So, I picked out my color theme for the front of the house this year.

[Denninmi]

It's shady, I'm mostly limited to impatiens which thrive.

This year, I picked out a blend of purple to lavender to lilac shades. Then, I picked up some hot rose pink colored wax begonias to transition into the more sunny part, where I want to do some orange marigolds, blue salvia, and some hot pink again.

So, I already HATE IT! The impatiens part, that is.

It seems that, no matter what I pick out, I hate it. I'm probably happiest with a solid patch of hot reddish/pinkish (I think the color was called Punch or something like that). I've tried various things, all white (boring and gets lost), mixed colors (too busy), the hot pink mixed with purple (blech, looked like someone threw up colors!), salmons and peaches, oranges.

I guess I'm just never happy!

[woodsprite]

1. It sounds pretty!

Do impatiens do well in DEEP shade? We haven't had luck with anything other than Hosta, and I'm sooooo bored with them. Although I love them and have several varieties (small, large, green on white, white on green, yellow on green, plain yellow, plain green), it's still booooring!

[Denninmi]

2. About as well as anything.

Even if its doom and gloom shade, they should flower a little bit, enough to make them worthwhile.

If they get any sunlight at all during the day, they'll flower pretty well, even if its just a little morning, evening, or filtered through trees light.

[beac]

3. What about Coleus?

They do really well in deep shade (but will tolerate some sune too.) The flowers are small, purple and on little stalks, but the leaves are the stars of the show.

I wasn't a fan originally, but now that I've learned how many beautiful varieties there are, I'm a convert. They do well in pots or in the ground and are easy to grow from seed.

AND you can take cuttings at the end of the season, root them in water all winter and plant them out again in the Spring (well after last frost). Free plants forever without seed saving--not a bad deal!

Google image search shows the amazing variety: http://www.google.com/search?q=coleus+deep+shade&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=nhajT4WlEubx6QHDn7km&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CCsQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=428#hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=coleus+varieties&oq=coleus+varieties&aq=f&aqi=g2g-m1g-mS2&aql=&gs_l=img.3..0l2j0i5j0i5i24l2.279015.282359.0.283375.9.9.0.0.0.0.875.1922.2-1j0j2j0j1.4.0...0.0.JNsoSDOTOPY&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=d5eb415ac89ecd6e&biw=1024&bih=428

[Curmudgeoness]

5. I find that I like begonias in very shady areas better.

I can grow impatiens in a pretty shady area, but the begonias do better for me. I have lots of very shady areas, and have just given in to mostly perenial shade plants with little of no flowering...but I have learned to like the look. And the begonias add some color.

[Denninmi]

4. Yeah, I bought some yellow/green and also some pinkish coleus to mix in.

And some Pink Splash Hypoestes for color as well.

[tru]

6. Helleborus?

And woodland perennials?

Lily of the valley...