What are your favorite shade flowers to grow in Vancouver BC?

Question

I have an area on the west side of the building, gets the morning sun and then is shady the rest of the day. I was thinking to plant some flowering plants, or maybe some herbs. I'm not sure what would work best.

Answer 1

Sure you don't mean the east side? West usually gets more sun than that. Impatiens should do very well in such a place, and the colours are very lively and look good in shady areas. Columbine would do well, it blooms in spring, some of them are very showy. By the time the columbine is fading the impatiens will be starting. Lobelia looks great with impatiens. Bleeding heart would work, either the native type or the larger ones, both have nice foliage. Ajuga is a good groundcover thing with small purple flowers. If you can keep the slugs out of them, hostas might work. Immense variety available--flowers are nothing but the foliage can be great. Most herbs like more sun than you say you have. Check your local nursery, not just the plant section at Canadian Tire, the options are out there. As a general rule, except for annuals like the impatiens, shade plants aren't going to produce a stunning amount of bloom in Vancouver's climate, but you can make up for that with interesting foliage. Some flowering shrubs could work, depending how much space you have.

Few more, after looking at my garden books; foxglove, primrose, begonia, monkshood, fuschia.