Hosta-filled perennial shade garden
Enjoy beautiful variegation and a touch of color in this perennial planting layout for part to full shade. A variegated weigela adds standout foliage, while a mix of hosta varieties brings layers of texture, color, and contrast. Featuring unique cultivars of shade garden favorites that pollinators will love, too.
Tips for designing a shade garden bed full of texture
Large, broad-leaved hostas form a solid background that makes a statement in this shady bed. For contrast, finer-textured ‘My Monet’ weigela’s pink spring blooms and blushing variegated foliage highlight the front of the bed. Native spigelia lends a pop of bright red that appeals to hummingbirds.
Showcase small hostas by planting them in containers. Tiny ‘Winsome’ is tucked into this bed in a tall, slender container, which raises it up so it is easier to see, while ‘Frosted Mouse Ears’ dwarf hosta catches attention in a low hypertufa container in front.
Care tips
To prevent scorching on the leaves in this combination, choose a spot with afternoon shade and keep the soil evenly moist. Cut back dead perennial foliage in early spring as new growth begins to appear. Remove any damaged weigela branches before the plant leafs out, but hold off on pruning until after it blooms. Pruning too early can remove flower buds, as weigela forms next spring’s blooms on the current season’s growth.
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Perennial shade garden bed plant list
A) Hosta Hosta ‘Lakeside Cupid’s Cup’
Perennial; trumpet-shaped lavender flowers in midsummer on blue-green corrugated leaves with a cream edge; part to full shade; 12 to 14 in. tall, 30 to 42 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9
B) Hosta Hosta ‘Winsome’
Perennial; trumpet-shaped lavender flowers in summer above dark green leaves with white edges; part to full shade; 3 to 8 in. tall, 16 to 18 in. tall in bloom, 15 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9
C) Spigelia Spigelia marilandica
Perennial; tubular red flowers open yellow on the inside in early summer atop glossy green leaves; part to full shade; 12 to 24 in. tall, 6 to 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9
D) Hosta Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’
Perennial; trumpet-shaped lavender flowers in late summer above large corrugated chartreuse leaves; part to full shade; 2 to 3 ft. tall, 4 ft. tall in bloom, 3 to 5 ft. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8
E) Weigela Weigela florida My Monet®
Shrub; pink flowers in early to late spring on variegated pink-tinged leaves; full sun to part shade; 12 to 18 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 6
F) Foamflower Tiarella ‘Starfish’
Perennial; pale pink flowers in late spring rise from clumps of green leaves with dark veining; part to full shade; 8 in. tall, 13 in. tall in flower, 13 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9
G) Hosta Hosta ‘Frosted Mouse Ears’
Perennial; trumpet-shaped lavender flowers in early summer on petite clumps of rounded leaves with blue-green centers and white edges; part to full shade; 4 to 7 in. tall, 6 to 12 in. tall in bloom, 14 to 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8
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