So, it follows that gardening in the shade presents its own special set of problems. The first thing to remember is that shade gardens are not going to contain great riots of colorful blossoms. They are, by nature, gardens that rely on texture and contrast rather than on color. Most shade-loving plants that do flower will bear their blossoms in early spring. They can receive enough sunshine in order to set buds before the tree canopy leafs out and shades them.
Some examples are columbine, bleeding heart, celandine poppy, and bloodroot.
The rest of the year, most shady gardens will be peaceful shades of green. Train your eye and learn to combine shades of green to form a rich tapestry. Yellow or chartreuse foliage is a good way to light up the shade. So are variegated plants which have white margins around their leaf edges. In the summertime, plants with colorful foliage can take the place of flowers V caladiums have red or pink streaked leaves, and coleus comes in a range of shocking leaf colors.