Team Players

Batter up! Do you know what a “switch hitter” in baseball is?  A switch hitter is someone who can bat left handed or right handed depending on who’s pitching. Switch hitters are valuable on a team because they are flexible and adaptable and can bat well no matter which way the ball is coming at them. In the garden, there are also annuals that are switch hitters; these plants perform equally well in the sun or in the shade. I’ve got a few favorite switch hitters and they are found in the garden, not on a baseball diamond.

One annual that can be used in both the sun and shade is bacopa.  At Al’s we use bacopa in many of our hanging baskets. ‘Gulliver White’ bacopa has larger flowers than the traditional ‘Bridal Showers’ variety and blooms all summer long with crisp clean white blooms.  ‘Calypso Jumbo Lavender’ bacopa is another great performer in both sun and shade.  With its cool lavender color it looks great with other pastel colors, and even
paired with yellows.  Bacopa has deep green leaves that grow opposite of each other on long trailing branches.

Ipomoea, or Sweet Potato Vine, is another vigorous annual that will grow well in either sun or shade. One of the most popular varieties we grow is ‘Marguerite’.  With her chartreuse green color she brightens any area in the shade or adds snap to a sunny area.

New for Al’s last year were the ‘Solar’ begonias. They  lived up to their name and did a great job in the full sun. ‘Solar’ begonias will also bloom in the shade, making them a switch hitter. The rich colored, thick blooms come in colors of apricot, dusty rose, and light yellow. Last year, these ‘Solar’ begonias were tough to keep stocked in the garden centers, they flew off the tables. Their ability to bloom happily in either sun or shade is part of what makes these begonias so popular.   Another begonia for both the sun and shade is the fibrous or wax begonia. These brightly colored begonias are equally able to play the field in either the full sun or even shade.  As long as they get a hint of sun sometime during the day, they’ll be a great addition to your garden. Fibrous begonia leaves come in shades of green to bronzy-chocolate. Their blossoms are white, pink and red. Another characteristic of the fibrous begonias that makes them a valuable player in your garden is that they are virtually untouched by pests and other diseases.

Finally, our cover girl, seed Impatiens. This classic low maintenance annual traditionally thought of for the shade can also be planted in the sun. Impatiens are long blooming, easy
to care for annuals that come in a range of colors including bright white, pink, purple, salmon, and deep red. When you plant impatiens in the sun, you want to be sure to provide plenty of water.  If you don’t let the plants dry out, they can handle much more sun that you would expect.  They are not just for the shade anymore. All of these switch hitters will require a little more water when planted in the sun than when planted in the shade. 

If you’re looking for plants with flexibility and the ability to adapt to different situations, enjoy these switch hitters in your garden in both the sun and shade this summer.