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Ask me, "What are the best plants to grow in a garden," and I'll ask you, "What kind of garden do you have?" Your choices of "best" depend on so many factors: size, amount of light, type of soil, availability of water, and personal taste. Do you want a quiet garden retreat? A kitchen garden? A woodsy shade garden? A sunny perennial border? A cheerful bed of annuals? A backyard wildlife habitat?

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Let's consider a few basic garden types, and some plants that are appropriate for them.

Shade gardens:
For areas under spreading trees or on the north side of your house, you'll need plants that can tolerate shade. Bear in mind that there are different degrees of shade, from light, dappled shade under a silver birch, to heavy shade under a mature hazelnut or on the north side of a wall or fence. For gardens such as these, creating gardens evocative of woodlands is most appropriate.

If you have moist shade, the easiest plants to grow are hostas and ferns. Hostas are grown for their broad leaves, which come in shades ranging from aqua to chartreuse. Blue-leaved hostas are best for deep shade, while variegated hostas prefer light or dappled shade. Hostas will also send up a spike of lavender flowers, which are often fragrant. As for ferns, there are many species to choose from. The robust sword fern, native of the Pacific Northwest, grows well in many areas and will tolerate dry soil in the summer. Ostrich fern and Lady fern are also easy to grow. If you have a small waterfall, you might be able to grow the delicate Maidenhair fern, which is found in the wild near waterfalls and springs. For color in the shade garden, try Astilbes, which produce a conical head of tiny flowers in red, pink, lavender, white, or salmon. Other good plants to try are Solomon's Seal, Trilliums, and Toad Lily. For spots of brilliant color, plant Impatiens, which can be had in pink, mauve, white, or salmon. Violets and Lily of the Valley also do well in moist shade, but they do spread aggressively. Grow them in containers, or plant them in neglected areas where they are free to spread.

Dry shade is the gardener's challenge. Sometimes the best treatment for extremely dry shade is paving. Sword ferns can tolerate dry soil and are worth a try. Ajuga, also called bugle, can tolerate dryness as well. Ajuga tends to spread aggressively, but spreads more slowly in dry soil. Vinca, also called periwinkle, can also tolerate some dryness.

Sunny perennial gardens
In full sun, the choice of plants widens.

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