Ideas for Raised Border Plants

For Full Sun

• Choose sun-loving plants for sites that receive more than 6 hours of direct light each day. Shasta daisies (Chrysanthemum x superbum) grow best in sunny, well-draining sites. These perennials grow to 3 feet tall and are hardy in zones 4 through 9, and bloom with white flowers from spring to summer. Blue Chip juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) is grown for its spreading, silver-blue, evergreen foliage. This sun-loving ground cover is hardy in zones 6 to 8. For blossoms from spring through fall, plant blue daze (Evolvulus glomeratus). This sun-loving annual grows to 12 inches tall and produces bright-blue flowers.

For Light Shade

• Lightly shaded sites receive 4 to 5 hours of sun each day. Pincushion flowers (Scabiosa caucasica) thrive in light shade and well-draining soil. They grow to 24 inches tall and are hardy in zones 3 through 7. These perennials bloom in early spring with white, blue and purple flowers. Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) spreads to 4 feet and forms a mat of white spring flowers and glossy foliage. It's hardy in zones 5 to 8. The annual chenille plant (Acalypha hispida) grows best in light shade and blooms with long, fuzzy spikes of red flowers in summer. Chenille plants grow to 18 inches tall.

For Partial Shade

• Partially shaded sites receive less than 4 hours of direct sun a day. The purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) grows well in partial shade and well-drained soil. This 3-foot-tall perennial blooms in summer with pink, white and purple flowers and is hardy in zones 3 through 8. The 4-foot-tall perennial rodgersia (Rodgersia spp.) also tolerates partial shade, and thrives in moist sites and blooms through spring and summer with white, yellow and pink blossoms. Rodgersia are hardy in zones 3 to 7. For yellow, orange, pink or red in your garden from spring through fall, plant nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus). These 12-inch-tall annuals thrive in partial shade and well-drained soil.

For Full Shade

• Fully shaded sites receive only indirect or reflected sunlight. Not many plants tolerate heavy shade, but exceptions include perennial violets (Viola spp.). These spring bloomers grow 4 to 8 inches tall and produce purple, blue and white blossoms. They're hardy in zones 4 to 9 and grow best in moist, well-draining soil. Japanese ardisia (Ardisia japonica), an evergreen ground cover, thrives in full shade and moist, rich soil. It blooms with white-pink summer flowers, has dark foliage and is hardy in zones 7b through 9. Wax begonias (Begonia semperflorens) are among the few annuals that thrive in heavy shade. These 12-inch-tall plants grow best in moist soil and bloom with red, pink and white flowers from spring through autumn.