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I moved into a new house with visions of beautiful azalea bushes lining my foundation. I went to the finest garden center in town and purchased their best and largest azaleas in the hot pink color I loved. Where I grew up, the best houses in town all had azaleas along their foundations. Whether they be red, maroon, pale pink or the hot pink I favored, early summer would bring a riot of color to the manicured suburbia that I knew as my hometown.

Well, it wasn't long until I realized I no longer lived in manicured suburbia. I lived in the woods. The front of my house hardly got any sun at all. Azaleas love sun. This was not exactly a formula for success. I left the azaleas in for three years. They were woody, spindly, unhealthy and hardly bloomed. I admitted defeat, pulled them up and transplanted them to a sunnier section of my property and wondered just how I could add some color to my shady front yard.

Being an avid gardener, I knew enough to seek out the advice of experts when all else failed. Once again I was off to my local garden center. This time however, I asked questions before I purchased any plants (a very wise game plan). I was assured that although I might never see the blazing hot pink color I was wishing for greeting me when I pulled down the driveway, it was possible to add some color to a shady foundation garden. Through the advice I received and some of my own research, I am happy to share some ideas on how to bring color to an area that sorely needs it.

First I came upon the Japanese Yew. This pretty evergreen is shade tolerant. It produces bright red berries and is very hardy. They grow about 30" high, making them a great foundation plant. Their rich green color stays bright all winter. Mountain Laurel grows wild on my property. What a prize when I found out it was tolerant of shade and produces big pale pink flowers like a Hydrangea. So there we go, red berries on the yew, pink flowers on the Mountain Laurel, I'm getting there! Hostas are hardy, love shade and produce long shoots with lilac colored flowers in mid to late summer. They grow well and in the fall, can be divided and replanted to fill in bare spaces. They are attractive and economical. Cyclamen is a perennial that will return bigger and better year after year and sport exotic rose-pink flowers on 4-6" stems in late summer to early fall. Mature Cyclamen plants have as many as 50 blooms. Astilbes are long-blooming plume-like flowers in shades of white, pink and red, held above airy foliage. Astilbes are one of the easiest perennial flowers to grow. Astilbes add needed color to any shade garden and are also virtually pest free. Like Hostas, Astilbes can also be divided, but it is often suggested to wait until the plant is four or five years old before doing so.

The more research you do, the more plants you will find that not only thrive in shady areas, but bring color to them as well. Remember, your local garden center knows what grows in your area. Take advantage of free advice!Q

Learn more about this author, Joanne Genadio.
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