Add Some Light to a Dark Shady Spot in Your Garden
Do you have a dark shady spot in your garden and can't seem to add some light to the area. Here's some of the ways that we added some life to our very shady garden.
With two big maple trees, this side of our backyard doesn't get any light. What started off as a lifeless patch of sparse grass is now an interesting garden filled with hosta, ferns and other shade-loving plants.
Here's some of the plants we worked with to add some colour. Concentrating on variegated foliage, chartreuse leaves and different textures gave our shade garden more interest.
Chartreuse, like in this hosta "Designer Genes" adds so much colour. This particular variety also has the added bonus of red stems! It certainly adds a splash of colour to the shade garden.
We all love bleeding hearts and why not use them in a shade garden. One of the advantages is that the foliage lasts longer than a sunny spot. I love bleeding hearts, but they die off in our climate under a blazing sun. In the shade garden, the foliage lasts most of the year. We've got the standard pink bleeding heart, but added a "Goldenheart" variety for more colour.
Of course, a shade garden wouldn't be complete without ferns. But look for varieties that have some more interest. Lady fern, maidenhair ferns, Japanese painted fern are some of the varieties we have. But my favourite is this "ghost" fern. It's lovely against the dark soil.
Add some life with interesting objects like this glazed globe. It reflects the sunlight and adds some shine to this corner.
And don't forget glass ornaments too. This totem is made from dollar store plates, bowls and glasses held together with waterproof silicone. Tucked in between a couple of hosta, it adds some lightness to the garden.
And finally, if you have room you could add a pond. We went with a smaller version of a water feature with this tranquility fountain. It's a large glazed pot filled just to the brim with water. The pump recirculates and gives some added movement. The birds love it as a place to splash on a hot day, we love it because the movement of the water and the sound adds some much needed life to the shade garden.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Thanks! Have been gathering information/ideas for dealing with the big patch of non-grass under the giant oak in the backyard. So far, the only things of interest are my daughter's play house and swingset but she needs more of a garden feel. I'm planning on caladium, impatiens, hosta and english ivy so far but was needing a little extra inspiration.
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Check out Astilbe for a perennial shade lover as well :) Light plumes of color to add to the cool shaded areas of a garden.
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