This No-Fuss Shade Garden Plan Looks Gorgeous Growing Around a Tree

The space under a large tree's branches can seem challenging when you want to grow something colorful. Fortunately, several perennials don't mind limited sunlight. This no-fuss shade garden plan features several of these plants that will add bright blooms and lush foliage without requiring much care from you. To assemble this garden, start from the back edge and move forward. Elegant bleeding hearts and bold hostas create the first layer, followed by hellebores and foamy bells. Astilbes and painted ferns create a lower-growing, fine-textured layer, and the front of the bed is overflowing with deadnettle and barrenwort.

Plant List for Creating the No-Fuss Shade Garden Plan

• 3 Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy'), Zones 4-8
• 2 Barrenwort (Epimedium × youngianum 'Niveum'), Zones 4-8
• 3 Japanese painted fern (Athyrium 'Ursula's Red'), Zones 5-8
• 2 Chinese astilbe (Astilbe chinensis 'Visions in Pink'), Zones 4-8
• 3 Foamy bells (x Heucherella 'Golden Zebra'), Zones 4-9
• 2 Hosta (Hosta 'Patriot'), Zones 3-8
• 2 Hellebore (Helleborus 'Golden Sunrise'), Zones 4-9
• 2 Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis 'Gold Heart'), Zones 3-9
• 2 Hosta (Hosta 'Sagae'), Zones 3-8

If you aren't able to find the exact cultivars listed above, substitute others that have similar colors, shapes, and sizes. And because some plants can become overly aggressive and spread out of control in certain climates, always check which species are considered invasive in your area before planting.

Get the Free No-Fuss Shade Garden Plan

The garden plan for this design includes an illustrated version of the planted garden, a detailed layout diagram, a list of plants for the garden as shown, and complete instructions for installing the garden. Free, one-time registration allows unlimited access to all garden plans, available as printable PDFs.

More Garden Plans to Try

• Tough-as-Nails Perennial Garden Plan
• No-Fuss Sun-Loving Garden Plan
• Hosta-Filled Shade Garden
• Garden Plan for Partial Shade