Portions of my yard lie in deep shade throughout most of a summer’s day. Combine that with incredibly terrible soil and the result can be summed up as a discouraging mess. I felt like planting annuals in those spots was just condemning beautiful flowers to a long, slow death sentence. Although I knew what would happen, I just kept planting, longing for the summer color. Finally, desperate for success, I dragged some giant-sized clay pots to the barren beds and planted them with shade-loving annuals. Those first pots certainly wouldn’t have won any design prizes, but at least the flowers lived and bloomed throughout the summer.
Since that first attempt, I’ve not only refined my design skills, but have spent time searching which plants are best for shade AND containers. While there are already many available that do well in shade and containers, I think it’s fun to explore what is new or different. My latest search has turned up eight new varieties I will be looking for this spring. To check them out, click here. Adding these new shade loving varieties to the “old favorites” should make for a stunning container garden this year!
