Designing Perennial Bed Landscaping for Shade

Gardening in your shady perennial flower bed just got a lot more interesting! Here are three new varieties available this spring that offer the excitement of vibrant color, extended blooming times, drought resistance, and fragrance. The Helleborus variety is even deer proof!

Fragrant Bleeding Hearts

This is a hardy fragrant Bleeding Heart that blooms for a full five months from early spring through summer. Bleeding Hearts are shade loving and perform very well along the Front Range. This one, called Burning Heart, makes a dramatic show among ferns and hostas in the shady perennial bed.

Early Blooming Brush Stroke Helleborus

These Brush Stroke Helleborus are a Front Range gardener's dream. They are very early bloomers for three months during late winter and spring, thrive in the shade and are deer proof! The blossoms are up to three inches across and borne singly on the stem. The colors are vibrant, and the evergreen foliage provides interest in the winter garden. Try the London Fog variety, which is slate black!

Shade loving Dancing in the Rain

This new Hosta variety, Dancing in the Rain, creates a brilliant splash with its wide white center. It is drought resistant, loves shade and grows 28" tall with subtle flowers in mid summer. It makes a nice backdrop for showier shade flowers or as a companion with ferns.