16 Colorful Shade Garden Pots and Plant Lists

Most of us have some kind of shady spots around our homes and gardens. A few garden pots filled with lush and colorful plantings can really brighten up these shade area and add splashes of happiness.

There are many beautiful and easy to care for plants that thrive in the shade. Some have striking and showy foliage, some have beautiful and fragrant flowers.

Let’s look at 16 gorgeous shade garden pots. I made a plant list for each one of them so you can take it and go shopping!

Before we start, I want to share a super cool trick! Even if you don’t have a yard, you can check out how to grow lots of these shade loving plants indoors in glass bottles and water!

Easiest way to grow beautiful plants indoors in glass bottles and water!

Now let’s look at our 16 colorful shade garden pots!

1 & 2. Beautiful foliage mixed planters with all kinds of shapes and colors

Recipe 1: Start from top right – Coleus ‘Sedona’, Heuchera ‘Spellbound’, ‘Gartenmeister’ Fuchsia, Oxalis ‘Iron Cross’, Golden Feverfew, Fuchsia ‘Autumnale’, Setcreasea pallida ‘Purple Heart’, Lobelia ‘Techno Blue ’

Recipe 2: Zantedeschia aethiopica / Calla Liliy, Alocasia lutea, Caladium ‘Sweetheart’, Adiantum tenerum / Maidenhair Fern ( Source: 1 | 2 )

3 & 4. Lush green shade garden pots filled with patterns and textures

Recipe 3: Caladium ‘White Christmas’, Adiantum tenerum / Maidenhair Fern

Recipe 4: Begonia Mocca Yellow, Impatiens walleriana ‘Musica Pure White’, Adiantum tenerum / Maidenhair Fern ( Source: 3 | 4 )

Related article: 24 colorful container garden plantings for sunny areas.

24 colorful container garden plantings.

5 & 6. Tropical and exotic colorful container plants

Recipe 5: Colocasia esculenta / Diamond Head, Purple Huechera, Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, Hedera helix ‘Variegata’ / Variegated English Ivy

Recipe 6:  Diffenbachia / Leopard Lily, Caladium, Adiantum tenerum / Maidenhair Fern, Begonia “Angel Wing” ( Source: 5 | 6 )

7 & 8. The classic planter formula: thriller-filler-spiller

Recipe 7: Aspidistra elatior / Cast-iron plant, Nephrolepis exaltata / Boston fern, Hedera helix ‘Variegata’ / Variegated English Ivy

Recipe 8: Nephrolepis exaltata / Boston fern, Begonia ‘Silver Angel’, White Impatiens, , Hedera helix ‘Variegata’ / Variegated English Ivy ( Source: 7 | 8 )

9 & 10. Shades of greens container plants

Recipe 9: Actaea racemosa, Caryopteris ‘White Surprise’, Cimicifuga atropurpurea, Hosta ‘Brenda’s Beauty ‘, Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’ or similar

Recipe 10: Coleus mixed varieties, White Impatiens, Margarita Sweet Potato Vine ( Source: 9 | 10 )

11 & 12. Love hot pinks in shade plants

Recipe 11:  Diffenbachia / Leopard Lily, Hypoestes phyllostachya / Polka Dot plant, Tradescantia pallida / Wandering Jew plant, Lobelia ‘Techno Blue ’, Begonia “Red Dragon Wing”

Recipe 12:  Coleus mixed varieties ( Source: 11 | 12 )

13 & 14. Simple and elegant shade planter pots

The next few shade garden pots are planted with single variety plantings. You can always add some trailing plants to create more layers, but sometimes less is more, don’t you think? 🙂

Recipe 13:  Hydrangea paniculata “Limelight”:  large, dense clusters of lime green flowers fade to cream and finally to pink in autumn.

Recipe 14:  Hydrangea macrophylla : globe-shaped flowers with so many shades of pinks and blues to choose from! ( Source: 13 | 14 )

15 & 16. Sweet fragrance in shade gardens

Recipe 15: Clivia miniata, a beautiful winter bloomer with sweet perfume, looks lovely with trailing plants such as Creeping Jenny or Dichondra.

Recipe 16: Trachelospermum jasminoides / Star Jasmine, an evergreen vine that produces highly fragrant, white blossoms. Smaller shade loving ground-covers such as Heucheras  or English Ivy are perfect planting companions. ( Source: 15 | 16 )

You may also love: 20+ easy to grow and beautiful flowering vines for arbor, fence, and pergolas

Or 21 DIY trellis and vertical garden structures

Happy spring and happy growing! =)