Throwing Shade: 14 Container Gardens for Low-Sun Spots
These dynamic potted plant combinations thrive in partial to full shade – perfect for the porch or a shady bed
Take advantage of shady spots in the garden to play with a quieter, maybe even more romantic, style of container gardening that works with light and shadow. Create magical ferny vignettes that entice you to slow down and look a little closer. Or pot up colourful combinations that include shade-loving flowers such as begonia or fuchsia – their yellow, orange and pink blooms look all the more vivid against a shadowy backdrop.
For inspiration, take a look at these 14 container gardens, all brimming with interesting foliage and flowers, that thrive in conditions from dappled light to full shade.
For inspiration, take a look at these 14 container gardens, all brimming with interesting foliage and flowers, that thrive in conditions from dappled light to full shade.
2. Part-shade stunner
A strappy-leafed New Zealand flax adds height to this container combination. Although flax is often grown in full sun, you can get away with including one in a part-shade situation as long as the plant receives a few hours of morning or afternoon sun.
Other plants in this combination include: plum-coloured heuchera (Heuchera sp.), pale pink gaura (Gaura lindheimeri), lime-green sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), purple flowering angelonia (Angelonia sp.), hellebore (Helleborus sp.) and trailing ‘Silver Falls’ dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’).
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial shade
A strappy-leafed New Zealand flax adds height to this container combination. Although flax is often grown in full sun, you can get away with including one in a part-shade situation as long as the plant receives a few hours of morning or afternoon sun.
Other plants in this combination include: plum-coloured heuchera (Heuchera sp.), pale pink gaura (Gaura lindheimeri), lime-green sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), purple flowering angelonia (Angelonia sp.), hellebore (Helleborus sp.) and trailing ‘Silver Falls’ dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’).
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial shade
3. Summer colour
This container combination would bring bright blooms and delicate, ferny foliage to a mild-climate garden with dappled light. Plants featured in this arrangement include white-flowering peace lily (Spathiphyllum sp.), pink impatiens and begonias and Sprenger’s asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’).
Peace lily only thrives outdoors in very mild climates. Chinese foxglove (Rehmannia elata) is another tall flower that’s more cold-hardy and can grow in a shady container.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular; keep the soil moist for impatiens and begonia
Light requirement: Partial to full shade
How Do I… Choose Low-Maintenance Natives for My Garden?
This container combination would bring bright blooms and delicate, ferny foliage to a mild-climate garden with dappled light. Plants featured in this arrangement include white-flowering peace lily (Spathiphyllum sp.), pink impatiens and begonias and Sprenger’s asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’).
Peace lily only thrives outdoors in very mild climates. Chinese foxglove (Rehmannia elata) is another tall flower that’s more cold-hardy and can grow in a shady container.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular; keep the soil moist for impatiens and begonia
Light requirement: Partial to full shade
How Do I… Choose Low-Maintenance Natives for My Garden?
4. Chartreuse, pink and silver
This brightly coloured container garden would make a pretty accent for a partially shaded patio or verandah. Plants include bi-coloured lime and burgundy coleus, variegated ivy, pink-flowering begonia and a cascade of ‘Silver Falls’ dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’).
Designer Sacha McCrae notes that the containers are watered once a week at most and benefit from the moisture of the coastal California climate.
Water requirement: Low, if container is in full to partial shade; moderate water if in brighter light
Light requirement: Partial shade; designer reports less than one hour of direct sunlight per day
Tip: Containers in low light dry out more slowly than those in full sun. Be careful not to overwater, particularly if you have low-water succulents included in the combination.
This brightly coloured container garden would make a pretty accent for a partially shaded patio or verandah. Plants include bi-coloured lime and burgundy coleus, variegated ivy, pink-flowering begonia and a cascade of ‘Silver Falls’ dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’).
Designer Sacha McCrae notes that the containers are watered once a week at most and benefit from the moisture of the coastal California climate.
Water requirement: Low, if container is in full to partial shade; moderate water if in brighter light
Light requirement: Partial shade; designer reports less than one hour of direct sunlight per day
Tip: Containers in low light dry out more slowly than those in full sun. Be careful not to overwater, particularly if you have low-water succulents included in the combination.
5. Otherworldly vignette
Almost like a scene out of Jurassic Park or a glimpse of a primordial forest floor, this creative container combination evokes a feeling of mystery.
The designer relied on all foliage plants to get the look, including tropical bird’s nest fern (Asplenium sp.), silvery brunnera, black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’), golden oxalis and evergreen maidenhair fern. The contrast of the bright silver and chartreuse stands out in the low-light setting and against the dark ceramic container.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial shade; designer Glenna Partridge recommends two hours of sun per day
Almost like a scene out of Jurassic Park or a glimpse of a primordial forest floor, this creative container combination evokes a feeling of mystery.
The designer relied on all foliage plants to get the look, including tropical bird’s nest fern (Asplenium sp.), silvery brunnera, black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’), golden oxalis and evergreen maidenhair fern. The contrast of the bright silver and chartreuse stands out in the low-light setting and against the dark ceramic container.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial shade; designer Glenna Partridge recommends two hours of sun per day
6. Lush built-in planter
In a partially shaded corner on this patio, this planter box packs a lot of punch. Designer Celia Alida Rutte layered foliage plants with contrasting foliage, texture and heights.
Here are the container’s contents from top to bottom: annual castor bean (Ricinus communis) and bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia sp.) add height; dwarf papyrus (Cyperus sp.) and smoke bush (Cotinus sp.) fill in the mid-layer; and shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana), ‘Breathless Blush’ euphorbia (Euphorbia hybrida ‘Breathless Blush’) and alternanthera (Alternanthera dentata) form the bottom layer.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial sun to partial shade
Tip: Starting with a large planter allows more room for small trees and shrubs, which help really give the feeling of a garden in a small space like this courtyard.
In a partially shaded corner on this patio, this planter box packs a lot of punch. Designer Celia Alida Rutte layered foliage plants with contrasting foliage, texture and heights.
Here are the container’s contents from top to bottom: annual castor bean (Ricinus communis) and bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia sp.) add height; dwarf papyrus (Cyperus sp.) and smoke bush (Cotinus sp.) fill in the mid-layer; and shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana), ‘Breathless Blush’ euphorbia (Euphorbia hybrida ‘Breathless Blush’) and alternanthera (Alternanthera dentata) form the bottom layer.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial sun to partial shade
Tip: Starting with a large planter allows more room for small trees and shrubs, which help really give the feeling of a garden in a small space like this courtyard.
7. Window box brights
Sunset flower colours of orangey-gold, coral and vivid pink glow like embers against dark foliage in this shady window display. The designer included Fuchsia ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’ and multiple types of tuberous begonia, and also included bright foliage accents, such as lime-green scotch moss, variegated jasmine and trailing muehlenbeckia.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial shade
Browse more part-sun and shady gardens
Sunset flower colours of orangey-gold, coral and vivid pink glow like embers against dark foliage in this shady window display. The designer included Fuchsia ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’ and multiple types of tuberous begonia, and also included bright foliage accents, such as lime-green scotch moss, variegated jasmine and trailing muehlenbeckia.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial shade
Browse more part-sun and shady gardens
8. Green goddess
There aren’t many succulents that thrive in shady conditions, but among those that do, aeoniums, like the one featured in this container, steal the show. Use a large-scale one, like Aeonium ‘Mint Saucer’, to anchor a container combination like an oversize flower would. Here, the edges of the container have been filled in with shade-loving plants that bring a contrasting textural element, including feathery foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’) and grass-like golden sweet flag (Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’).
Water requirement: Low to moderate; don’t let Aeonium sit in soggy soil
Light requirement: Partial shade to bright indirect light
There aren’t many succulents that thrive in shady conditions, but among those that do, aeoniums, like the one featured in this container, steal the show. Use a large-scale one, like Aeonium ‘Mint Saucer’, to anchor a container combination like an oversize flower would. Here, the edges of the container have been filled in with shade-loving plants that bring a contrasting textural element, including feathery foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’) and grass-like golden sweet flag (Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’).
Water requirement: Low to moderate; don’t let Aeonium sit in soggy soil
Light requirement: Partial shade to bright indirect light
9. Simple and contemporary
A combination of foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’) and trailing deep-purple sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) makes a non-fussy entryway display that looks clean, contemporary and attractive – even from a distance. To make verandah and entryway containers stand out from the street without relying on colourful flowers, choose structural plants with at least one plant for height.
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Partial shade
A combination of foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’) and trailing deep-purple sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) makes a non-fussy entryway display that looks clean, contemporary and attractive – even from a distance. To make verandah and entryway containers stand out from the street without relying on colourful flowers, choose structural plants with at least one plant for height.
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Partial shade
10. Tropical effects
“I love, and frequently add, bird of paradise to full-shade and part-shade planters,” says Rutte, who designed this container. While the plant doesn’t flower when not exposed to full sun, it adds height and a tropical feel to containers. Here, bird of paradise is paired with bright-coloured coleus, asparagus fern and silver-leafed liquorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare).
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Partial sun to partial shade; the designer reports that this container receives about four hours of sun per day
Tip: In cold climates, containers with bird of paradise can be transitioned indoors and used as houseplants in the winter. At the end of the season, remove any annuals used in the combination and bring the potted bird of paradise to a spot inside where it receives bright light.
Outdoor Plant Profile: Bird of Paradise
“I love, and frequently add, bird of paradise to full-shade and part-shade planters,” says Rutte, who designed this container. While the plant doesn’t flower when not exposed to full sun, it adds height and a tropical feel to containers. Here, bird of paradise is paired with bright-coloured coleus, asparagus fern and silver-leafed liquorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare).
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Partial sun to partial shade; the designer reports that this container receives about four hours of sun per day
Tip: In cold climates, containers with bird of paradise can be transitioned indoors and used as houseplants in the winter. At the end of the season, remove any annuals used in the combination and bring the potted bird of paradise to a spot inside where it receives bright light.
Outdoor Plant Profile: Bird of Paradise
11. Japanese maple
Add height to a large container by starting with a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) and filling in around the base with colour-rich annuals and perennials that tolerate partial shade. Here, the designer used two types of sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), a brick-red-leafed coleus and Bonfire begonia (Begonia boliviensis) to create a cascade of colour below the tree.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial shade
Add height to a large container by starting with a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) and filling in around the base with colour-rich annuals and perennials that tolerate partial shade. Here, the designer used two types of sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), a brick-red-leafed coleus and Bonfire begonia (Begonia boliviensis) to create a cascade of colour below the tree.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Partial shade
12. Carnivorous
In nature, North American pitcher plants (Sarracenia spp.) thrive in areas with bright, dappled light, such as under trees with high canopies, and with their roots in boggy soil. If you can re-create these conditions in a container, Sarracenia make cool potted specimens, guaranteed to delight garden visitors – unless, of course, the visitor is an insect. “My clients’ little boy was fascinated with this plant and searched for bugs to drop in the pitcher,” says designer Glenna Partridge.
Water requirement: Regular; keep soil moist
Light requirement: Partial shade; prefer bright, indirect light to full sun post-bloom
Tip: Try combining pitcher plants with other carnivorous species, like Venus’ flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), as well as maidenhair fern and moss.
Partridge notes that pitcher plants need more sun after flowering, so plan on moving the container to a spot that receives brighter light, and combine with plants that tolerate the same conditions.
In nature, North American pitcher plants (Sarracenia spp.) thrive in areas with bright, dappled light, such as under trees with high canopies, and with their roots in boggy soil. If you can re-create these conditions in a container, Sarracenia make cool potted specimens, guaranteed to delight garden visitors – unless, of course, the visitor is an insect. “My clients’ little boy was fascinated with this plant and searched for bugs to drop in the pitcher,” says designer Glenna Partridge.
Water requirement: Regular; keep soil moist
Light requirement: Partial shade; prefer bright, indirect light to full sun post-bloom
Tip: Try combining pitcher plants with other carnivorous species, like Venus’ flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), as well as maidenhair fern and moss.
Partridge notes that pitcher plants need more sun after flowering, so plan on moving the container to a spot that receives brighter light, and combine with plants that tolerate the same conditions.
13. Bright trio
A pretty planting of orange-flowering begonia, purple fan flower (Scaevola aemula) and white-variegated caladium (Caladium sp.) make a vibrant combination on a deep shade patio. Both the flowers and the light foliage of the caladium add brightness in a dark spot.
Polka-dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) and lamium (Lamium sp.) are two other bright-leafed foliage plants that can be tucked into shady container combinations.
Water requirement: Low to moderate
Light requirement: Full to partial shade; designer McCrae reports that the container receives less than one hour of sun per day
A pretty planting of orange-flowering begonia, purple fan flower (Scaevola aemula) and white-variegated caladium (Caladium sp.) make a vibrant combination on a deep shade patio. Both the flowers and the light foliage of the caladium add brightness in a dark spot.
Polka-dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) and lamium (Lamium sp.) are two other bright-leafed foliage plants that can be tucked into shady container combinations.
Water requirement: Low to moderate
Light requirement: Full to partial shade; designer McCrae reports that the container receives less than one hour of sun per day
14. All foliage
This easy-care combination of leafy plants provides a lush backdrop for a home deck. Sticking with all foliage plants, chosen in dynamic colours and contrasting textures, adds interest while saving the trouble of pinching spent blooms.
Here, the designer used grassy ‘Ice Dance’ sedge (Carex ‘Ice Dance’), deep purple heuchera (Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’) and creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) to spill over the sides.
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Partial shade
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This easy-care combination of leafy plants provides a lush backdrop for a home deck. Sticking with all foliage plants, chosen in dynamic colours and contrasting textures, adds interest while saving the trouble of pinching spent blooms.
Here, the designer used grassy ‘Ice Dance’ sedge (Carex ‘Ice Dance’), deep purple heuchera (Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’) and creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) to spill over the sides.
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Partial shade
Tell us
If you found this story helpful, like it, save it, and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Find a landscape contractor to help get your garden in shape
A combination of part-shade-loving coral flowers makes a welcoming statement at the entrance of this home. Hummingbirds love the tubular flowers of Fuchsia ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’, which bloom from early summer to autumn. Orange-pink tuberous begonias and maidenhair fern, with its delicate foliage, fill in the container below.
Water requirement: Moderate to regular; keep soil moist
Light requirement: Partial shade