Do you have a shady spot in your yard that could use some sprucing up this Spring? Shade gardens are a great way to go! They often require very little maintenance and can add a splash of beauty to your garden or landscape. Especially here in the Pacific Northwest, there is a good chance you’ve got some shade in your yard with the many varieties of beautiful, big trees we are so lucky to have here! I created my shade garden a few years ago and it’s gotten bigger and better each year. I’m not an expert in garden design, but there are a few simple tricks to planning a no-fuss garden. Perennial plants come back every Spring and usually only need to have the dead pruned each fall. If you leave some space, you can always add in a few shade-loving annuals each year to change things up.
Step 1: Create a list of shade plants you enjoy!
Step 2: Check to see what their mature size is to ensure you’ll have enough room.
Step 3: Get your space ready…fresh garden soil or compost mixed in to the existing soil. A large pot set in the shade would work great, too! Just make sure you use potting soil instead of garden soil.
Step 4: Buy your plants and set them out to get an idea of where they would look the best before taking them out of their pots. (For a garden bed that’s about 4×8 like mine, I planted three of each type of plant with room for one or two annuals.) I also put the larger plants in the back and worked my way to the front of the garden bed with the smallest plants, that way nothing gets over-shadowed and it looks more aesthetically pleasing.
Step 5: Plant and enjoy! My shade garden has become something I look forward to every spring. I don’t have to do much to it, yet it fills my garden with color and is a focal point when you walk through the gate.
PC: Maria Magee
Another great thing about shade gardens, is that they invite helpful garden creatures like frogs who love to seek refuge under the shady leaves where the soil stays cool and moist. We even found a huge salamander one year! For a whimsical touch, try these:
- Create a toad house or bee bath like these!
- A fairy garden
- Add fun lights to bring your garden to life at night
- A colorful garden globe
- Wind chimes
- Hostas (I chose 3 different sizes and varieties, also known as Plantain Lilies)
- Autumn Ferns
- Bleeding Hearts (I prefer white but the pink are pretty, too!)
- Astilbe
- Lily of the Valley
- Coral Bells
- Scottish Moss
PC: Maria Magee
What do you have in your shade garden? There are so many beautiful options out there! I wish you a wonderful spring and happy gardening!
“And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:11
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