Like a walk through a woodland, a shade garden can be a wonderfully cool, restful oasis in the heat of summer. But there are times when a shady nook would really benefit from a little brightening. That doesn’t mean you have to remove a tree and let in more light. Plants that reflect light or almost seem to glow on their own can be used to create a bright spot in the shade. These plants fit that bill. The creamy variegated leaved hostas are often used to brighten shade gardens, but the golden varieties can be even more effective. Gold foliage glows in the slightest ray of sun. If only it would grow faster. Learn how to grow Hakonechloa macra and keep it happy in your garden. It grows as a low, slow creeping ground cover that sweeps around other plants, catches the light and reflects it up. The leaves are so shiny, everyone wants to reach down and touch it. Be sure you choose a hydrangea that flowers blue in any soil, not a Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) that changes color based on the soil pH. Luckily there are lots of new blue varieties suitable for most hardiness zones. So many Pulmonaria have flowers that change from pink to blue, as they’re pollinated. Other Pulmonaria blooms literally scream in shade in shades of electric blue. And if subtlety is more your style, there are cool white Pulmonaria varieties. Here’s a shade garden design that makes use of some of the plants highlighted in this gallery as well as some not often considered for shade, like the lamb’s ear. Leopard plant got its name from the spots that on the leaves of certain varieties. Some also have red coloring on the undersides. This is all highlighted by bright, golden flowers held high atop the foliage, during mid- to late summer.
