3 things you need to know to grow great perennial flowers in the shade www.gardening-tips-perennials.com for more articles on shade gardening. The major problem gardeners have with shade – besides the lack of sunlight – is a lack of water. When trees are providing the garden shade, they are very greedy with water and will starve and out-compete most plants. Tree roots are very efficient so it is necessary to give the trees their 1.5 inches of water and the perennials their 1.5 inches. Instead of watering then to 1-2 inches of water, you’re going to have to provide 2-3 inches of water to keep both plants happy. The other thing that shade gardeners sometimes moan about is the lack of flowers on many shade plants. Let me simply say that perennial flowers for the shade make up with smaller flowers by having much more colorful leaves. These leaves provide a season-long show in our gardens rather than a burst-and-gone display. Another issue that’s sometimes brought up is the lack of perennials for the shade. This isn’t true although many garden centers pretend it is by not stocking great shade plants. I’ve written about a few of them on my perennial website above and review new perennial flowers at www.douggreensgarden.com

CARLO