Colorful gardens made in the shade

Home and Garden

A host of annuals with striking foliage and colorful flowers grow well in low light conditions. Erica Glasener, a horticulturist and host of HGTV's "A Gardener's Diary," offers tips on grouping plants together to make a colorful impact.

Acalphya 'Green and Gold' and Colocasia 'Jet Black Wonder' make a striking combination.

Coleus 'Religious Radish' and New Guinea impatiens or perennials like Lobelia cardinalis provide spikes of brilliant red flowers in late summer.

For striking foliage in the shade, Alternanthera is hard to beat. Selections like 'Party Time' with shocking pink and green leaves or 'Grenadine' with burgundy foliage and hot pink veins, look good with impatiens, angel wing begonias and caladiums.

Caladium also look good when paired with Double Impatiens.

Colocasia esculenta is a type of Elephant Ear that's stunning when paired with a flower of any color.

Ficus and 'Summer Joy Wine Red' Portulaca make another colorful combination for shady areas.

A combination of two different caladiums like Caladium 'Aaron' and 'Red Flash' offers more consistent color than many flowering plants and holds up to Georgia heat and humidity.

Colocasia 'Jet Black Wonder' with Banana and Acalphya provide an even different contrast for the garden.

The selection of Boston fern called 'Rita's Gold,' with its bright yellow foliage, will light up the shade garden and is sure to elicit comments from visitors. Mix it with Alternanthera 'Creme de Menthe' and Dianella for a bolder look.

Sometimes one well-placed plant makes a big impact too, such as Xanthosoma 'Lime Zinger' (also known as Chartreuse Giant for its bright foliage). It has 18-inch leaves and grows 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide.

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Acalphya 'Green and Gold' and Colocasia 'Jet Black Wonder' make a striking combination.

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People march in Bishop Park in Athens on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Protesters gathered in 10 different locations around Georgia’s Congressional District 10, leading up to a “Democracy Fair” at Bishop Park as part of a nationwide day of “No Kings” demonstrations. Organizers estimate that a few thousand people participated, many of them first-time protesters. (C.J. Bartunek for the AJC)

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PHOTOS: An early look at CNN Center's redevelopment in downtown Atlanta

PHOTOS: Wayfair opens first Atlanta store

PHOTOS: Hawks defeat Celtics in key East battle

PHOTOS: 'No Kings' rally at Bishop Park in Athens, Ga.