Shade garden kit

Shade, But Make It Color.

Proof shade doesn't have to be green.

Coral bells in fire-engine red and amber, a fern that comes up copper, foamflower for spring and a beech fern to tie it together. All the color comes from leaves, so it lasts from spring to frost.

13 plants · 5 kinds3 × 6 ft in part to full shadePart to full shade
$431.87
Same price as buying them one by one. The plan's on us.
Shade, But Make It Color
What it looks like

Year two. Then you brag.

Year two, mid-July. Each plant drawn at its full size.

1 ft123451 ft12345
  1. 1Autumn fern 'Brilliance' × 218–24 in. tall and wide
  2. 2Beech fern × 218–24 in. tall, spreading
  3. 3Coral bells 'Fire Alarm' × 38–12 in. tall, 12–15 in. wide
  4. 4Coral bells 'Magma' × 312–16 in. foliage mound, flowers to 24 in
  5. 5Foamflower 'Spring Symphony' × 36–12 in. tall, 8–12 in. wide
What's in the box

13 plants, 5 jobs.

$59.98
In this kit: Copper fronds
Dryopteris erythrosora

Autumn Fern

Copper-orange new fronds, every spring.

Copper fronds, all spring. New fronds unfurl a glowing coppery orange, then age to glossy green, with fresh orange flushes through the season. Evergreen to semi-evergreen in most zones.

Size18–24 in. tall and wideShowNo flowers; fronds most of the year Lightpart, shadeZones5–9 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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In this kit: Copper fronds
Dryopteris × australis

Dixie Wood Fern

Tall, upright, and deer leave it alone.

A fern with real height. Tall, upright, glossy green fronds, often reaching 4 ft, in a vase shape that reads as structure in a shade bed. Mostly evergreen in milder zones.

Size3–4 ft tall, 2–3 ft wideShowNo flowers; fronds spring to winter Lightpart, shadeZones5–9 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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$59.98
In this kit: The green thread
Phegopteris decursive-pinnata

Japanese Beech Fern

Fills the shade. Politely, mostly.

A fern that fills in. Upright, lance-shaped fronds in a fresh bright green, with leaflets that run down the stem like a ladder. It spreads by creeping roots into a loose colony, which is exactly what you want under trees.

Size18–24 in. tall, spreadingShowNo flowers; fronds spring to frost Lightpart, shadeZones4–8 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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In this kit: The green thread
Athyrium niponicum var. pictum

Japanese Painted Fern

Silver, green and burgundy. Brushstrokes included.

A fern that's been painted. Soft, arching fronds in silvery gray-green with burgundy midribs, like someone went over them with a dry brush. It brightens dark corners and holds its own in a container.

Size12–18 in. tall, 18–24 in. wideShowNo flowers; fronds spring to frost Lightpart, shadeZones4–8 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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$107.97
In this kit: Red leaves
Heuchera

Coral Bells

Red leaves for the shady side.

Red where you least expect it. Leaves come up bright red in spring and deepen to burgundy-brown as the season goes on, with sprays of small white flowers in late spring. It brings warm color to shade, where most plants only do green.

Size8–12 in. tall, 12–15 in. wideShowLate spring; foliage spring to frost Lightpart, shadeZones4–9 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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In this kit: Red leaves
Heuchera

Coral Bells

A coral bells that actually flowers.

Rose-pink flowers, again and again. Silver-washed green leaves under a long run of rose-pink flower sprays that keeps coming back from late spring into fall. Most coral bells are about the leaves; this one is about the flowers too.

Size8–10 in. tall, 12–14 in. wideShowLate spring, reblooming into fall Lightpart, shadeZones4–9 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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$104.97
In this kit: Amber leaves
Heuchera

Coral Bells

Hot-pink new leaves that cool to red.

Leaves the color of lava. Big, lobed leaves come in bright pink-purple and mature to rich red, building a large mound. Airy spikes of pink flowers rise in late spring.

Size12–16 in. foliage mound, flowers to 24 in.; 2–2.5 ft wideShowLate spring to early summer; foliage most of the year Lightpart, shadeZones4–9 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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In this kit: Amber leaves
Heuchera villosa hybrid

Coral Bells

Peach to amber, sweet in the heat.

Peach leaves that take heat. Big, fuzzy leaves open peach-cinnamon and mature to copper-amber, with a rosy underside. Heuchera villosa in its background gives it real heat and humidity tolerance.

Size14–22 in. tall, 18–22 in. wideShowEarly summer; foliage most of the year Lightpart, shadeZones4–9 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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$98.97
In this kit: Spring froth
Tiarella 'Spring Symphony'

Foamflower

Pink froth over painted leaves.

Spring froth, painted leaves. A compact clump of deeply cut green leaves marked with black-maroon centers. In spring, bottlebrush spikes of pale pink flowers stand above it for weeks.

Size6–12 in. tall, 8–12 in. wideShowSpring Lightpart, shadeZones4–9 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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In this kit: Spring froth
× Heucherella

Foamy Bells

Cinnamon-orange leaves that change with seasons.

Leaves the color of tea. Big, deeply cut leaves in burnt orange and cinnamon with darker red centers, shifting color through the season. Small white flowers appear in late spring, but the foliage is the point.

Size12–20 in. tall (in bloom up to 28 in.), 24–28 in. wideShowLate spring to early summer; foliage spring to frost Lightpart, shadeZones4–9 PetsNot pet-safe; keep out of reachWatermoderate
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The whole kit: 13 plants + the planting planEvery plant picked for your zone. Arrives alive, or we replace it.
The planting plan

Dig here. Then here.

3 × 6 ft in part to full shadePart to full shadeTap a plant for the details
Back · tallFront · low
↓ Front edge · path, lawn or walk
What blooms when
AprMayJunJulAugSepOct
1Autumn fern
2Beech fern
3Coral bells
4Coral bells
5Foamflower

Something in flower 3 of 7 months from April to October.

  1. 1Lay it outSet the pots on the soil to match the plan before you dig. Step back, nudge, then commit.
  2. 2Dig and dropEach hole twice as wide as the pot, just as deep. Crown level with the soil. Firm it in.
  3. 3Soak itWater deeply today, then weekly for a month. After that, mostly leave it alone.
Why it's laid out like this

Ferns at the back, coral bells through the middle, foamflower along the front. Space 15–18 in. apart. Keep the soil evenly moist the first summer.

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The Sunday Tip · every Sunday

One good plant idea,
every Sunday.

What to plant this week in your zone, every Sunday. New ways to plant and odd tricks that actually work.