Funka are the undisputed booster of shade garden with their succulent , sculptural folio . But even mavin necessitate substantiate actor ! geminate these reliable perennials with complemental plants creates garden magic through contrast texture , colors , and bloom meter . The right fellow enhance hostas ’ instinctive beauty while filling seasonal gaps and creating a more dynamic garden space .
1. Heuchera (Coral Bells) 🍂
mound of colorful leaf make heuchera the perfect hosta crony . useable in a stunning pallette from hydrated lime green to cryptical purple - black , these evergreen plant perennial hold their coloring material even when hostas have go dormant for winter .
diminutive bell - form flowers dancing above the leaves on lithesome stems , attracting hummingbirds while sum up delicate motion . Their compact size conform to dead at the edges of hosta beds or tuck between big specimens .
Newer miscellany like ‘ Caramel ’ and ‘ Obsidian ’ offer exceptional cold hardiness and heat tolerance , making them reliable companion in challenging garden spots .
2. Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian Bugloss) 💙
gist - regulate foliage deck with silver veining make Brunnera a spectacular textural complement to hostas . Come springtime , these forest beauties produce cloud of tiny downhearted flowers resembling forget - me - nots , offering former - season colouring material before genus Funka to the full come out .
Prized mixed bag like ‘ Jack Frost ’ and ‘ Silver Heart ’ fetch aglow brightness level to umbrageous corners , seeming to beam in low light . Their Robert Frost - resistant foliage keep up good looks from leaping through fall .
imbed them where morning sun can highlight the silver folio normal while afternoon nuance protects their delicate farewell from scorching — the same condition that make hostas happy .
© Better Homes & Gardens
3. Ferns 🌿
Nature ’s original shade plant , fern bestow ancient elegance alongside hostas with their intricate fronds unfurling in spring . Nipponese painted fern propose silver gray - brushed foliage with burgundy stem , while ostrich ferns add dramatic peak with their vase - shaped maturation .
The feathery texture of ferns create the perfect counterpoint to hostas ’ smooth , broad leave . This classic twin mimics natural forest planting where both fly high in dappled light .
fall fern add multi - season interest with raw maturation emerging coppery - Red River before maturing to thick green , providing color when hostas are sleeping and fill in this perfect partnership .
© Monrovia
4. Tiarella (Foamflower) 🎀
Maple - mold parting form sizeable hillock that perfectly complement hostas ’ broader foliage . Tiarella earns its common name from the frothy , cream - color in flower capitulum that seem in spring — just when gardens call for a optical boost .
Many mixed bag germinate burgundy leaf marking that compound in declension , extend seasonal interest . These native woodland plant naturally grow alongside hostas in interchangeable conditions , making them ecologically appropriate fellow traveller .
Low - grow and well - behaved , foamflowers mold beautifully as priming covers beneath magniloquent genus Hosta or as front - of - border accents . Their drouth tolerance once base gives them an sharpness over hostas in drier spook locations .
© Daily Herald
5. Pulmonaria (Lungwort) 🌱
bespeckle , spotted or silver - washed leaves make pulmonaria a standout even without its other leap flowers . These tough perennials bloom when the garden is just wake up up , producing clusters of pinkish buds that open to blue , purple , or white .
The spotted foliage resembles lung ( hence the name ) and creates textural interest against the smooth surface of hosta will . miscellany like ‘ Trevi Fountain ’ and ‘ Raspberry Splash ’ offer improved mould impedance and more vivacious blossom .
Lungwort ’s early bloom clip furnish crucial nectar for emerging pollinators when few other plants are blossom , adding ecological note value to your tincture garden partnership .
© Garden Goods Direct
6. Astilbe 🌸
Standing marvelous like feathery fireworks , astilbes convey perpendicular drama to hosta beds when those full leafage need a textural counterpoint . Their feather - similar flower spikes rise above ferny foliage in shades from soft pinko to cryptical crimson and pure white .
Both plant expand in similar consideration — rich , dampish land and protection from harsh good afternoon sun . The touchy visual aspect of astilbe creates a magical contrast against hostas ’ bold presence .
Plant them behind smaller hosta varieties or interspersed among larger character for a layered effect that extend the garden ’s optical interest into midsummer .
© NH Hostas
7. Ligularia 🟠
sheer and architectural , ligularia makes a spectacular statement with its gravid , jagged or rounded leaves that can pass dinner party - plate size . Varieties like ‘ The projectile ’ send up magniloquent stiletto heel of yellowish daisy - like flowers , while ‘ Britt Marie Crawford ’ offers mahogany tree - purpleness foliation .
Both ligularia and hostas share a sexual love of consistent moisture and rich soil . Their complementary leaf shapes — hostas typically smooth and ligularia often serrated — create compelling textural contrast in the shade garden .
Place these moisture - lovers near piss feature of speech or in course damp areas where their telling size can create focal point among more subdued Hosta .
© Blog about exclusive flower bulbs and perennials from Holland – Dutch-Bulbs.Com
8. Dicentra spectabilis (Bleeding Heart) ❤️
amorous and nostalgic , bleeding hearts bear perfectly eye - shaped flower drop from curve stems in bound . Their blue - green , fern - like foliage issue too soon , bring home the bacon sake while hostas are just stab through the soil .
Traditional varieties display pink affection with blank tips , while ‘ Alba ’ offers unadulterated white blooms . The newer ‘ Valentine ’ features deeper red flowers against darker leaf for more drama .
Though bleeding hearts may go dormant in summer heat , their bound operation pair perfectly with hostas ’ season - farseeing presence . industrial plant bury - me - nots or annual impatiens to fill any spread leave by their midsummer retreat .
© White Flower Farm
9. Hakonechloa macra (Japanese Forest Grass) ✨
Graceful cascades of slender leaves make Japanese forest grass the perfect textural transparency for hostas ’ bold argument . This slowly - growing cosmetic grass forms refined mounds that spill over edges and soften garden business .
The prosperous variety ‘ Aureola ’ glows like captured sunshine in shady smirch , while ‘ All Gold ’ offers even brilliant color . Their patrician movement in the slightest breeze bring kinetic Department of Energy to otherwise static shade planting .
Unlike many ornamental grasses , Hakonechloa thrives in fond specter and damp soil — on the nose where hostas are happiest . The combination creates a modern-day Asian - inspired aesthetic perfect for meditation gardens .
© Stone Post Gardens
10. Primula japonica (Japanese Primrose) 🌺
candelabrum of vivacious blooms make Japanese primrose spring superstars in the shade garden . Their tiered whorls of bloom in Battle of Magenta , pink , white-hot , or red ascent from rosette of crinkled dark-green leaves .
These wet - fan thrive in the same rich , humusy soil that hostas prefer . Their other - to - mid leaping bloom time provide color when many genus Funka are just unfurling .
Plant them near the front of borders where their bantam size wo n’t be overshadowed by hostas ’ elaborate summertime presence . For a stunning combining , couple magenta primula with blue - leaved Funka for a complemental coloring scheme that make both plant life pop out .
© White Flower Farm
11. Epimedium (Barrenwort) 🍃
Heart - shaped foliage with briary boundary give genus Epimedium year - bout textural interest alongside genus Funka . Modern outgrowth often emerges bronze or scarlet before ripen to viridity , with some varieties holding red leaf margin throughout the season .
ticklish , wanderer - like flowers in yellow , white , pink , or purplish terpsichore above the foliation in leaping on wiry stems . These sturdy groundcovers tolerate ironical tint once give — a valuable trait where hostas might clamber .
Their spreading habit makes them excellent for suppressing sess between larger genus Funka without becoming invasive . bet for diverseness like ‘ Frohnleiten ’ for exceptional drought tolerance or ‘ Rubrum ’ for crimson - tinged foliage and flowers .
© Arcadian Daylilies
12. Iris sibirica (Siberian Iris) 🦋
Elegant blue - reddish blue bloom atop slender stems give Siberian sword lily a graceful presence among hostas . Their narrow , dope - like foliage make hit vertical lines against hostas ’ horizontal spread , rest attractive long after flowering end .
Unlike their bearded cousin-german , Siberian irises support partial shade and consistent wet , make them compatible with Hosta ’ need . Their recent spring to early summer flower time bridges the crack between natural spring bulbs and summer perennials .
New varieties extend expanded color pick from double-dyed white to wine purple and even yellow . Plant them where they can get dawn Sunday for best flowering while share good afternoon shade with neighboring hostas .
© A Way To Garden
© Mindful Gardening
