5 Planting Plans for Mixed Sun and Shade Garden Beds

Designing a garden that unites sun and shade can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be a compromise in beauty. While the lack of sunlight in some areas may limit your choice of plants, it also opens the door to a stunning variety of textural plants that thrive in lower light conditions.

In this web extra, discover the plants Tina Dixon included in her garden, featured in her recent article: Designing a Garden Retreat That Bridges Sun and Shade. If you’d like to create visually dynamic, texturally rich plantings that don’t require a lot of maintenance, take out your pen and paper. You will want to take note of this carefully selected palette that infuses vibrant intrigue to nearly any scene.

Learn how this garden was designed

Planting Plan for a Shady Front Entrance

1. Golden threadleaf chamaecyparis (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’, Zones 4-8)
2. ‘Fastigiata’ Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’, syn. T. baccata ‘Stricta’, Zones 6-7)
3. ‘Concorde’ barberry (Berberis thunbergii* ‘Concorde’, Zones 4-9)
4. Alpine water fern (Austroblechnum penna-marina, Zones 6-9)
5. Paperbark maple (Acer griseum, Zones 4-8)
6. Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, Zones 6-9)
7. Creeping honeysuckle (Lonicera crassifolia, Zones 7-11)
8. ‘Rotlaub’ rodgersia (Rodgersia podophylla ‘Rotlaub’, Zones 5-8)
9. Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, Zones 6-9)
10. Creeping honeysuckle (Lonicera crassifolia, Zones 7-11)
11. ‘Emerald Green’ hebe (Hebe ‘Emerald Green’, syn. Hebe mckeanii, Zones 7-9)
12. ‘Hadspen Cream’ brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Hadspen Cream’, Zones 3-7)
13. ‘Amersfoort’ English yew (Taxus baccata ‘Amersfoort’, Zones 6-7)
14. ‘Concorde’ barberry (Berberis thunbergii* ‘Concorde’, Zones 4-9)
15. Sweet box (Sarcococca confusa, Zones 6-9)
16. ‘Burgundy Jewel’ vine maple (Acer circinatum ‘Burgundy Jewel’, Zones 4-9)
17. ‘Melford’ English yew (Taxus baccata ‘Melford’, Zones 6-7)
18. Yellow wax bells (Kirengeshoma palmata, Zones 5-8)
19. Variegated Spanish dagger yucca (Yucca gloriosa ‘Variegata’, Zones 7-11)
20. ‘Concorde’ barberry (Berberis thunbergii* ‘Concorde’, Zones 4-9)
21. ‘Spreading Star’ Pacific fir (Abies amabilis ‘Spreading Star’, Zones 5-8)
22. ‘Dixter Form’ bergenia (Bergenia ciliata ‘Dixter Form’, Zones 4-8)

Foundation Planting in the Shade Planting Plan

1. Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, Zones 6-9)
2. ‘Wood’s Compact’ bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Wood’s Compact’, Zones 2-8)
3. ‘Hadspen Cream’ brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Hadspen Cream’, Zones 3-7)
4. ‘Amersfoort’ English yew (Taxus baccata ‘Amersfoort’, Zones 6-7)
5. ‘Emerald Green’ hebe (Hebe ‘Emerald Green’, syn. Hebe mckeanii, Zones 7-9)
6. Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, Zones 6-9)
7. Sweet box (Sarcococca confusa, Zones 6-9)
8. ‘Concorde’ barberry (Berberis thunbergii* ‘Concorde’, Zones 4-9)
9. ‘Burgundy Jewel’ vine maple (Acer circinatum ‘Burgundy Jewel’, Zones 4-9)
10. ‘Melford’ English yew (Taxus baccata ‘Melford’, Zones 6-7)
11. Yellow wax bells (Kirengeshoma palmata, Zones 5-8)
12. Box-leaf honeysuckle (Lonicera pileata, Zones 6-8)
13. ‘Dixter Form’ bergenia (Bergenia ciliata ‘Dixter Form’, Zones 4-8)
14. Lucky Lots™ abelia (Abelia x grandiflora ‘Wevo01’, Zones 7-9)
15. Irish moss (Sagina subulata, Zones 4-8)

Plants for a Border Featuring Large-Leaved Foliage

1. Giant rhubarb (Gunnera manicata, Zones 7-10)
2. Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, Zones 5-9)
3. Dwarf hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’, Zones 4-8)
4. Boxleaf azara (Azara microphylla, Zones 8-10)
5. Hardy banana (Musa basjoo, Zones 5-10)
6. Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, Zones 5-9)
7. Creeping honeysuckle (Lonicera crassifolia, Zones 7-11)
8. ‘Mitsch Select’ Japanese umbrella pine (Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Mitsch Select’, Zones 5-8)
9. ‘Fuchsiade’ hardy fuchsia (Fuchsia ‘Fuchsiade’, Zones 8-10)
10. ‘Fastigiata’ Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’, syn. baccata ‘Stricta’, Zones 6-7)

A Wow-Worthy Mixed Sun and Shade Garden Bed

1. ‘Dixter Form’ bergenia (Bergenia ciliata ‘Dixter Form’, Zones 4-8)
2. Dwarf hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’, Zones 4-8)
3. ‘Phoenix’ snakebark maple (Acer x conspicuum ‘Phoenix’, Zones 6-9)
4. ‘Concorde’ barberry (Berberis thunbergii* ‘Concorde’, Zones 4-9)
5. ‘Millenium’ allium (Allium ‘Millenium’, Zones 4-8)
6. Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis, Zones 3-7)
7. ’Pinball Wizard’ allium (Allium ‘Pinball Wizard’, Zones 5-8)
8. ‘Neon’ stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Neon’, syn. Sedum spectabile ‘Neon’, Zones 3-9)
9. ‘Koto-no-ito’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Koto-no-ito’, Zones 5-8)
10. ‘Concorde’ barberry (Berberis thunbergii* ‘Concorde’, Zones 4-9)
11. ‘Winter Chocolate’ heather (Calluna vulgaris ‘Winter Chocolate’, Zones 4-8)

Planting Plan for Below a Tree

1. Winecraft Black® smokebush (Cotinus coggygria ‘NCCO1’, Zones 4-8)
2. Rhododendron (Rhododendron cv., Zones 4–8)
3. ‘Northwind’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’, Zones 5-9)
4. ‘Gruene Kugel’ Japanese umbrella pine (Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Gruene Kugel’, Zones 4-9)
5. Golden threadleaf chamaecyparis (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’, Zones 4-8)
6. Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum, Zones 7-9)
7. Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, Zones 5-9)

See more

Learn more about how this garden was designed here.

See more planting plans here

See more gardens in the Pacific Northwest

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