Landscaping Guide For HomeownersLandscaping Guide For Homeowners

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Landscaping Guide For Homeowners

Hello, my name is Justin Malone and on this blog you'll find a lot of useful information about landscaping. When I moved into my newly built home, I didn't even have any grass in my yard, so I had to start from scratch. Before I tackled the project of landscaping my property, I did a large amount of research first. I learned how to plant grass seed, and when the grass started to grow, I researched planting trees. As my yard started taking shape, I planted shrubs and made flower beds. My next landscape project was building a fish pond and I completed it with ease after doing the research. I'm writing this blog as a guide for others who want to do their own landscaping and I hope that it helps you learn how to create a beautiful yard.

Blooming in the Dark: Shade Garden Ideas

29 December 2016
 Categories: , Blog

A shady spot in the landscape can seem difficult to design. While most flowers prefer brighter light, that doesn't mean you have no choice but to grow plain green foliage. The following landscape design ideas can help you design these difficult areas so they are beautiful and welcoming spots in the yard.

1. Create a Liquid Focal Point

While soil-based plants grow best in sunlight, many water plants actually thrive in partially shaded conditions. This is why the shaded spot is the best place to place a small pond or water feature. In fact, one benefit of placing this in a shady spot is that there is less chance of algae blooms in the water if there is little sunlight. You can even add some brightly colored fish, like koi, to the water for some living, breathing color.

2. Choose Non-Blocking Structures

Garden ornaments and structures add visual interest. The problem is that some of the more popular styles also block what little sunlight reaches a shaded spot. The key is to opt for open structures. For example, pergolas and wire-frame arbors still provide structure without blocking light. You can even get temporary covers for these structures if you want something to provide shelter in the event of rain. Other structures can be purely ornamental, such as garden obelisks, which allows them to add vertical interest without crowding out the light.

3. Know Your Shade Plants

It's fairly common knowledge that foliage plants tend to grow best in shade. Fortunately, there are plenty of foliage plants with more interesting colors than plain green. Coleus, for example, comes in shades of green, red, yellow, and purple – with multiple colors appearing on single leaf. There are also flowing plants that thrive in shade, such as begonias, columbines, and butterfly bush. There are even some annual flowers that grow in the shade, such as impatiens and fuchsias. With a bit of research, you can have a large and varied garden even without a lot of sun.

4. Embrace Moss

Moss can be one of the most attractive things in a shaded garden. Use stone or hypertufa pots to add height to some of the plants in the garden, then grow moss on the sides to add a lush look. There are also mosses and moss-like plants suitable for groundcover use, such as scotch moss. These can fill in the spaces between perennial plants or stepping stones along a garden path.