Melinda’s Garden Moment: Flowers For The Shade

You Don't Need Sunlight To Have A Vibrant Flower Garden

Older subdivisions and urban lots are often filled with shade. Consider using woodland wildflowers for the shady areas in your yard.

Early spring flowers like hepatica and bloodroot have given way to a favorite mid spring bloomer, the trillium. Its white flowers make it a standout in the shade. And the unique flowers of Jack-in-the-Pulpit are sure to catch the imagination of visitors while the beautiful Virginia bluebells provide nectar for the butterflies and hummingbirds.

Canadian ginger can quickly fill in and take over shaded areas. The flowers appear at the soil line for ground insects to pollinate. And the Merrybells are just starting to add color to the spring display.

Cultivated varieties of natives are sometimes included in natural plantings. The colorful Solomon seal’s leaves continue to brighten the shade after the white bell shaped flowers disappear.