Method 2 of 3: Choosing the plants

Grow plants that are sun or shade compatible with your planting area. You first need to know how much sun exposure your bed receives. Observe your garden over the course of a day, and consider how your shade and sunlight levels will change in the different seasons. When buying plants, the descriptions will indicate how much sun they will need.

· Full sun means that during the middle of the day in the growing season the area will get six or more hours of direct sunlight. If this is the case for your bed, you will have a wide range of plants you can choose from.

· Partial sun means that the area receives direct sunlight from the sunrise until noon. The reason this is not full sun is because the sun in the morning is not as strong as sun in the middle of the day.

· Partial shade is when your spot receives sunlight from 3 p.m. until the end of the day. Partial shade also applies to areas that have dappled or filtered sunshine for the full day.

· Full shade would mean that the area is on the north side of a building or that the tree coverage is very dense and that even dappled sunshine does not show through. Although your options will be fewer, you can still find suitable, attractive plants for your bed.

Pay attention to the mature size of the plant. Make sure that when the plant is full size that it will fit well under the tree and in the space you have. Buy small and low growing plants for your bed. Plants that will get tall may start to block sunlight for any smaller plants in the bed or encroach on the lower branches of tree.

Choose the flowers to plant under your tree. Planting flowers under your tree can make for a very attractive bed. Consider planting in a cluster of 3-5 different kinds of flowers or shrubs to create a more textured or flourishing look. Consider the zone where you are planting as well. When you buy plants, make sure they are suited for your region. For example, if you live in the desert, there are many flowers that are difficult to successfully grow in the summer because of the heat.

Choose a shrub to plant under your tree. These plants are easy to maintain and can add great variety to your bed. You will want to make sure that whatever shrub you buy is low growing. Once again, consider the sunlight and region where you live when you are selecting your plants. Shrubs are great for growing under trees because they can thrive with less light and/or moisture.