Today I am going to share with you one of my shade garden plans for planning and inspiration. My shade garden was started by the previous owners of our home. They created a very formal structure with mini square beds divided by paver paths. All that was planted were hostas and pachysandra, and landscape liner was used all throughout. The garden in all was a little too angular and “cut up” for me. I prefer more organic shapes with more flow. But I made peace with it, and decided to use height variation to add texture to the overall look of the Shade garden. It is a large area, and I have been working on a mini bed or two a year. The one I am sharing with you is a larger one near the walk. It is roughly 6 feet by 5 feet.
When planning it, I felt it seemed a central, eye catching element, as well as something tall. On one of my plant shopping trips, I fell in love with a Japanese Climbing Hydrangea and had to have it. This became the focal point in the center with a pyramid trellis. Then I built up and stair-stepped heights towards it from the outside in. I kept the pachysandra in places which is nice ground cover to fill in holes, (which it actually did once I ripped out all the landscape liner! This ground cover needs to extend roots in dirt, so landscape liner was preventing it from spreading properly). You can use different ground cover if you wish. Also, you have the flexibility to add different annuals here and there. Annuals help give color throughout the growing season, because though shade perennials are lovely, the blooms are generally short lived.
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