There are five ways to treat the "summer sun, winter shade" dillemma site:

1. Hardscape. Do the area in concrete, wood, or such.

2. Containers. Change them out as the seasons change.

3. Seasonal planting. Plant annuals according to the seasons. List follows.

4. Appropriate plants. There is a SHORT list of plants that will tolerant the extremes. The list follows (I'm always looking for additions).

5. Combination of the above.

PLANTS FOR SUMMER SUN, WINTER SHADE

Abelia x grandiflora ABELIA
Afrocarpus (Podocarpus) gracilior FERN PINE
Ajuga CARPET BUGLE
Arbutus unedo STRAWBERRY TREE
Azara microphylla AZARA
Camellia sasanqua SUN CAMELLIA
Campanula poscharskyana SERBIAN BELLFLOWER
Cotoneaster ROCKSPRAY
Dianella NEW ZEALAND BLUEBERRY
Gelsemium sempervirens CAROLINA JESSAMINE
Hedera helix 'Hahn's' HAHN'S ENGLISH IVY
Hemerocallis DAYLILIES
Ilex HOLLIES
Jasminum JASMINES
Mahonia aquifolium OREGON GRAPE
Mahonia lomariifolia BURMESE GRAPE
Mahonia repens CREEPING MAHONIA
Myrsine africana AFRICAN BOXWOOD
Myrtus communis ROMAN MYRTLE
Nandina domestica HEAVENLY BAMBOO
Narcissus DAFFODILS, NARCISSUS
Phormium NEW ZEALAND FLAX
Pittosporum tobira TOBIRA
Podocarpus macrophyllus YEW PINE
Pyracantha FIRETHORN
Rhaphiolepis ovata YEDDO HAWTHORNE
Ribes sanguineum RED-FLOWERING CURRANT
Ribes speciosum FUCHSIA-FLOWERING GOOSEBERRY
Ribes viburnifolium CATALINA PERFUME
Sollya heterophylla AUSTRALIAN BLUEBELL CREEPER
Tecoma capensis CAPE HONEYSUCKLE
Viburnum VIBURNUMS
Xylosma congestum SHINEY XYLOSMA

Summer Annuals that will grow in summer sun and will tolerate shade come fall --

Asclepias curassavica SUNSET FLOWER
Begonia semperflorens BEGONIA
Browallia speciosa AMETHYST FLOWER
Datura innoxia MOONFLOWER
Impatiens balsamina BALSAM
Nicotiana alata FLOWERING TOBACCO
Nicotiana sylvestris FLOWERING TOBACCO
Nicotiana x sanderae FLOWERING TOBACCO
Salpiglossus sinuata PAINTED TONGUE
Salvia coccinea TEXAS SAGE
Salvia farinacea MEALYCUP SAGE
Solenostemon scuttellarioides COLEUS

Winter Annuals that will grow in shade and will tolerate sun come spring --

Anchusa capensis CAPE FORGET-ME-NOT
Antirrhinum majus SNAPDRAGON
Aquilegia COLUMBINE
Campanula medium CANTERBURY BELLS, CUP-AND-SAUCER
Cynoglossum amabile CHINESE FORGET-ME-NOT
Digitalis purpurea FOXGLOVE
Mimulus x hybridus MONKEY FLOWER
Myosotis sylvatica (alpestris) FORGET-ME-NOT
Pericallis (Senecio) x hybridus CINERARIA
Primula x polyantha ENGLISH PRIMROSE

Joe

What type of shade does it get in winter? Is it dark shade or bright (reflected) shade? The back of our house gets bright shade all winter but sun until about 1:30 PM in the summer. In that area we're successfully growing Salvia urica, Brunfelsia 'Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow', a pelargonium of some type, and a Salvia greggi which I removed only because it was actually a seedling where I didn't want it to be. Our soil is clay and this soil probably never dries out in winter since it is never exposed to sun during that time.

Jen

I have 2 plants that get the same treatment - shade from the house in winter and full, hot sun in the summer - and they are very happy.

Lavandula dentata (French lavender) & Scabiosa columbaria (pincushion flower). I didn't actually know they would go through such extremes when I planted them, but they've thrived nonetheless. :)

Brenda

Thank you so much everyone for your great suggestions - I really appreciate it! I can't wait to go through all the plants you've listed and pick a few to try!

Lynae

I would put in some larger shrubs or trees that grow in either sun or shade. Nandina, Azara, Xylosma, etc. Once those have grown a bit, they will make summer shade for your perennials.

wanda