Read 'Japanese Anemone (‘Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

The bright blossoms with their bright gold stamens atop tall stems grace my garden during late summer and last until fall. The simple elegance of the plants is perfect in an intimate setting so that the flowers can be enjoyed up close. The flowers are preceded in spring by attractive rich green foliage that looks like grape leaves.  The plants stand about 12” tall and form a beautiful ground cover. They have been  vigorous growers in both my Annapolis and North Carolina gardens and I have had to pull out handfuls of them in the course of the summer to give the neighboring plants and chance to grow.  They are easy to remove, well worth the effort, and I would not be without these beautiful and useful plants.

Type: Herbaceous perennial.

Bloom: White, 2-3” flowers from late summer until fall.

Size: 3-4’ H x 36’ W.

Light: Partial shade to full sun.

Soil: Average, moist, well drained, humusy soil with neutral pH; tolerates heavy clay soil as long as it is moist.

Fertilizer: Apply flower fertilizer in May.

Hardiness: Zones 4-8.

Care: Apply 2″ organic mulch annually to conserve moisture and add nutrients. Deadhead by snipping the stems at their base.

Pests and Diseases: None of importance.

Propagation: Divide fibrous rooted clumps in spring or all; root cuttings can be taken in fall.

Companion plants: Ferns, coleus, hosta “Patriot’, azure monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii).

Read 'Summer Blooming Plants for Gardens in Afternoon Shade' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Have you ever noticed how many plant labels tell you that the plant needs 6-8 hours of sun? Many plants do have high light needs but many other beautiful plants love afternoon shade. You need to carefully evaluate your shade and plan accordingly. You have to make sure that they are getting adequate water (1” per week is normal); mulching will help retain moisture as well as provide nutrients.  Here are some beautiful plants that will bloom during the summer in a site with afternoon shade, or to turn it around, morning sun.

For height at the back of the border try Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra ‘Venusta”) with its pink airy flowers. Hardy in zones 3-9, it grows over 5’ tall.

Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) with its large plume-like inflorescence of creamy white flowers has foliage that remains attractive all season. Growing to 4’ it is hardy in zones 3-7.

You can’t beat garden phlox ‘Mt. Fuji’ (Phlox paniculata) for the shear beauty of their outstanding flowers. Twelve to fifteen inch panicles arise on 3’ stems. Hardy in zones 4-8.

There are many astilbes that do well in afternoon shade but most bloom in the spring. Astilbe taquetii ‘Superba’ is summer blooming. It is tall, growing up to 4’ and have beautiful fern like foliage and lilac panicles of small flowers. It is hardy in zones 4-8.

Beebalm (Monarda didyma) offers unusual flowers in a variety of colors including ceres, scarlet, pink, violet-blue, purple, and creamy white. Growing to 3-4’ tall they are attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees and are hardy in zones 4-9.

Hollyhock mallow ‘Fastigiata’  (Malva  alcea) grows about 2’ tall and carries rose-pink flowers. It is hardy in zones 4-8 and has a long bloom season. Dwarf forms are available too.

Lobelia, both Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and Great Blue (Lobelia syphilitica), are good plants for middle of the border. Cardinal flower grows 2-4’ tall and is hardy in zones 2-9.

Great Blue Lobelia grows 2-3’ and is hardy in zones 4-8.

False dragonhead (Physostegia virginiana) also known as Obedient plant because of the way the flower can be turned on the stem and stay that way, grows up to 3’ tall and is hardy in zones 2-9. The cultivar ‘Vivid’ is shorter and more compact so may be more useful in the shade garden.

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) grows up to 2’ tall and comes with blue, purple, red, or white flowers. It is a trooper of a plant, very adaptable, and begins blooming in spring. It is hardy in zones 4-9.

Campanula carpatica “Blue Chip’ is a very low growing powerhouse of blooms. It produces vivid blue bells over a mounded cushion of heart-shaped foliage. It multiples rapidly but is easy to keep in bounds, is deer resistant, and hardy in zones 3-8. This is a great plant for the front of the border.

There are many kinds of sedum and this is one that really stands out. ‘Dragon’s Blood’ (Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood ) is a prostrate ground cover with red flowers and dark green leaves suffused with purplish bronze that turn red in the winter. It is hardy in zones 3-8.

Most lists of this kind include hostas but I am not doing so because I think they are grown more for their foliage than their flowers. That is not to say that their flowers are not lovely; they are and I include many of them in my shade garden. Just remember that blue green hosta like a lot of shade while yellow green hostas prefer more sun. This a generalization so check with your local nurseryman/women when purchasing a hosta.

There are many bright colored flowers that can bring color to a garden with afternoon shade.  Give some a try!

Read 'Plant Profile: False Spirea (Astilbe x arendsii)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

When the astilbes come into bloom, my secret garden takes on a soft and delicate look and I take special pleasure in spending time there. The feathery panicles of flowers arise from clumps of fern-like foliage in various shades of white, peach, pink, salmon, carmen red and purple creating a feast for the eyes. Depending on the cultivar, they bloom June to August and range in size from the 1’-5′. They are generally considered shade plants but can do well if given plenty of water. The green or reddish foliage is neat and attractive and is an asset all season. Astilbes look wonderful with ferns and other woodland plants and are also effective planted in large drifts. The flower panicles are lovely in arrangements and have a good vase life but can be left on the plants for fall interest.

Type: Herbaceous perennial.

Bloom: Various shades of white, pink, salmon, peach, carmen red, and purple.

Size: 1’-5’ H x 1’-1 ½’ W.

Light: Part shade-shade but considerable sun with adequate moisture.

Soil: Fertile, moist, light, well-drained soil.

Fertilizer: Because they are heavy feeders, they should be fed a high nitrogen (lst number) fertilizer.

Hardiness: Zones 4-9.

Care: Mulch during the summer to conserve moisture.

Pests and Diseases: None of importance.

Propagation: Crown divisions in spring or fall.

Companion plants: Fringed Bleeding Heart (Dicentra exima), bergenia, hostas, ferns.

Outstanding Selections:

‘White Glory’ , 2’.
‘Bressingham Beauty’, clear pink, 3 ½’; ‘Finale’ light pink, 2-2 ½’.
‘Final’ red flowers with dark bronze foliage, 2’; ‘Spinell’ salmon red, 3’.
‘Purple Blaze’ purple, 4 ½’.
N.B. A closely related species, A. japonica, offers the same characterisitics.

Outstanding cultivars:

‘ Deutschland’, white, 2’.
‘Peach Blossom’, light salmon pink, 20”, most drought tolerant.
‘Rhineland’, clear pink, 2′.
‘Red Sentinel’, red, 2’.