Favorite Shade Loving Plants for the Front Porch

I’ve been growing plants on my front porch in a large container for years. There’s nothing like a pretty planter full of flowers to greet your guests. The problem is that this area is covered, and shrouded from the sun by a large red maple tree. So I’ve had to experiment with shady loving plants in order to grow a lush and full planter. Here are my favorite shady plants for the front porch, and below I’ve made a short video with tips on planting.

Shade Loving Plants for the Front Porch

It’s hard to find flowering plants that do well in the shade. Sometimes you need to think outside of the box.

 

Here are a few tips:

1. Use colorful foliage instead of flowers.
2. Try flowering plants that are marked “part-sun”
3.  Don’t just stick to annuals – try houseplants and perennials

 

When it comes to planting my large front porch container I  tried a few different variations. My all time favorite is Lamium. This little guy grows with out fail.

Look how big it grew last season from only two, 4-inch pots, over-flowing in front. At the end of the season you can plant it somewhere in the garden, and often it will comes back next year.

That big guy in the back it is Perilla Magilla. Again, look how much it grew from one 4 inch pot in just a few months.

Other Favorite Shade Loving Plants

When filling a container for your shade loving plants consider the following:

1. One tall plant in the middle or back. (Perilla, Coleus, Rex Begonia, Grasses)
2. Plants that will fill around the tall plant. (Imatiens, Fuchia, Browallia, Coleus, Begonias)
3. Plants that will trail or vine over the sides of your container. (Lobelia, Bacopa, Lamium, Trailing Fuchsia)

Bottom line is, even if you have a shady spot, color and blooms can still be grown with the right plants and a little creativity.