So, I pulled some out, added some Aztec grass and caladium bulbs. You can't beat caladium bulbs for summer. Their colorful foliage adds a real spark of color in the shade garden. As I pruned a potted wandering jew (the bluish purple plant above) on the second floor balcony Iwould toss the clippings over the railing and soon noticed they had taken root in this small space. As luck would have it, it looked great with the pink & purple impatiens, the green & white Aztec grass and the pink caladiums. I added the hot pink bromeliad later to finish off this section.
Another volunteer showed up as well. A potted spider plant (above) sitting on the deck had a couple of its babies take hold in the soil. They looked great so I left them, too. I later added the Chocolate Mint coleus in the upper right hand corner to finish off this section.
And, I added another coleus (variety ?) in this section for that chartreuse green color. So far things are shaping up pretty good for this small space. 
Two years ago I added the orange crossandra. I mentioned before that orange and purple are one of my favorite color combinations in the garden. It's an odd match but for some reason it works for me. Some might think it garish but I find it cheerful.
Here's a photo that gives you a good view of the size of this small space. With a little help from Mother Nature and the volunteer plants this small space finally came together, and for the first time in 7 years I am very happy with the end result. Gardening is definitely NOT for the impatient! 
5 comments:
Great job. I know how hard these shady spots can be and you even got lots of color which is double hard in shade.
Debbie
I would say you should be pleased with this area. Sometimes it takes time for a difficult area to prove its worth. This space does so now.
I know how it is trying to make a narrow space or a long space or a small space appeal to you. It's so good when finally something happens and it comes together for you. I think I also see some peacock ginger and a poinsettia??? I didn't know liriope was called aztec grass... you learn something new every blogging day. LOL
Meems
Texas Daisy...It is amazing what you can do with shade these days especially with coleus.
Lisa...Trial and error is alive and well in the garden.
Meems...I did forget to mention the peacock ginger which is a great plant with an adorable flower. The variegated liriope is called Aztec grass.
OOOOOhhhh, I like your rain lily header. We are very much in need of rain again. None for over a week and VERY hot... like summer already. Anyway, wanted to say I like the use of Aztec grass better than liriope. So much more chic. Thanks. Hope you are doing well and enjoying your gardens.
meems
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