TO many gardeners, a mention of shade garden instantly conjures the image of all those plants, like ferns that thrive well without full sun. And without full sun, it is often thought that those gay and brightly coloured flowers will not find place under the shade.

This is not exactly the case, as there are a good number of flowering plants that do not need full sun to colour and add interest to the cool and shady area of the garden.

Such shrubs as hydrangeas and rhododendrons are good examples of shade plants that can add spark to the shade. Rhododendrons come in a wide variety of colours such as white, purple, yellow and red in their accompanying fragrance. This is especially recommended for those who have large space to work with and show off because of their tendency to grow to a large size.

Hydrangeas also grow to large bushes with their flowers in different colours such as blue, white and pink. These are very good as cut flowers because the blooms can last for some weeks.

Ground covers can also imbue the shade area with colour. Such flowering ground covers include primrose, and violets.  Some others add colour with their leaves. Hostas are good example of ground covers that come in varying shades of green with some also bringing out flowers.

Larger flowers can come in plants like fuchsias. These can be made to hang in pots for visual appeal or planted directly to the ground.