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Gardening adventures in a small space
Plants for a Shady Balcony
My balcony gets quite a bit of shade. The solid half wall around the outside of the balcony with the overhang above shades the balcony floor from direct sunlight for all but one or two hours per day. If you have a lot of shade to deal with and are looking for a good shade plant reference book, check out Larry Hodgson's Making the Most of Shade. It has nothing in it about balconies and next to nothing about containers, but it is an wonderful shade garden resource.
Listed below are a few of my favorite shade loving plants that are happy in almost any corner of my balcony.
- Perennial
- Perfers full sun to deep shade
- Enjoys moist, well drained soil conditions
- Can be inches to feet across
- Hardy in zones 3 to 9
Hostas are the definitive shade garden plant and they are everywhere. What makes them popular is their ability to liven up areas plagued by deep shade although Hostas are not technically a shade loving plant, but a shade tolerant plant. They do appreciate some sunlight.
There are several different Hosta varieties and it's not the colour or flowers that makes then interesting: it's their leaf patters and textures. They produce stalks with white or pink flowers that last for a few weeks during the summer. Some minitures make great additions to the balcony while other giant Hosta varieties are best left in the garden.
- Perennial
- Prefers partial to full shade
- Enjoys moist, well drained soil conditions
- Height varies by species
- Hardy in zones 3 to 9 depending on species
Sedge is the perfect ground cover plant for shaded areas. There are too many varieties to mention. I'm using this variegated "ice dance" sedge in a mixed container with some other shade loving plants. It spreads quite rapidly for a shade plant and is easily propagated by division.
- Perennial
- Tolerates a full range, from sun to shade
- Enjoys moist, well drained soil conditions
- Grows 8 to 36 inches tall
- Sensitive to frost - grown as an annual
Coleus have been around in the gardening world for a long time. They are technically perennials but are grown as annuals in areas that experience frost. They make excellent container plants and won't mind being brought indoors for the winter. Coleus are not fussy about lighting and will tolerate everything from full sun to full shade. Since they perfer moist soil conditions, keeping them in full sun may be a bit more trouble than it's worth. Mine are quite happy in the shade along the front wall of my balcony where they get very little direct sunlight.
Coleus will typically flower between mid to late summer, putting up a flower spike convered with small insignificant flowers. You should pinch these off as they appear to encourage branching and extend the growing cycle of the plant. Once this plant finishes flowering, it is pretty much finished for the season.
- Perennial
- Prefers partial shade but will tolerate anything
- Enjoys moist, well drained soil conditions
- Up to 30 inches wide and tall, depending on the variety
- Hardy in zones 4 through 9
Heuchera are evergreen shade loving perennials that have been hybridied into a large array of colour options. Some, like the "Caramel" Corel Bells I have, are categorized as "PPAF"; Plant Patent Applied For. This means the breeder responsible for the Caramel variety has applied for a patent and once approved, only licensed growers may propagate it. But not all are patented. Heuchera can be propagated by division every couple of years.
They flower during the spring or summer by putting up a tall slender shoot with small white bell shaped flowers (hense the name coral bells). Heuchera are quite comfortable in almost any lighting condition but their true preference varies from one hybrid to the next.
