TOP PERENNIAL PLANTS FOR SHADE [1]

Nearly all gardens have a shady area yet too often it is regarded as a ‘problem’ area or one that is difficult to plant interestingly. An area beneath trees or at the foot of a tall hedge, maybe an area by a North wall or overshadowed by a building or shed – we all have these pieces of ground. Yes the reality is there are a great number of perennial plants that will actually thank you for being planted there! Many of those I am about to recommend would either shrivel up and die if planted in full sun, or at least fail to display their lustrous potential. These are all plants that will revel in a dim or shady spot and I don’t know why it is, but they seem imbued with a natural lush and understated elegance that can’t be found in true sun-lovers…. So here’s my top recommendations for plans that prefer life in the shade.
Here's the first countdown, from 10-5.

6] KIRENGESHOMA PALMATUM So many of the woodland and shade plants are pre-programmed to flower early, in the Spring. This is to gain most advantage of the light before the tree canopy above expands it’s leaves and cuts out the light. Thus it makes a change top have something that blooms much later. This glorious species from China flowers late Summer and September. The purple tinted stems and buds, shining green vine shaped leaves, and waxy golden yellow dangling shuttlecock flowers mark this much sought after perennial as entirely unique. There is another similar species, Kirengeshoma koreana. Both are slow growing but hardy.
7] DORONICUM ORIENTALE I don’t know why I am so in love with admittedly quite common plant. But the cheerful wide yellow daisies seem to do so much to enlighten early spring, and the plant itself is blessed with such hardy shrug-off-the-weather cheerfulness it’s impossible not to like! Although often seen growing in the open border, it is actually more at home with some shade.
8] DIGITALIS PURPUREA Our native Foxglove is of course one of THE classic woodlanders and will thrive and naturalise in any damp, shady border. I particularly like the clean white flowered form for shady sites. Digitalis viridiflora is a rarer variation, and much smaller with dark green leaves and short spires of bewitching green flowers – well worth seeking out.
9] SYMPHTUM WISLEY BLUE On the face of it this is a too-good-to-be-true perennial. Those astonishing brilliant blue bells appear for a good 2 month period from late Spring. The plant is hardy and impossible to kill and loves the shade. But all these virtues do come at a price – it will spread and colonise faster than Mr Bolt can run a 100m dash. So it’s definitely not for smaller areas, but if you want shade loving ground cover for larger spaces beneath trees etc, it’s undeniably wonderful – and also one of the best bee flowers of all.Pictured.
10] GERANIUM MACCHORIZZUM Another carperter that can be used as ground cover, but not as boisterous as the above, this mound forming hardy Geranium has the most divinely scented foliage. The flowers appear in May and June and are available in white, magenta, and soft pink varieties.