Adding Colour with Shade Perennials

It’s no surprise that gardening here in Calgary can prove challenging. Our winters are longer than we’d like, and it seems like summers are fleeting -- the typical frost free period is from the end of May to the middle of September. Then when you consider the shaded areas in your yard because of the low angle of the sun it may be frustrating to find plants that grow well and add colour to your yard. Don’t fret though, there are plenty of options available!

If you want to add some colour to those bare, shady spots in your yard think about planting shade loving perennials. Many of them have beautifully coloured foliage and unique textures; some even produce flowers. These plants bring life and vibrancy to what may appear to be a drab space. Extra bonus is that they come back year after year saving you time planting every spring!

Calgary Plants Online Garden Centre has a great selection of shade perennials in a variety of colours to help brighten your yard.

Some of our favorites include:

• Hostas endure some of the toughest spots in your yard and thrive wonderfully. These hardy shade plants are prized for their fantastic, variegated foliage and bloom in whites and lavender, providing continuous colour from spring to fall.
• Astilbe produce flowers in stunning hues of white, pink, and red while some varieties have great foliage contrast as well. They provide great visual impact to shady spots.
• Ligularia is an underused shade perennial, but one that gardeners love when they see it. Plants generally have glossy, deep-green foliage with purple on the bottoms of the leaves. Flowers look a bit like black-eyed susans in deep yellow to orange-yellow.
• Coral Bells have unique wavy-edged leaves with a distinct vein pattern. They come in various shades of green, red, and will attract butterflies to your garden.
• Lamiums are great deer resistant ground cover to provide colour in a semi-shade garden spot. Plants produce dainty snapdragon-like flowers in whites, pinks, and purples and the two-toned green and white/silver striped leaves provide interest to your yard all season.

So you see, even with a short growing season here in Calgary, it’s possible to have beautiful colour in the shady spots of your garden by planting some of these shade loving perennials!

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