Introduction

[Sarah Baranoff]

I'm very excited to have found this website. I've always wanted to be a better gardener than I am, and I am looking forward to being inspired and learning a lot from the stellar gardeners who are out there. Right now I'm looking for suggestions of plants that will thrive in Chicago in a yard that gets partial sun. I'd particularly like to bring more color to my yard, not necessarily flowers. Interesting foliage would be great as well. Any advice?

[heidi]

Hi and thank you for your nice comment and for visiting my yard. I am in Southern Wis and there are lots of plants with or without flowers that will do well in your area in part sun. My best suggestion is to walk around your neighborhood and observe what other people have growing in your area . If someone near you can grow them ,you probably can too. Day lillies, coneflowers, hostas, perennial geraniums, columbine are plants that do well in part sun here so would probably work for you too. Also many good ground covers for part sun. I just found this web site too and love all the inspiration i find here. Oh and look for plants sales on craigslist or at rummage sales etc. Some of my toughest plants came from some one else's yard. Have fun and good luck!

[Sarah Baranoff]

Most of the people in my neighborhood grow daylilies and hostas. I am tired of them. I also see a lot of roses, but I think they need more sun than I can give them. The trouble is that I have three huge trees on my property, which is really, really rare in Chicago. Most people's yards have no shade at all and are growing full-sun plants. I hadn't thought of Columbine though - good suggestion! I'll have to try it.

[heidi]

Thought of a few more. Foxglove will do pretty good in part sun. Coral bells, Ladies mantle, forget me nots .I have some Bee balms that bloom pretty good in part sun. Monkshood, astilbe, and some asters that don't need full sun for fall color. If you have deep shade there are still lots of plants with leaf color you could try. I know there are lots of hostas and day lillies around here too but always new colors to check out. Coral bells also have some beautiful new leaf colors. There is such a variety of plants out there now, you will find some. Embrace those trees!

[Sarah Baranoff]

Thank you for all these ideas! I am looking forward to trying some of them out. I really do love my trees. I just also like flowers a lot, and trying to get wonderful blooms in partial shade is a challenge.

[Geraldine Dean]

I have thought of a few that might interest you too. I also prefer to grow less common plants. Most of my garden is in partial shade, but it is full of color. Pulmonaria and brunnera are considered the new hosta, but I am sure you will not be seeing these little beauties in most of your neighbors yards. Also ligularia, companula, tiarella, polygonatum variegatum, tricyrtis, melissa officinalis aurea, arum italicum, epimedium, platycodon, and lamium makes for a lovely ground cover.

[Sarah Baranoff]

I was just looking at pictures of companula in a gardening book a couple days ago and considering it. I'm so glad you suggested it as well. I'm definitely going to try it out.