Many people think that if they have a shady yard, they have no choice but to have a foliage garden. This is not true.
Annuals grow, bloom, and fade in a single season, so you can change your planting plan every year to keep things feeling fresh. Some annuals drop seeds, so baby plants often pop up next year. Read the plant tags to learn which annuals will tolerate a little sun or full shade, meaning no direct sunlight. These easy-to-grow annuals for shade are sure to brighten your garden’s darker spots.
Fuchsia
Hybrid fuchsias, with their petticoated, poodle pom-pom flowers, just might be the horticultural definition of gaudy. How many other plants can you think of that have their names pinned on a color? Of course, if the numbers mean anything (10,000 named fuchsia hybrids with millions sold each year), my opinion is certainly in the minority. But when it comes to plants, what excites me the most is a simpler, more subtle beauty—like that possessed by species fuchsias, parents of those flashy hybrids.
Dainty ballerina flowers of red, pink, white, lavender or yellow perch like jewels on trailing or arching stems, making them perfect for containers and hanging baskets. Where climate permits, plants are grown in the ground can develop into shrubs covered with these delicate beauties or even work as groundcovers.
Whether grown in the ground or in containers, fuchsias benefit from a well-drained soil and a weekly feeding with a half-strength water-soluble fertilizer.
Calendula
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is a short-lived perennial in warmer climates, but it is usually grown as an annual flower in garden beds and containers. Although commonly known as pot marigold, calendula is different from the common marigold. It is, however, part of the same Asteraceae family, along with daisies and chrysanthemums, with whom it shared the same daisy-like flower appearance.
The common name of pot marigold derives because the gold flowers that bloomed during the festivals of the Virgin Mary in Renaissance times were often used in cooking. Today, gardeners simply grow these plants for their cheery flowers and profuse blooming habit. Though they most commonly are seen in varieties with yellow and orange flowers, there are also more subtle shades of pink and cream available. Calendula is commonly used in annual flower beds and container gardening.
Like most members of the daisy family, calendula needs a well-drained soil high in organic material. Dense, wet soils can cause the roots to rot. This plant tolerates a wide range of soil pH but prefers a slightly acidic to neutral soil.
Pansies
Pansies are the colorful flowers with “faces.” A cool-weather favorite, pansies are great for both spring and fall gardens!
There are many cultivars within the genus Viola, and most of them are hybrids of the same handful of species, so there are a lot of similarities, and probably only a botanist really cares which is which.
The gardener knows pansies as flowers with almost heart-shaped, overlapping petals in bright colors or bi-colors and often with face-like center markings.
Pansies have heart-shaped, overlapping petals and one of the widest ranges of bright, pretty colors and patterns.
Good for containers, borders, and as ground cover, they are a go-to flower for reliable color almost year-round. Pansies look pretty on their own in a monochrome scheme or in mixed colors; they also look pretty when planted with other cool-season flowers such as violas, primroses, trailing lobelia, and sweet alyssum.
Pansies will bloom best in full sun to partial shade, but they will stay fresh looking and keep blooming longer if grown in partial shade.
Although pansies are not fussy plants, they will grow best in loose, rich soil with a slightly acid pH (6.0 to 6.2).
Browallia
Browallia speciosa is an annual plant often grown in the home interior. Also known as the sapphire flower plant, it produces brilliant blue, white or purple flowers and thrives in shady to partially shady locations. The plant produces a small bush that is attractive to hummingbirds. Browallia is a lovely addition to the annual flower garden, container or as a houseplant.
The sapphire flower plant blooms from spring until the end of summer. It is a member of the nightshade family, just as eggplant, tomato and potato. The flowers are similar in each member of the family, star-shaped and in blue to white tones. An interesting bit of sapphire flower information is its other name, amethyst flower. The jewel tones of the blooms seem to give rise to such descriptive names.
It is a clumping plant that prefers moist soil but can tolerate dry conditions. When growing sapphire flowers in semi-shade conditions, it requires protection from the direct sun so the foliage doesn’t burn.
Balsam
As expected for an old-fashioned favorite, Impatiens balsamina goes by several charming nicknames, including touch-me-not, jumping Betty, and lady’s slipper. However you ask for it at the garden center, keep in mind that balsam plants are tender annuals that complete their life cycle in one season.
Balsam plants grow about 12 to 24 inches tall, making them suitable for the middle of the summer flower border. The plants grow well in both sun and shade. The best site offers some protection from the afternoon sun, which may cause some browning of the foliage.
You probably won’t find transplants of balsam sold at the nursery, but you can start this forgiving annual from seed. The seeds sprout in as little as four days in moist soil at 70 F. Start them indoors about eight weeks before your average last frost, planning for about 60 days from seed to first bloom. Light hastens germination, so don’t cover the seeds with soil.
