Shade Container Garden: Plants For Creating Shade Containers

A Shade Container Plant
(Image credit: Eleni Mac Synodinos)

Container gardens are a fantastic way to add color and beauty to tough spots. A container garden for the shade can brighten up the dark, difficult corners of your yard.

Plants for Creating Shade Containers

If you are trying to think of ideas for a shade container garden, this means that you will need shade plants for containers. A few annuals that are good ideas for a shade container garden are:

Some perennial shade plants for containers are:

Ideas for Shade Container Garden

When assembling your container garden for the shade, it is best to keep in mind a few standard tips for containers.

  1. The plants for creating shade containers should be three heights: tall, middle and low. The tall plant, such as a fern, should go in the center. Around that, the middle plants, such as fuchsia and hosta, and the low plants, such as impatiens and forget me not, should be placed. This will add visual interest.
  2. Use at least three shade plants for containers in one container to add visual interest.
  3. In your container garden for the shade, put plants with similar water needs in the same container.

Some other ideas for a shade container garden include:

  1. Fuchsia (the color) and white help make the colors of other plants for shade container gardens look brighter. Use one of these colors at least once in your shade container.
  2. Shade containers are often located under large trees and structures, which means that rainfall may not make it to them. Be sure to check if your container garden for the shade is getting enough water, even if it has rained recently.
  3. Also, a container garden for the shade is more susceptible to over watering as they are not in the direct line of the drying sun. Be sure to check on your shade plants for containers and assess their need for water before watering.
Heather Rhoades
Founder of Gardening Know How

Heather Rhoades founded Gardening Know How in 2007. She holds degrees from Cleveland State University and Northern Kentucky University. She is an avid gardener with a passion for community, and is a recipient of the Master Gardeners of Ohio Lifetime Achievement Award.