Annuals are great for filling in those spaces while herbaceous perennials take their time in filling out over the years. In the hosta garden, naturally, annuals would have to be those that are adapted to the same growing environment. Of course the main limiting factor in most sites would be low light conditions.

In most locations, the impatiens is the number one annual (actually a tender perennial) companion for hostas. They provide several benefits that make them a great complement in the shade garden. Impatiens, of course, are shade tolerant and will thrive in a light to medium shade environment. In the heavy shade, they will survive and do their thing slowly.

The key factor provided by impatiens is color and specifically, warm or hot colors such as red, pink and orange. One challenge in most shade gardens is availability of these types of colors. There are plenty of violets, purples and magentas but hot reds are much harder to come by in the shade.

Don't forget that, given a moisture retentive soil and some irrigation, many hostas will do just fine with a sunny location. So, this will greatly expand the list of annuals that will thrive along side the hostas.