I grow impatiens and tahitian bridal veil for the "string" factor in my shady baskets.
Linda C

I grow impatiens and tahitian bridal veil for the "string" factor in my shady baskets.
Linda C

Thanks Linda, would tahitian bridal veil be sold at the big box stores? I haven't ever heard of it before.

It should be available....might be only in a hanging basket, but it roots so easily, I just pinch off pieces and poke into the soil at the planter's edge. Sometimes I have been able to buy plants in 3 inch pots.
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: Tahitian bridal veil

One of the ivies - varieties of the English ivies grow well in shade and will give you the swag effect. I've seen lots of that in small pots ($1.59 last year) at the Big Boxes - particularly Wal-mart when they set up their seasonal parking lot greenhouses.

Probably best to keep some of the ivies contained though - in some climates they can take root all over.

Traling lobelia does well with minmal light. I adore the blue variety. It tends to peter out mid summer, though.

This might not make sense, but I have great luck with plain old lime coloured sweet potato vine. I grow it between houses, in deep shade baskets, you name it. Have never had a problem and it keeps its colour for me.

Torenia is a very nice trailing annual that does well in shade. I especially like the Proven Winners Blue violet one. I agree with the lobelia and the sweet potato vines too. They're both nice spillers. For something altogether different, look for strawberry begonia. It is technically a ground cover, but it will trail very nicely, and it's perenniel. Another one is archangel. It's great in pots, but don't put it in the ground. It's pretty invasive.

At my last house, I had great success with bacopa in a hanging basket at the north-facing front door. In fact, it did better there in total shade than it ever did in a partially-sunny area of the backyard.

There are a lot of beautiful trailing begonias that would love that situation or have you thought of a houseplant? Spiderplant or asparagus fern do well in that position and you can bring indoors for the winter.

Tahitian bridal veil also makes a great house plant. I just picked one up at Walmart out with all the other hanging baskets. I used to grow them: very beautiful for shade. Then bring them in for the winter. Mine is in part sun right now and getting toasted at the leaf edges: need to move it into full shade.