| First of all you obviously need shade and good soil | | | | conditions don't force it to be unhappy. There are |
| that contains organic materials. If your soil is too | | | | many other plants that will do better for you. I |
| sandy it will drain water too quickly drying the plants | | | | learned this lesson in many years of trying to grow |
| out. Add compost, manure, or peat moss if you need | | | | Rhododendruns in my shade garden. I am now |
| to. Then select your plants. Plants to consider include | | | | replacing my Rhododendruns with Annabelle |
| many varieties of Hostas, Lily of the Valley, Coral | | | | hydrangeas which continue to bloom beautifully year |
| Bells, Astilboides, Pulmonaria, Astilbe, Rodgersia, | | | | after year in my shade and so far seem to require |
| Trillium, and Goundcovers like Baltic Ivy, Myrtle, | | | | no maintenance. The Annabelles' are happy and it |
| Pachysandra, Lamium, and Ginger. Some shade loving | | | | shows. |
| plants will tolerate some sun. The best way to find | | | | Underplanting your shade garden with spring blooming |
| out which plants will do well with your soil and light | | | | bulbs like daffodils and tulips will yield a nice effect in |
| conditions is to experiment with them. | | | | early spring. Once the bulbs bloom and are finished |
| One lesson that I have learned in my 19 years of | | | | for the season, the shade plants will start to appear |
| gardening is that if a plant does not do well with your | | | | and will cover the foliage from the bulbs. |