculatum ?Chequers?) Zones 3-9. Silver foliage, pink flowers. 8? tall. Elegans Hosta (Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans') Zones 3-9. Large frosty-blue leaves, mounded habit. 30? tall. Desdemona Bigleaf Ligularia (Ligularia dentata ?Desdemona?) Zones 4-9. Yellow daisylike flowers, mahogany leaves. 36" tall. Blue Wedgewood Hosta (Hosta 'Blue Wedgewood') Zones 3-9. Very blue, wedge-shaped leaves, lavender flowers. 18? tall. Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla) Zone 3-9. Blue forget-me-not-like flowers. 12? tall. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) Zones 4-8. Whorled leaves, tiny fragrant blooms, spreading. 6? tall. Bertram Anderson Lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia ' Bertram Anderson') Zones 3-9. Violet-blue flowers, narrow spotted leaves. 12? tall. Dwarf Goatsbeard (Aruncus aethusifolius) Zones 3-8. Compact foliage turns burgundy in fall, feathery white flowers. 12? tall. Japanese Toad Lily (Tricyrtis hirta 'Miyazaki') Zones 4-9. Lilac-spotted white flowers in fall. 30? tall. Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) Zones 2-10. Upright fronds. 3? tall. Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum') Zones 3-8. Fronds mottled in gray, green and burgundy. 18? tall. Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica) Zones 2-9. Blooms are purple, lavender or white. 2'-3' tall. Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) (25) Zones 3-8. White, teardrop-shaped flowers in very early spring. Plant bulbs in clusters of five. 4" tall. Minnow Daffodil (Narcissus 'Minnow') (5) Zones 5-9. Tiny white-and-yellow blossoms, borne three to a stem, early spring. 6" tall. Actaea Poet's Narcissus (Narcissus poeticus 'Actaea') (5) Zones 3-7. White flowers with dainty yellow cups in mid-spring. Fragrant. 16" tall. T?te-?-T?te (Narcissus 'T?te-?-T?te') (5) Zones 3-8. Long-lasting yellow flowers in early spring. 6" tall. |
