Plants for shade

most shade plants AREN't by nature colorful. they are generally green. We have hostas - they flower in late august in NJ. Not sure about CA.

If you want lots of color, try impatiens - they come in white, pink, fuschia, orange, red, lavender, lilac, etc.  Very easy to grow. They're annuals here in Georgia, Zone 7.  I don't know where in California you live, so they may or may not be annuals there.  Another good plant for shade is the dragon wing begonia - grows large and lush with red blooms.  Also, caladiums and hosta for greenery.  If you're looking for a large perennial shrub, hydrangeas are great too!

I appreciate your shady garden.  I am a hostaholic.  Colors are in the foliage.  Blues, dark green, chartreuse, white with green, green with yellow,  yellow with green,  -- the combinations are countless.  Plus you get mini, dwarf, medium, large, and jumbo.  I love the yellows, and whites, as they add brightness to a dark shady area.  The textures are another aspect of hosta.  Smooth, crinkled, scalloped edges, puckered,  pointed leaves, rounded leaves, heart shaped leaves.  I've lined a walkway with small golden hosta in front, with larger yellow/white one lined up behind.  Great effect!  Also when you plant a group of similar hosta, they bloom at the same time and the flower colors can range from lavender to white.  Hope this helps -  as you can see,  I love hosta.  ps - can be planted in containers too

Try coleus plants.  Lush colorful foliage that is brighter than most blooms.  At a guess while they are partial to full sun in Michigan,  in California they would need shade to protect tem from burning.  All you have to do to them is water and pinch back if they get leggy. They grow well in containers.

 See some examples:  http://www.rosydawngardens.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=2

I probably can't help you, but I'll try if you tell me where in california you live. North or south

Paula: I need to know wher Manmoth is. That will determine my answer.

Caladiums are always a good choice for color.  They come in bi-colors of green/white, green/red, green/pink,  and solid pink or white, or red with a green rim.  They are about 18-24 inches in height and send up a tall calla lily like flower.  Torenias which is a hardy annual is very colorful and has little faces.  This should do well in containers where you are.  There is a variety called "Happy Faces" which is delightful.  Malus is another flowering "drapey" plant (a relative of the maple but don't let that scare you).  Angel wing begonias as one of the other people mentioned are also good (be careful not to overwater these).  Coleus are very colorful foliage plant with insignificant flowers, you will need to pinch them back or they will get tall and leggy.  For a really great container I would suggest in a large pot a palm in the center surrounded by caladiums with the torenia, begonia,  or malus on the outside.  Tuck some variegated ivy or small fern around the edge and it should be beautiful.  Unless your patio is very secluded it should get some bright light even if there is no direct sun and thats enough for many flowering plants.  All of the plants I have suggested can be found at www.burpee.com or www.parkseeds.com.  Both sell seeds and plants.  You can go on line and search shade plants at both of these sites.

Sorry I made a mistake someone would have caught and thought I was totally ignorant.  Instead of Malus I meant to say Abutilon