Shade Gardening: Zone 9a Shady Color?, 0 by MollyMc

MollyMc wrote:
Beth,

You are the second newcomer I have seen this far south in Florida in the past 2 weeks. Welcome welcome welcome

Now for plants: Impatiens for blooms if you have a bit of dapple in the shade. Many places plant these in full sun and that's fine, but they need constant water attention. In a high canopy of shade, they hold up better. Although I have tried others, the imptiens do the best.

So I resign myself to picking out very colorful foliage. Coleus, elephant ears, alocasia, caladiums, ferns, sweet potato vines all colors, and against all odds, I even have put in some hostos and heucheras of many different colors. Anthyriums with their red or pink bloom does nicely too with only a bit of sunshine.

My caladiums are taking up a lot of eye space, but in the fall, they will go to sleep til spring, so I'm concentrating on putting things in between them to take up the slack. More coleus, EE's and ferns of different colors.

Couple pics to see, looks rather jumbled, but it makes for some great daily surprises.