SHADE PERENNIALS

Shade Perennials

We ship well-grown, established plants. Pot size is 2.06 quart/1.95 liter, unless otherwise noted.

Astilbe (False Spirea)

Astilbe bring showy plumes of flowers to the shady garden in midsummer. Fern-like foliage is attractive throughout the season. Astilbe thrive best with light shade, steady moisture, good drainage, and plentiful organic matter. Grow in shady borders or containers. Deer resistant.

Athyrium (Lady fern, Fern)

Beautiful, finely textured plant for the shady garden or container. A hardy fern tolerant of heat and humidity. Thrives in organically rich, moisture retentive soils which periodically can be enhanced with a dressing of leaf mold or compost. Outstanding in a shaded border or woodland garden.

Bergenia (Pig Squeak, Heart Leaf Bergenia)

Bold, semi-evergreen groundcover with thick, leathery, glossy leaves that turn shades of reddish purple in fall. Clustered, bell-shaped flowers bloom in late spring. Prefers part shade to full shade, and organic, moisture retentive soil, but is tolerant of poorer and dry soils. Deer resistant.

Brunnera (Siberian Bugloss)

Brunnera is a woodlander of distinction with striking, handsome foliage. Sprays of vivid blue forget-me-not-like flowers bloom above the foliage mound in spring. When planted in mass, these superb plants create a fantastic ground cover. They prefer organic soils with steady moisture in shady areas.

Convallaria (Lily of the Valley)

Exquisitely scented flowers have made Lily of the Valley a beloved garden plant for generations. Dainty wands of bell-shaped, sweetly scented flowers from mid to late spring. We offer unique choices of leaf color and pattern. Fertile, organic, moist soil is preferred, but Lily of the Valley also thrives in less than ideal conditions. Spreads by rhizomes, excellent to use as a shade loving groundcover. Enjoy as a petite cut flower in small bouquets.

Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)

Dicentra is a beloved, easily grown, spring bloomer with heart-shaped pendant flowers of pink or red and fern-like foliage in soft green. In some selections, the leaves will fade away in the heat of summer as the plant goes dormant; some selections will rebloom into fall. Dicentra thrives in moist, rich soils with partial shade.

Epimedium (Bishop's Hat, Fairy Wings, Barrenwort)

Graceful spring flowers on slender stems plus elegant foliage. Able to grow in dry shade once established. Slowly spreading clumps make a refined groundcover. Deer resistant. Epimediums are an exceptional choice for the garden.

Hakonechloa (Hakone Grass, Japanese Forest Grass)

Hakonechloa has beautiful, flowing foliage and the ability to thrive in shady locations - rare among grasses. This grass is a slow spreading, clump-forming perennial that prefers organic, moisture retentive soil. Effective as a single specimen, planted in groups, or in containers. Stunning when used to line pathways or cascading over a retaining wall or stonework.

Helleborus (Hellebore, Lenten Rose)

Helleborus are well loved for their long lasting early spring blooms. Their gracefully nodding or outward facing blooms come in an intriguing range of colors, from pristine white through darkest blue-plum; many have shading, picotee edges, or striking markings. They are easy to grow, long-lived, and highly deer resistant. Hellebores have handsome, deep green, leathery foliage. We offer for sale many top choices of new and distinctive Hellebore.

How to Care for Hellebores
Hellebores grow best in a well drained soil with good organic matter, adequate moisture, in part to light shade, but they will also grow and bloom in less than ideal conditions. Hellebores also tolerate heavy shade, but light to moderate shade for best flowering. Tolerant of heat and humidity, and when established, drier conditions. If the foliage becomes tattered, it can be cut back in late winter just before the new flower buds emerge.

Hellebores are wonderful growing in mixed beds and cottage gardens, or along the edge of an understory planting. When planted in groups they make a stunning groundcover. Cut a few Hellebore blooms to float in a shallow bowl to bring a welcome touch of spring indoors.

Get a head-start on Helleborus with our husky plants. We pot up our starter plants then grow them on for 2 years. We give them room for a strong root system in large, 6" wide, 6.25" deep, 2.59 quart pots.

Heuchera (Coral Bells)

Heuchera prefer organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils. The are almost evergreen, retaining their foliage in the winter and sending out new leaves early in spring. Hummingbirds enjoy their flowers. Dense foliage to suppress weeds. Known for their beautiful foliage and wide range of colors, they have many roles in the garden. Use as an accent, as edging along paths, in borders, or in containers.

Iris (Iris)

Beautiful blooms in late spring to summer with attractive linear foliage.

Attract Butterflies or Hummingbirds

Winged visitors add magic to the garden! Attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators with colorful and nectar rich blossoms. Plant early, mid, and late season bloomers to provide a long season of nectar.

Best Sellers 2017

It is always fun to see what plants other enthusiastic gardeners choose. Some best sellers are new, some are returning favorites, but each has something special to offer in your garden.

Container Planting

Planting, Growing, and Caring for Plants in Containers

Choose a plant that is adaptable to a container. Generally most plants with a moderate to small root system will grow in a pot, some larger growing specimens, such as shade trees, large shrubs, and deep-rooted large perennials are best planted in the ground.

Select a container that corresponds to the size and quantity of plants you have chosen. Use a quality potting mix in a pot with holes to ensure good drainage. Fertilize and water carefully as needed, since containers create a smaller root zone for plants.

In areas with cold winters, consider a plant's hardiness. Some plants will need to be moved to an enclosed area for winter, such as a garage or cold frame, and given minimal water. Some plants will survive in a sturdy planter in a sheltered location, especially if they are rated for a zone or two hardier than the zone where they are being grown. For example, if you are in a zone 5, it is suggested to select plants hardy to zone 4 or colder.

Another option is to enjoy your plants for a season in a container and then approximately 6 weeks before the ground freezes remove them from the pots, plant them in the garden and mulch around their root zones. Look for additional information specifically for your hardiness zone from your nearest arboretum, public gardens, or university extension services.

Good for Cut Flowers

Enjoy fresh cut blooms right from the garden! Experiment and have fun: store-bought blooms need to withstand storage and shipping, but home gardeners can use almost any flower for bouquets.

For the longest lasting cut flowers cut the flowers in the coolest part of the day, place them in water promptly, remove any foliage below the waterline, and keep the water clean by changing it daily or every other day.

Deer Resistant

Deer generally avoid scented, fuzzy, and tough to chew plants, but there are also many other plants that they pass by. Although deer can be unpredictable, we have compiled this list of plants that they usually ignore. For a region specific list, check with your local university extension service, they often provide information about deer resistant plants.

Drought Tolerant

Save time and water with drought tolerant choices. Drought tolerant plants are especially appreciated growing along the outer edges of a garden, beyond the easy reach of a hose. Drought tolerant plants sometimes do need watering when newly planted or during periods of extreme drought, but overall, they need less watering than typical plants.

Fall Color

Plan ahead for great fall color! Leaves that turn bright colors, colorful fruit, late blooming plants, and interesting seedheads all add interest to the garden. We have many great plants to ensure a strong finish to the season!

Fragrance

Fragrance completes a garden, and makes it all the more memorable! Plant near a sitting area or walkway to fully enjoy their lovely scent.

New Plants for 2017

Our new selections include many that are exclusive to Song Sparrow or rare and hard to find. We choose new plants for both beauty and good growing traits.

Proven Winners® Perennials

Selected and tested for long lasting color, bountiful blooms or other attractive traits, resistance to disease and insects, and tolerance for heat and humidity. From breeders all around the world.

Ferns

These tough, long lasting, easily grown plants play an essential ornamental role in shade gardens. Ferns exhibit an incredible range of spectacular foliage with both evergreen and deciduous representatives. Magnifcent in combination with Hosta, Pulmonaria, Brunnera and Heuchera. Select a cool location with a well-drained but moisture-retentive organic soil for best results.

Grasses

Grasses are a versatile group with selections for sunny or shady areas.

Grasses for sunny spots add lovely arching forms to the flower and shrub border. They range in height from tall, back of the border plants to smaller varieties for the front edge of a planting. They can add fine linear texture, dramatic height, color that changes with the seasons, or decorative seedheads that sway in the slightest breeze. Many of the varieties we offer are selections of native grasses known for their beauty, toughness, and, when established, their drought tolerance. They complement each other when planted in groups, and also are wonderful with Echinacea, Salvia, Veronica, and other sun lovers.

Grasses for shady areas add a flowing, graceful touch to borders and containers. We offer choice varieties of the shade grass Hakonechloa, known as Japanese Forest Grass. Their slim, linear foliage looks great with the broad leaves of shade lovers such as Hosta and Heuchera. They add a finishing touch along the shady side of a shrub border, and look especially lovely growing near the base of Japanese Maples and Tree Peonies. They prefer a loamy, compost-enriched soil. In the northern parts of their range, provide them with mulch in winter.

Leave grasses in the garden for fall and winter interest, cut back in early spring to make room for new growth.