This No-Fuss Shade Garden Plan Adds Color to Small Spaces

Tired of looking at a bare spot beneath a tree's canopy and wishing you could give it a makeover? Or maybe you'd like to maximize the color in every square inch of your yard, even that dull shady nook you don't know what to do with. Then give this no-fuss shade garden plan for your small space a try.

The design features reliable shade perennials such as hosta, astilbe, and foamflower that offer colorful flowers and lush foliage. Add in a few landscaping stones to give the bed an organic look. Fill around the rocks with low-growing wax begonias and a few autumn croci to ensure continuous blooms from spring until frost.

Plants for Creating the Small-Space Shade Garden Plan

• 3 Astilbe 'Red Sentinel': Zones 4-8
• 4 Hosta 'Bressingham Blue': Zones 3-10
• 7 Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia): Zones 3-7
• 7 Periwinkle (Vinca minor): Zones 4-9
• 5 Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale): Zones 4-9
• 4 Wax begonia (Begonia semperflorens-cultorum): Annual

If you can't find the exact cultivars listed above, substitute with others with 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 Small-Space 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 Shade Garden Plans to Try

• Bold Shade Garden Plan
• Beginner Shade Garden Plan
• Woodland Garden Plan
• No-Fuss Perennial Shade Garden Plan