Tips on Planning and Growing Shade Plants

In this informative video, courtesy of Gardenieres, Jim Cunneen explains the three sun zones you should identify to choose the best plant materials for landscaping your yard.

Your garden will thrive if you carefully choose the best planting locations based on these three sun zones.

Full sun is the zone where plants will receive six or more hours of sun per day. Landscaping materials that will thrive in this sun zone are Loropetalum, Indian Hawthorne and Verbena. Partial sun is the zone where plants will receive three to six hours of sun per day. You should choose plants such as Hostas, Indian Hawthorne and Verbena for this semi-shady sun zone.

Full shade is the sun zone where your plants will receive zero to three hours of sun per day. Best choices for plant material include Hostas, Indian Hawthorne and Verbena. In this video, Jim Cunneen demonstrates best planting practices for full shade which include soil amendment, planning the layout of the planting area and choosing variegated foliage for design impact. He also recommends mulching the new plants to prevent weeds and help keep moisture in the soil. Mulching the soil surface also gives the new landscaping a beautiful finished look.

Your landscaped shade garden can be as beautiful as any sunny garden space with careful plant selection. It is also important to choose plant material that will thrive in your climate.

As demonstrated in this video, you will notice that Verbena will thrive in all three sun zones!