shade-loving – Hydrangeas Blue

Even though I bought this fuchsia plant myself, my kids are going to chip in and pay for it as a belated Mother’s Day gift. As each holiday comes around my kids ask what I want and I can’t ever say I want anything. “Take me out to eat” is what I usually say. Not cooking is the best gift I can think of.

Pink and white fuchsia hanging plant — My New Fuchsia Plant

But I recently splurged on this new hanging basket. I saw it on my gardening expedition to Wilton where the nursery had tons of them to choose from. Some had purple and pink flowers (love those too) and one type had long, white pointy flowers – very different. But I chose this huge, pink and white one.

The only problem is that it’s too cold outside to hang it so it’s inside on a little table. It will have a permanent home out front under the beech trees once we get some warm weather. May began with warmth, but suddenly we’ve had two nights of 30 degrees. In New England we can’t plan on warm weather until about June.

I also bought some small petunia and vinca plants to make my own hanging baskets, which I’ll be doing soon.

Other Shade-loving Perennials

Hostas are also well known as shade loving plants, but they grow close to the ground with tall shoots that hold their tiny flowers. This is a little “mouse ear” Hosta I planted.

Another favorite for the shade is the bleeding heart.

Of course many hydrangeas can do well in partly shaded locations and I plan to try some in my front yard (New Hampshire). The truth is that most flowering plants need a lot of sun to look good, but arranging the plants I have mentioned here in a grouping beneath trees, or in any shaded area, can be beautiful as well.