How do I plant a successful flower garden in the shade?

Hi Rose,

You're showing this area in the sun so if you're using plants that only need shade, they may be getting too much sun. My favorite plant to put wherever I need something is a hosta. Mainly because I have many and can easily cut off a piece and plant it somewhere else to start a new plant. It also seems to grow well whether it's in the shade or the sun. To add color, you could put potted annuals in between the hostas. Looking at your photo, the dirt looks very dry. One mistake people make is not to water their plants long enough so that the water gets deep into the ground. If you water lightly it doesn't soak down to where the roots are so the roots will grow up to try to reach the water. Then they get too close to the top and die out. I hope this helps you. Wishing you the best.

Till up ground well. You can add leaves for extra nutrient. If your soil isn't healthy then add peat moss or top soil to your tilling. Powder lime can be tilled in also. Use plants that thrive in shady areas. Hostas are beautiful. Roses for shade. Incorporate a variety. Don't over water with lack of sunshine to dry

Hi Rose, you should be picking shade loving plants like Hosta lilies and ferns, Here is a list of some other shade lovers

https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/great-plants-for-shade/8201.html

Hi ! I am a little confused , you asked about flowers for a shady area , but in your picture it looks fairly sunny ??? The area looks dry , so make sure you water it enough , so the doors of the plants will get the water . I have Lily of the valley along the front of my house. It is in an area that doesn't get the sun until the middle of the afternoon . I would mix in like , foxglove , ferns ...ask your local nursery what other mixed shade flowers would grow well in your area .

You need some MULCH, girl! I see 3 Hostas and a LOT of weeds. Pine straw is really good mulch and costs nothing if you can find it in your woods (or on the side of the road!) Mulch needs to be 2-3" deep to do any good. And don't pack it right up around the plants. They will rot. That dyed, ground up wood crap has all kinds of toxins in it. And Miracle Grow "soil" is probably composted wood mulch. That's all I can find anymore. Dirt got too expensive for them to buy and bag.

Get rid of the "weed barrier". Weed barriers do no good. Look at your garden. Quit fighting Mother Nature.

Yes, Hostas are deer candy. They are also vole candy. (remember: voles eat vegetables - moles eat meat) But Hostas are so beautiful - find a good deer spray and keep spraying.

Straighten out your round bed. Put it along the side of your lot. Reblooming azaleas are a good backdrop for almost anything. They can hide a multitude of sins. Ferns, Hostas, Heucheras, Ajuga, golden grasses - look online for good combinations. Remember that all these things will eventually be larger and space them appropriately.

Also, why do you have no grass? There may be something off in your soil. Did the builder strip your lot? Take a sample to your nearest Extension Agent and find out what it needs.

Good luck. I have done all the things you have done. I wish someone had told me all this many years ago --- and I had listened to them.