It is easy to find plants and flowers that grow well in the sun – in fact, most rely on sunlight to grow. However, for many of us there will always be areas of our garden which are shaded and it can be difficult to know what to do with them.
Luckily, there are a range of plants and flowers that thrive in the shade, and a gardening expert has revealed the most beautiful ones, which also happen to be simple to grow – making them a perfect choice for those darker spots in your backyard. Gardening expert Ish, who is known as @gardening.with.ish on TikTok, said one great choice for shady spots is the hellebore, which does well in pots as well as in the ground and loves a “good, shady spot”. These plants have evergreen leaves that stay a “nice, glossy green all throughout the year”, Ish explained, and in the early winter through to early summer “we get these amazing flowers too” that come in reds, whites, and pinks.
Primrose also thrives in the shade. Ish said: “These are winter-hardy annual flowers and they’re absolutely fantastic.” They work well both in full sun and in full shade.
Other flower options like astilbes, hydrangeas, and rhododendrons do really well in the shade, and can be beautiful additions to your garden.
When it comes to evergreens, the fatsia japonica is a great choice. Ish said: “I absolutely love these and they come in two different varieties.
“You get these deep green ones or you get one known as the spider’s web, where it has these white veins going throughout which make it look absolutely fantastic.”
Fatsia japonica can reach up to two-to-three metres tall and really spread out too. However, if you want to keep your plant contained, you can simply give it a regular prune every year and it will look “just as magnificent”.
The heuchera thrives in the sun and shade and comes in a whole variety of colours including pinks, purples, and greens.
Ish said: “Not only do these produce this really lovely tall spike of flowers, but they’ll reach about 30cm by 30cm. So if you’re looking for a little bit of a low grower in the shade, this is ideal.”
Other suggestions included ferns, hostas, and coleus plants – all of which would do well in a full-shade garden.
Most of Ish’s recommendations will also tolerate clay coil, he said, and they don’t mind “getting their feet a little wet”.
