Pretty Pastels
Partial shade
Average soil
Pastel-colored flowers — baby blues, pale pinks, lovely lilacs, and mellow yellows — are positively made for the shade. Their light faces stand out well against the gloom, adding welcome bits of brightness all through the growing season. With the addition of some white-marked leaves for extra zip and rich green leaves for contrast, you have all the ingredients for a shade garden that is sure to please.
The Garden Plan
Shopping List
1 ‘Camelot Rose’ foxglove
Digitalis
3 plants
Zones 4–8
Alternates: Another foxglove or other 30- to 48-inch-tall, shade-tolerant perennial with pastel-colored flowers, such as common bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) [1 plant] or ‘Sinonome’ toad lily (Tricyrtis) [3 plants]
‘Camelot Rose’ foxglove (Digitalis)
2 ‘Stairway to Heaven’ creeping Jacob’s ladder
Polemonium reptans
3 plants
Zones 3–8
Alternates: ‘Touch of Class’ creeping Jacob’s ladder or another 1- to 2-foot-tall, shade-tolerant perennial with pastel-colored flowers or leaves, such as ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ hosta (Hosta) [3 plants] or ‘Mrs. Moon’ lungwort (Pulmonaria) [3 plants]
‘Stairway to Heaven’ creeping Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans)
3 ‘Biokovo’ hardy geranium
Geranium × cantabrigiense
1 plant
Zones 4–8
Alternates: Another 6- to 12-inch-tall, shade-tolerant perennial with pastel-colored flowers, such as a dwarf bleeding heart (Dicentra) [1 plant] or ‘Sugar and Spice’ or other foamflower (Tiarella) [1 plant]
‘Biokovo’ hardy geranium (Geranium × cantabrigiense)
4 Dwarf Chinese astilbe
Astilbe chinensis var. pumila
4 plants
Zones 4–8
Alternates: ‘Lilliput’, ‘Sprite’, or other dwarf astilbe or another 6- to 12-inch-tall, shade-tolerant perennial with pastel-colored flowers, such as ‘Purple Torch’ ajuga (Ajuga reptans) [4 plants] or ‘Cameo Mix’ fan columbine (Aquilegia flabellata) [4 plants]
Dwarf Chinese astilbe (Astilbe chinensis var. pumila)
5 ‘Etain’ viola
Viola
4 plants
Zones 4–8
Alternates: Another viola or other 6- to 18-inch-tall, shade-tolerant perennial with pastel-colored flowers, such as woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata) [4 plants] or a Lenten rose (Helleborus × hybridus) [2 plants]
‘Etain’ viola (Viola)
Planting Plan
Season by Season
Spring: Pastels are a classic color range for spring, and this garden offers them in abundance. ‘Etain’ viola is generally the first to bloom, with fragrant, soft yellow flowers that are edged with lavender-purple. ‘Stairway to Heaven’ creeping Jacob’s ladder joins in soon after, with clusters of lightly scented, light blue flowers over white-and-green leaves that are heavily blushed with pink. And by late spring — if not earlier — the pale pink blossoms of ‘Biokovo’ hardy geranium open, too. ‘Camelot Rose’ foxglove is usually in bud by late spring, and the dwarf Chinese astilbe has ferny green leaves that may be tinged with bronze.
Early spring is a good time to tackle the simple cleanup chores: cut down any remaining dead top growth, and clip off any winter-damaged leaves on the perennials that held their foliage through the winter. (If the entire clumps of ‘Biokovo’ geranium look tattered, shear off all the leaves about 2 inches above the ground.) Divide the geranium and the astilbe, too, if they were starting to outgrow their space last year. Both the foxglove and the viola may be short-lived, so if you don’t see new growth on them in early spring, set out new plants in their place. Finish up by spreading a fresh layer of organic mulch over the soil.
Summer: The pageant of pastels peaks in early summer. ‘Etain’ viola, ‘Stairway to Heaven’ creeping Jacob’s ladder, and ‘Biokovo’ hardy geranium are still going from spring, with the addition of ‘Camelot Rose’ foxglove, with its showy spikes of spotted, rich pink flowers. These may all continue into midsummer but are usually finishing up about the time that the dwarf Chinese astilbe sends up its perky lavender-pink plumes.
Regularly removing the flowers when they are finished helps to encourage this extended bloom period. Cut off the bloom spikes of the foxglove and creeping Jacob’s ladder at the base of the plants, and pinch or clip off the individual flowers of the viola. If the viola plants stop blooming in midsummer, cut them back to 3 to 4 inches. Water the garden during summer dry spells.
Fall and Winter: Other than another round of flowers on the ‘Etain’ viola, foliage is the main feature of this garden in fall. ‘Biokovo’ geranium is especially colorful, with its green leaves taking on shades of red, orange, and yellow. The white-and-green leaves of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ creeping Jacob’s ladder often become blushed with pink again now, as well. Most of the perennials in this garden hold their leaves through much or all of the winter. The dwarf Chinese astilbe’s leaves turn brown with frost, but if you left the seed heads in place, they too will add winter interest.
Divide the astilbe and geranium in early fall if they are outgrowing their places, and keep pinching off the dead flowers of the viola. Other than that, your pastel garden doesn’t need any more care until spring.
Digging Deeper
- A simple square garden like this one is a great choice for a starter garden. By itself, it would fit easily into a corner, and you could dig and plant it in just a few hours. If you have more time and more space to fill, you could flip the plan and use two squares to flank a bench, arbor, doorway, or set of steps.
- Deep green leaves make a great backdrop for pastel-colored flowers, but if you want even more contrast, consider adding some extra-dark foliage, such as deep purple ‘Obsidian’ heuchera or even ebony black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’). Or, if you love the look of light colors in your shade garden, pair pastel flowers with shade-tolerant perennials that have equally pale blue, gray, or silvery leaves, such as lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina), lungworts (Pulmonaria), spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum), and many hostas (Hosta).
- Hardy geraniums (Geranium) have long been favorites for sunny perennial gardens, and some of them can adapt quite well to life in partially shady sites, too. Pale pink ‘Biokovo’ and darker pink ‘Biokovo Karmina’, both selections of G. × cantabrigiense, are excellent choices for multiseason interest. They typically bloom for a month in late spring to early summer, but in some areas, they may be in bloom pretty much any time from spring to fall. Their foliage usually takes on shades of yellow, orange, and red in fall and sticks around through most or all of the winter.