Although container planting has been popular for many years, I am just now appreciating what containers have to offer. For the past few summers, I have been growing herbs, dahlias, and geraniums containers on the sunny side of my wooden deck. I found it easy to step out through the kitchen door to snip herbs and flowers any time, even in the evening. And although I had to water often in the summer, I was able to grow a wider variety of plants in containers in a more accessible location.
Recently, the other half of the deck, which encompasses various levels of shade, beckoned me to buy even more plants. These would have to be shade tolerant, of course, but in our area, some plants thrive if protected by afternoon shade during our hot summers.
To learn more about shade tolerant plants, I called Muffin Evander, board member of the Horticultural Society of Maryland (HSM), member of the Ladew Topiary Gardens’ board of trustees, and chairperson of Ladew’s gardening committee.Muffin was the president of HSM when I was a member several years ago and has been involved in horticulture for many years. In 2000, Muffin started her own business, Cultivated Designs, creating container plantings for private residences and commercial businesses.
Fun in the Shade - Heucherella 'Stoplight,' Heuchera 'Cinnabar Silver,' Polemonium 'Stairway to Heaven,' Eucomis 'Oakhurst,' and Corydalis ' Berry Exciting.' Courtesy Terra Nova Nurseries.
The first factor that must be considered when creating shade containers is the type of shade where the container will be located: partial shade (morning sun and afternoon shade); light shade, (permanent shade cast by the shadow of something on a site otherwise exposed to the sky and light); dappled or filtered (such as created by a linden or mulberry tree); and deep or full shade. The plants Muffin and I discussed are all suitable for partial shade, light shade, or dappled shade.
Once you know what kind of shade you’re dealing with, the next step is to consider design. “When I design containers, I think of height, mass, and texture, and softening the edges of the containers with trailing plants,” says Muffin.
For height, she suggested spiky, grass-like plants such as dracaena spike (Cordyline indivisia), variegated flax lily (Dianella tasmanica ‘Variegata’), New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax), sedges (Carex spp.), foxtail (Pennisetum spp.), and Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra).
“I also like to use flowering maple for height, which won’t flower in total shade but can take partial shade,” she suggested. “I like the pale yellow flowers of ‘Moonchimes’ and the pink flowers of ‘Kristen’s Pink’.” Flowering maples, Abutilon hybridum, are tender perennials, often grown as houseplants. They grow 15 inches to 2 feet tall with pendulous flowers, similar to half-closed hibiscus flowers.
Height also can be created by training a vine up a trellis, pole, or tepee in the container. “Most clematis plants prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. Clematis ‘Roguchi’ is fabulous, it has dark blue, bell-shape flowers, is 2 inches long and it blooms for a long time.”
Twist of Lime - Hakonechloa 'All Gold,' Xanthosoma 'Lime Zinger,' Heuchera 'Mahogany,' and Heuchera 'Lime Rickey.' Courtesy Terra Nova Nurseries.
“Climbing hydrangea is a possibility,” says Muffin. Normally a climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) would grow very tall up the side of a house but a container would restrict the plant’s roots thus preventing it from outgrowing the space. Another possibility is an ornamental sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) such as ‘Margarita’ (chartreuse leaves); ‘Tricolor’ (green, pink, and cream leaves); and the shorter ‘Sweet Caroline’ series (bronze colored leaves or green and yellow leaves). The darker varieties such as ‘Blackie’ and ‘Black Heart’ may be too dark for a shady spot. Often a dark plant will appear as a black hole in the arrangement unless “pulled out” by contrasting with a light colored plant.
“Another good plant for shade and height is elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta),” says Muffin.Elephant ears have very large, usually green, leaves that add a dramatic, tropical flair but there are a few cultivars such as ‘Jenningsii,’ ‘Fallax,’ and ‘Yellow Splash’ that have enough light colors in the leaves to brighten up a dark corner.
“Caladiums are wonderful for height,” says Muffin. “Caladium ‘Candidum’ is a taller caladium, it is a white leaf with deep green veining, but a silvery white. It looks good with double flowering white or pale pink impatiens. Caladium ‘Miss Muffet’ looks great with Fuchsia mani and dark rose or even pale pink flowering impatiens. ‘Miss Muffet’ has a pale leaf with chartreuse green and cream and deep pink with flecks of burgundy in the center. The fuchsia and dark rose impatiens pick up the burgundy color.”
For mass, Muffin suggested coleus, which comes in so many colors and shapes now that the possibilities are endless. “I like ‘The Line,’ which is pale green to gold with fine purple lines on the mid-vein. A good trailing coleus is ‘Swinging Linda;’ the leaves have a dark purple center with hot pink margins.”
Other plants that create mass are ferns and hostas. “Ferns look great with caladiums,” says Muffin. The texture of ferns contrasts well with hostas too. “Hostas can take total shade. I have had ‘Kabitan’ in a container since 2000. It is very light green, almost yellow, with long tapered thin leaves. ‘Praying Hands’ has a slender upright shape and green leaves with a thin creamy white margin.” There is a tremendous variety of leaf shape, size, and color—thousands of hostas are available now.
Although many believe that one has to forgo flowers because of the lack of light, there really are quite a number of plants that will flower in light shade.Begonias and impatiens are the most common and there is a new ‘Dragon Wing’ begonia with pendulous red flowers and a new type of impatiens called ‘Jungle Gold’ with orchid-like, yellow/orange flowers.
Fan flower (Scaveola), lobelia (Lobelia), and monkeyflower (Mimulus) tolerate shade while flowering tobacco plant, (Nicotiana) also provides fragrance. “There are a lot of new wishbone flowers (Torenia), such as Catalina Midnight Blue and Summer Wave Blue,” says Muffin. “These are nice because the flowers cascade down.”
Begonia tuberhybrida 'Nonstop Apricot.' Courtesy Benary
Astilbes (Astilbe spp.), hardy geraniums (Geranium phaeum), and coral bells (Heuchera spp.) are bloomers too but there may be more foliage than flowers in shady areas. Sometimes it is best to give up on flowers in order to utilize the foliage. Variegated cannas are very tall with striking foliage. Normally, they would bloom in full sun, but they thrive just fine in shade and the foliage alone looks great.
Adding plants that trail and spill out of the pot soften the container edges and create a fuller, lush effect. Muffin recommended Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls,’ which has small, round, pewter colored or silvery grey leaves, and golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’), which has small, yellow leaves. Variegated ivies are good trailers and Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ is a great trailer and filler with mounded green foliage and very small, airy white flowers.
Muffin reminded me that even though plants in the shade may require less water, they still need fertilizer. She incorporates a slow release fertilizer in the soil when she creates the arrangement and then adds a liquid fertilizer once a week throughout the growing season. Several times in the summer, I will have to see if the coleus and impatiens are too leggy, and possibly pinch them back.
This past summer I had great luck with my new containers. The light colored foliage and flowers brightened the shady areas, making the deck more festive for entertaining. I am able to enjoy new plants that I would not have grown otherwise, and it is so easy to step out and enjoy my tropical paradise, even in the evening.
Peggy Riccio is a Contributing Editor for ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
Cultivated Designs: 410-771-0534
Resources:
Benary: benary.com or 815-756-4546
Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.: terranovanurseries.com or 800-215-9450
