A Charming Plant Combination for Shady Gardens: Candelabra Primroses, Fern and Bugle

Perennial Combinations, Plant Combinations, Flowerbeds Ideas, Spring Borders, Summer Borders

Garden Ideas, Border ideas, Perennial Planting, Perennial combination, Spring Borders, Summer Borders, Bog Gardens, Shade gardens, Candelabra primroses, Candelabra Primulas, Ostrich Fern, Phlox divaricata, Primula japonica, Ajuga

Enhance a damp, shaded garden spot with this vivid plant duo, featuring Primula japonica (Japanese Primrose) and the emerging green fronds of Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern). Complement these with eye-catching foliage and groundcover plants like Hosta ‘Wide Brim’, which boasts heart-shaped, variegated leaves; Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’, known for its purplish-bronze leaves and blue-violet blooms; Viola sororia, which delights with shiny leaves and soft, blue-violet flowers; and Phlox divaricata, offering fragrant flower clusters.

This low-maintenance collection creates a remarkable landscape best enjoyed from mid to late spring. Most plants in this ensemble are deer-resistant and have earned the esteemed Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society for their exceptional attributes. Enjoy your garden’s refreshing atmosphere!

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Garden Information

Hardiness	4 - 7
Heat Zones	1 - 8
Climate Zones	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
Exposure	Partial Sun
Season of Interest	Spring (Mid, Late)
Maintenance	Low
Water Needs	Average
Soil Type	Loam
Soil pH	Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics	Plant of Merit, Showy
Attracts	Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Landscaping Ideas	Beds And Borders, Ponds And Streams
Garden Styles	Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage

Plants In This Garden

Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern)

Resembling long, feathery Ostrich plumes, Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern) is an elegant, upright to arching, deciduous fern with showy, finely dissected, fresh green sterile fronds

Hardiness	3 - 7
Exposure	Partial Sun, Shade
Seasons	Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	4' - 6' (120cm - 180cm)
Spread	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)

Primula japonica (Japanese Primrose)

Robust and vigorous, Primula japonica, commonly known as Japanese Primrose, is a deciduous perennial with attractive whorls of flowers in shades of white, soft to deep pink, purple or red. They are spaced at intervals along upright stems and rise above basal rosettes of lettuce-like, bright green leaves.

Hardiness	4 - 8
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early)
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Spread	10" - 1' (25cm - 30cm)

Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant' (Carpet Bugle)

Award-winning Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’ (Carpet Bugle) is an evergreen perennial prized for its large, glossy purplish-bronze leaves, 6 in. long (15 cm), which quickly form a dense mat of attractive rosettes.

Hardiness	3 - 10
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun, Shade
Seasons	Spring (Mid, Late)
Height	6" - 1' (15cm - 30cm)
Spread	10" - 2' (25cm - 60cm)

Hosta 'Wide Brim' (Plantain Lily)

Among the most popular variegated hostas ever introduced, Plantain Lily ‘Wide Brim’ (Hosta) cheerfully brings some color to shady areas! It forms an attractive, dome-shaped mound of broadly heart-shaped, puckered dark green leaves with a blue cast, widely and irregularly margined buttery yellow.

Hardiness	3 - 9
Exposure	Partial Sun, Shade
Seasons	Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Spread	2' - 4' (60cm - 120cm)

Viola sororia (Common Blue Violet)

Native to eastern and central North America, Viola sororia (Common Blue Violet) is a stemless, low-growing perennial with glossy, heart-shaped leaves topped with attractive, large blue-violet flowers with conspicuous white throats. Each flower sits atop its own leafless stalk. In addition to the normal flowers, there are often flowers near the ground that fail to open, but their fruit produces vast quantities of seeds.

Hardiness	3 - 10
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Height	6" - 10" (15cm - 25cm)
Spread	6" - 10" (15cm - 25cm)

Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)

Native to eastern North America, Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox) is a semi-evergreen, spreading wildflower which creates mats of abundant, open clusters of slightly fragrant flowers in mid to late spring. Each scented, saucer-shaped flower features five, flat, notched, petal-like lobes in shades of lilac, rose or blue.

Hardiness	3 - 8
Exposure	Partial Sun
Seasons	Spring (Mid, Late)
Height	9" - 1' (23cm - 30cm)
Spread	9" - 1' (23cm - 30cm)

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Ajuga (Bugle) Primula (Primrose) Phlox Hosta

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Alternative Plants to Consider

Hosta ‘First Frost’ (Plantain Lily)

Hosta ‘Paul’s Glory’ (Plantain Lily)

Primula x bulleesiana (Candelabra Primrose)

Primula bulleyana (Candelabra Primrose)

Primula beesiana (Candelabra Primrose)

Hosta ‘Patriot’ (Plantain Lily)

Credit: GAP Photos/Friedrich Strauss

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.