The Many Faces of Shady Spaces

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Carol A. Crotta

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One of the great visual joys of a shade garden is how colors are intensified when cast against a background of deep-green foliage.

When it comes to shade gardening, evaluating your site can be, well, rather shady. That’s because not all shade situations are alike, and not all shady areas within the same garden are equal. The differences are easy to see, and you’ll want to note them because it’s these very differences that will determine which plants you buy and where you plant them.

Hand in hand with knowing your site’s various levels of shade is considering how you want to use your shady garden. Do you envision the space as a showcase for shade-loving flowers and foliage, a tranquil retreat for quiet reading or napping, a conversation corner or dining area – or maybe all of the above? While the trees, fences, buildings and other structures that create your shady plot will influence the shape and plant content of your garden, the purpose it serves for your enjoyment is all up to you.

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Bamboo planted in containers provides an elegant backdrop and a moveable privacy screen for seating areas. It has the added benefit of keeping the invasive plant from spreading uncontrollably through your garden.

If you don’t have an express purpose in mind, there are several ways to develop one. Start by taking a look at your yard as a whole. You might, for example, have plenty of lawn where rambunctious children can play but no spot where adults can sit and talk. Maybe your sun garden is already so bright with colorful flowers that the yard could use a soothing all-green shade foliage garden to provide relief and contrast.

Maybe you love dining alfresco and crave a shaded outdoor dining area under a canopy of trees. Perhaps you once strolled down a beautiful wisteria-draped, trellised walkway at a lovely hotel and you want to create something similar from one area of your yard to another. On a trip to a public garden, perhaps you were drawn to a relaxing mossy area with a softly bubbling pond. Use all these experiences and inspiring thoughts to help define a purpose for your garden.

You might also find a purpose in reclaiming the unused spots of your yard where you’ve left shaded areas largely unplanted. If you plan with an eye to texture and form, you can create visual interest and redefine your yard’s boundaries. The beauty of shade gardens is that they’re

greatly adaptable spaces that can take on many personalities. Defining your garden’s purpose will help you create that perfect plan for you to adorn.

Facts

If your area is shaded but remains bright all day, you have hit nirvana – light shade. Though there are plantings that will thrive in shade conditions of nearly every level, light shade will give you the largest selection of plants.

Tips

Thinning accentuates a plant’s natural structure by cutting away unimportant growth or removing foliage to reveal articulated trunks and limbs. With foliage removal, you work from the inside out, and sometimes from the bottom up, to “trace” the plant’s natural shape, removing major limbs and branches only when needed. It also lets additional light to the planting floor below.
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An arbor, pergola or other openwork structure can provide the dappled light preferred by most shade plantings in hot, sunny climates.
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Come to The Garden Party and share your shade garden with the rest of our Learn2Grow community! Post some pictures of your shady site, create a blog, or ask our experts and other shade gardeners for more ideas or help.

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Next Steps

Articles

Shady Design, Reliable Results
Successful gardens start with the garden design basics. Whether you decide to use a computer or prefer to draw your garden design on paper, mapping out your shade garden design is the best way to ensure you’ll have a beautiful shady space you’ll enjoy.
A Place for Shady Characters
Got shade? Use some shade-loving perennials to fill those often neglected spaces below those big, beautiful trees. No matter how dark or light the area gets, there’s a plant that’ll flourish there with the right care! Start by understanding the three shades of shade.
Design by Function: Shade Garden
Dedicating a corner of your sunny yard to a shade garden is a great way to gain some backyard relief from the heat, as well as get some different plants in your garden that you otherwise couldn’t try. We’ll give you the design, you pick the plants!

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