I am really enjoying my shade garden. As you say, it is more serene. It is also cooler and pleasant to work in. I have developed an appreciation for more variations in foliage. Although my shade garden isn't as colorful, I find I am more satisfied with the overall look. The containers in that area are easier to care for, since they don't dry out so quickly.

Until Gardenweb I didn't even know many perennials that could be grown in shade, I just developed the sunniest parts of my garden and planted all full sun stuff.

I just happens that a lot of my favourite plants are full sun, and most of the ones I'm not partial to are shade plants. So I'll go with full sun. I'm actually having fun this year developing my hot baking arid foundation garden, it's a challenge of its own!

Oh what a slippery slope question!lol They are such total opposites, and I love both. Like Gillian, I also developed the borders in the sun first and filled with lilies, roses, peonies and daylilies. But I don't have much for shade gardens. Only on the north side of the house and deck do I have any substantial amount of shade, and here I do love the different textures and shades of green that hostas, ferns, ligularia and tiarellas provide. I do like the hostas so much that I'm trying them in full sun, and most are doing quite well too. But when it's 35C out, you'll find me in the shade garden ;^)

So I have to saw that I'm evenly divided between both sun and shade. Mind you, I'm patiently waiting on the shade trees to get big enough to actually start casting some shade so I can have more shade gardens. So time will tell. Good thing we have a few acres so that I can have loads of both types of gardens!

Laurie

So what kind of plants are you guys growing in the shade?

North53, I'm especially interested in what you've got growing in zone 1b. When I first started growing stuff here it was recommended to me to not bother with trying to grow things in the shade, but I'm finding that (this year especially with the crazy heat)a few things are stressing out in the sun. I, too, put my garden where it will get maximum sun, and I'm (not so)patiently waiting for things to fill out so I have some shady niches to put things like lilly of the valley and the dicentra 'alba'. My plant paddock gets afternoon shade and it has done well, but alas, was never designed to be permenent. In other years (not so hot) nothing has really 'taken off' in the shadier areas. I'm betwixt and between!

Toots

My first garden bed was in the shade. Thing is, when i put it there, shade never occurred to me until after i had the bed made, and then i had to figure out what i could grow there. So that was a lesson in itself - especially since i wanted all white flowers there!

Now, most of my gardens are in the sun. But, like Laurie, in this heat, i retreat to the shade!

I like both for the varieties that I can grow. I love my peonies, dayliles and irises. I also love all the hostas, ligularias, and meadow rue. Due to doing major work in the backyard I don't have much shade areas at the moment so I would have to choose sun. Only because that it was I have to work with at the moment.

Syreeta

I have the usual suspects. In the background I have ferns, a huge ligularia, goatsbeard, a clump of daylily which isn't really a shade plant, but I like the contrasting foliage, & solomon's seal. Then, of course a few hostas, dicentra spectabilis and Luxuriant, pulmonaria, polemonium, bergenia cordifolia, heuchera, cimicifuga, astilbe, aquilegia variegata, alchemilla molis, corydalis lutea, ligularia 'Othello', and several lamiums. I am also trying to grow brunnera variagata, and Japanese Painted fern. They have survived for several years, but so far are not exactly thriving.
In the spring the bed is sunnier, so I have tulips growing then.
The bed has filled in so much I don't have room for many annuals, but use containers with coleus, fibrous begonias, impatiens, plectranthus, & ivies.
Right now, the tall ligularia is blooming, the heuchera, alchemilla molis, some lamiums, astilbe and a few pansies. But there is lots of color, with different foliage shades. In a different shady area I have containers with tuberous begonias.
You can get lots of color with coleus, but this year I wasn't very successful with my mix.

Right now I love my sun gardens, but just you wait, I have plans for next spring to extend out my shade garden, so my mind just might change to the shade.

One thing I don't like about my shade garden right now is those dang slugs. I guess they like it cool too ;)

Sharon

That sounds wonderful, north53. Glad to see you are growing astilbe. I've been wanting to try it, but its always listed as Zone 4 so I've been too cheap thus far. I may give it a whirl next year if its doing well for you, though. Ferns are another I've been wanting to try. What varieties are doing well for you? I haven't come across any listed as hardy to zone 2 so I haven't tried any yet. I may have to wait til I have more shade for those.

Toots

Hi Toots,
For ferns, I'm mostly just growing Ostrich Fern, which I think is the native fern. It is very hardy and vigorous to the point of being invasive. Although I don't find it too hard to control. Like I said I also have a Japanese Painted fern, but it hasn't increased in size.
I have 3 different astilbes. I think some are much hardier than others. Try to find the ones for zone 3. I'm sorry I can't tell you which cultivars I have. One nursery just had it labeled astilbe. Another vigorous one I have came from my sister when she moved.
Here's a pic of a white one. It's not clear. I can't seem to get a clear picture of white flowers.

I like the white! Very frothy :^) I'll keep my eyes peeled. Thanks for the picture!
Toots

I dont have much choice as most of my flowerbeds are in full sun not shade..but love seeing pictures of what others have done with their shade gardens...savona

Very tough question. I started on the sunny side - turning most of a 50' X 60' vegetable garden into a flower garden & trying to get rid of more grass with a pond. Last year was glorious. This year I am quite disappointed about the lack of height due to heat & the self sown jungle which I can't thin too much or there will be no colour left for next weeks party. So I've started on the shady side. Am still looking for the flowering raspberry to give the back of the bed height & focus. Right now it's not very lovable either, with some hostas, Jacob's Ladder etc & lots of impatiens for colour. Altho, the purple-leaved shamrocks have had a constant show of white flowers since I put them in. With advice from the folks here, I'm sure I'll enjoy both again next year.

I am definately a sun girl. Although right now it is way too hot to actually enjoy being out in the garden, but I love my roses, clematis,lilies, cones..etc