How To Master Variegation For Beautiful Shade Containers

Putting together beautiful container gardens in a sunny location can be a snap. There are so many colorful plants and flowers that thrive in full sun locations and are perfect for growing in containers. Creating a cohesive container garden in a shadier location, however, can require a bit more thought. While there are still plenty of beautiful plants that will thrive in containers in the shade, many shade plants are grown more for their leaves than their flowers. Fortunately, you can still create vibrant container gardens while relying primarily or even exclusively on foliage. The trick is to opt for plants with unique variegated leaves to add pops of color and unite the different plants in your container.

Variegated foliage refers to leaves with two or more different colors on them simultaneously. In some cases this could be green and yellow, like with 'Mini Skirt' hostas. In other cases it could even be light and dark gray, like with 'Smoke and Mirrors' coral bells. 

Of course just because you are prioritizing variegation doesn't mean you should forget the other important aspects of designing a container garden. This includes using spiller, filler, and thriller plants. You should also consider pairing plants with unique textures that play off each other well. And of course, you need to make sure to use plants that can grow in the same soil conditions. Pairing together plants that thrive in dry shade and plants that require wet shade locations is sure to result in one or both of the plants suffering.

Luckily, there are plenty of shade plants that grow well together and have the unique variegation necessary to help your container pop. There are a multitude of hostas with stunning foliage variegation, and they thrive in moist, shady locations. Paring them with Japanese painted ferns which are variegated, thrive in similar, conditions, and have the delicate texture ferns are known for, is a great start to your garden. Adding in a variegated Fatshedera, an evergreen shrub that resembles ivy, is a perfect way to introduce an element that can either climb a trellis or spill over the sides of your container.