BEST PLANTS FOR A SHADED NORTH FRONT STOOP...

I have a recessed front door way on the north side on my home. what would be good in planters that would get very little, if any, sun.

I see all the pictures in magazines that show beautiful flowers, coleus, hostas, on the steps leading to the front door, and even potted flowers at the entrance to the front doors of porches.....How can they do that if the flowers only receive indirect sun?

Any and all help would be great! Thanks.

First of all, don't believe magazines!!! They can do anything they want for a couple of photos. Secondly, I think impatience are just gorgeous, and they can't handle more than just a bit of sun anyway. Coleus require more sun than you probably get in that space. Even fern might be a sweet touch. Go to your local nursery (not a big box store, but a nursery where they know something) and look around at plants for shade. Ask a lot of questions! You may need to just give things a try for that particular spot, and eventually you'll learn what will work. Another thought might be to avoid plants, and get some outdoor art pieces or statuary.

You could be ecstatic with Heucheras. Heuchera, also known as coral bells, is a great shade plant. It comes in many varieties (look at the Heuchera forum), and once you start, you'll want a lot. They are great container plants as well, and depending on the variety, many winter in zones 4-9. Some varieties require a little more sun, some less, They require very little maintenance. When you go to a local garden center, you will see them in all size containers. Don't forget to look at the undersides of the leaves!

A nice spring bloomer that is very happy in the shade is epimedium, however, it needs to establish itself. It only blooms in the spring, but the blooms last quite a while, and once established, it will slowly spread. As drumlin suggested, try ferns, especially Japanese painted fern.

Depending on how much you expect to spend each year, you can continue to add flowering plants, such as pansies (violas) each year. Also, don't confine yourself to flowering plants; check out herbs that like shade. Many are fast growers, and many give a beautiful aroma.

And go to more than one local garden center. We've got 2 florist/garden centers across the street from each other, and they carry entirely different stock.

LOL....I agree, I guess the mags just want stuff to look great!

I will check out the coral bells, and never thought about ferns or herbs....good idea. I do have a large cement rabbit I just found at a flea market (it's about 2' tall), that might work.....maybe a wrought iron bench with a colorful pillow? On the steps where a teeny tiny bit of sun shows, a few pots of impatiens?

Ohhhhhh... the ideas are beginning to flow!!!

Any other ideas out there would be great! Thanks !

Awww, a bunny sounds adorable!! Just in time for Easter and Spring! And anything colorfull in a shaded area perks up the look. See, YOU have great ideas already!

Drumlin is right. Magazines do as they please to sell their magazines.

Hello sm4657, what about begonias? I've used both fiberous(wax) and tuberous begonias. One year, I was even able to overwinter the tuberous begonias, but they died the third year I tried it. I have them in two different, very shady areas in my yard. One is on the north side of the garage and gets no direct sun. The other is on the south side of the house on either side of the steps leading to the front porch, but shaded by mature trees. The southern area does get a tiny bit of sun in morning on one side of the steps and a little bit of afternoon sun on the other side. I've used both the bronze leafed and the green leafed varieties of fiberous begonias, and both have done equally well. Both areas have been amended with lots of organic matter and seem to like the slightly moist soil better than a dry soil.

Begonias.......never thought of that....I don't have much of a green thumb, but if I tried them, they would be in pots....hmmmm, maybe move them into the sun for an hour or two a day? My front porch is recessed under the roof, so absolutely no sun there.....a great idea, though...I'll check that out..

Thanks