Summer container garden ideas for shade

 Beautiful Shade Container Garden Ideas

Need new container ideas for your shade garden? This gardener’s collection of planters features lush foliage and a few perennials from her garden. As you explore Bonnie Dumas’s garden and patio in Kansas, you’ll find beautiful hanging baskets, window boxes, and upcycled containers that add color and texture all summer long. Check out some of Bonnie’s planting recipes here. These ever-growing flowers and stunning containers are bursting with rustic charm! If you’re inspired by her container ideas, don’t miss her dog-friendly garden design

1. Splashing Begonia Container for Partial Shade

Tropical plants can be used both indoors and outdoors, depending on the season. Begonias and colorful nasturtiums are the mainstays in this 5-foot-long container. Grow this mix in partial shade.

List of Plants

A) Variegated Snake Plant Sansevieria trifasciata var. laurentii

B) Nasturtium tropeolum majus 'Alaska Mix'

C) Winged Begonia Begonia x hybrida 'Canary Wing'

A) Winged Begonia Begonia Dragon Wing Red

5 feet long, 9 inches wide, and 10 inches tall container shown

2. Plant perennial divisions in containers!

Got some perennials ready for division? Put them to work in containers. Bonnie pulled this fern from her garden, and she uses coral bells and hostas, which thrive in shady containers. At the end of the season, replant them in the garden.

List of Plants

A) Coral Bells Heuchera 'Red Lightning'

B) Coral Bells Heuchera 'Wildberry'

C) Hosta Hosta 'Fire Island'

D) Hakonechlova Hakonechlova macro 'All Gold'

Container is 14 inches tall and 18 inches wide

3. Recreate a Fountain Base in a Container Garden

Bonnie transformed the base of an old fountain into a container for a shady front garden bed. The different foliage textures and colors draw attention as people walk by. Plus, the clematis planted in the center adds contrast to the retaining wall backdrop when in bloom.

List of Plants

A) Coleus Plectranthus scutellarioides El Brighto

B) Coleus Plectranthus scutellarioides Lime Time

C) Wing Begonia Begonia Dragon Wing® Pink

D) Purple Heart Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'

E) Moneywort Lysimachia congestiflora

4-foot diameter container shown

4. Colorful Coleus Container Garden for Shade

The vibrant hues and contrasting foliage texture in this concrete container add depth and dimension to any sunny outdoor space. The golden tones of the coleus contrast with the rich purple foliage of the purple heart, while the delicate wire vine softens the edges of this combo.

List of Container Plants

A) Coleus Plectranthus scutellarioides Golden Dreams™

B) Coleus Plectranthus scutellarioides Stained Glass Works® Velvet

C) Purple Heart Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'

D) Creeping Wire Vine Muhlenbeckia complex

Container shown is 12 inches tall and 14 inches wide