To help you cool off...
Shade-Loving Plants

In the spring we fill our yards with beautiful sun-loving annuals and perennials. But these plants enjoy the heat more than most of us do. During the scorching days of summer, we prefer to be in the shade.

Whether your favorite shady spot is under a tree or on the cool side of your garage, you can enjoy it more in the company of some beautiful shade-loving perennials from Lavalette Nursery.

Most perennials for shade require much less maintenance than the sun-lovers. Many have beautiful flowers in the spring or early summer but shade plants are mainly chosen for their foliage. Here you have a wide selection, from the large leaves of hostas to the delicate fronds of ferns.

The experts at Lavalette Nursery and Garden Center can put together a nice selection for you. Here are some favorites to consider:

	hosta -- Probably the most plant for shade. Sizes range from 6 inches to 2 feet tall and up to 9 feet wide. Large leaves can be green, chartreuse, bluish or green with white or cream variegation. Lavender or white flowers appear on tall stems in the summer. Hostas with thicker leaves are more resistant to slug and snail damage.
	astilbe -- This shade lover produces feathery plumes of red, pink or white blooms in spring to lighten up shady spots. Foliage is dark green and is attractive all summer. Plant gets about 1 foot tall and wide.
	bleeding heart -- The small delicate foliage of this plant offers a nice contrast to the larger leaves of hostas. Flowers are usually heart-shaped pink or white blooms which hang in clusters in spring.
	columbine -- An old-fashioned shade favorite, columbines are available in many colors. They usually reach 2 to 3 feet tall and bloom in late spring. Delicate foliage is attractive all summer.
	heuchera -- While this plant has small flowers on tall stalks in early summer, it’s grown mainly for its foliage. The roundish leaves can be green splashed with reds and yellows, or purple, or reddish, or gold. Plants get about a foot tall and wide.
	ferns -- The delicate foliage on upright stems provide a nice accent for any shade garden. Some, like ostrich ferns, may spread too invasively, but others tend to stay in place. Japanese painted ferns with splashes of color on the grayish-green leaves are particularly beautiful all summer.
	hardy geranium -- Another shade plant mainly grown for its foliage, although it produces small lavender, pink or white flowers in early summer. Unusual shaped foliage is low growing, spreading and attractive all summer.
	lady’s mantle -- The round leaves of this plant are covered in small hairs which hold droplets of rain or dew. Flowers are not very attractive, so many people cut the stems off and enjoy the plant’s beautiful foliage all summer.