Many flowering plants prefer not being in direct sunlight and receiving indirect light while staying in shadowed areas. Read on to know some of the popular plants of this type...

As a majority of flowering plants prefer to grow in sites that receive at least 4-6 hours sunlight daily, gardens located in shade can be disheartening for a creative landscape gardener. Most people end up planting ferns and other leafy ornamental plants, thinking that these are the only options. However, if you research a bit, you will find several plants that flower very well in the shade.

Plants For Gardens in Shade

Most cultivars that grow well in low light are hardy and require minimal maintenance. So, they are easy to grow and maintain for any hobbyist. Hence, if you look into shade-loving flowering plants a bit, gardening in the shade is not all that boring.

Common Flowering Plants
Shade-loving flowering plants can be annual, biennial, or perennial. With perennials, you can enjoy colorful blooms without replanting them every year. Some popularly grown plants are:

• Violets: Violets are excellent as ground covers in shady areas. They are herbaceous, and are found in both annual and perennial growth patterns. You can select varieties that bear white, cream, yellow, blue, and violet color flowers.
• Lisianthus: Available in shades of white, yellow, and purple, lisianthus varieties are hardy flowering plants. They are herbaceous annuals, about 15-60 cm in height, perform well in garden soil, and bear bell-shaped flowers.
• Hydrangea: If you have less time for nurturing your garden, perennial hydrangeas are the ideal choice. Commonly opted-for colors in hydrangea are white, pink, blue, and purple. Flowers are borne in large heads, which add a unique touch to the garden.
• Rhododendron: According to the character of the particular species, rhododendrons are grown as bushy shrubs or small trees. Flowers are borne in clusters of white, pink, bright red, and purple colors. Caring for these durable plants is quite easy, and they are considered the best choice for beginners.
• Azalea Plant: Azalea is a smaller version of the rhododendron, and they belong to the same plant family. Exhibiting shrub-like behavior, vibrant-colored azalea varieties are grown together to make a spectacular hedge. Or else, you can grow it as a specimen plant.
• Bleeding Heart: For growing these beautiful plants, all you really need is well-drained soil. This perennial grows best in partial-to-full shade. It has fern-like leaves and bears white or pink flowers.

Hanging Flowering Plants
You can create attractive variety and add interest to your garden by placing hanging plants.

• Fuchsias: You can plant fuchsias in large sized hanging pots. If you want, you can think of transplanting these colorful plants into garden soil as well. They grow well in both ways, either on the ground or in hanging baskets.
• Wishbone: The wishbone plant is a perfect shade-loving cultivar to be planted in hanging baskets. These plants require a moist soil (not overly wet or damp) for timely flowering. In the growing season, violet blooms are produced profusely.
• Begonia: One of the best indoor flowering plants, begonia plants are often considered as a versatile cultivar by gardeners. They grow well and bear healthy blooms with minimal effort. You can select varieties that bloom in white, pink, yellow, or scarlet colors.
• Impatiens: Impatiens plants are annuals that grow well in garden soil as well as hanging baskets. They grow to a height of about 1 foot, and bloom in colors of white, pink, red, coral, violet, and purple.
• Scaevola: The attractive lavender or purple scaevola flowers cover the hanging basket completely in the blooming period. It is quite tolerant of temperature and moisture fluctuations.
• Bacopa: Originally an aquatic plant, bacopa is suited for growing in hanging baskets. Found in annual and perennial varieties, this plant is extremely resistant to numerous factors that can inhibit plant growth. Bacopa flowers are available in shades of white, blue, and purple.

These were some of the best flowering plants for shade gardening. If you are growing container flowering plants, you need not be very choosy about the varieties. As per your convenience, you can place the container plants in sunlit portions of the garden occasionally. So, as you can see, irrespective of your gardening skills, and the amount of sunlight your garden receives, you can have a beautiful garden if you are prepared to do some detailed research into the matter, and take care of the plants lovingly.