Is it possible to have a beautiful garden in the shade? A beautiful garden is usually visualized as brightly colored flowers gently dancing atop long graceful stems swaying in summer breezes. However, there can be beautiful shade gardens as well. What does it take to make a shade garden as appealing as a garden that gets more sun exposure?
My first 40-plus years of gardening was done in Northeast Texas where there are fewer trees and certainly no towering pines and oak trees with their full canopies blocking the sun. Gardening here in central East Texas and deeper into the Piney Woods has opened a whole new experience in gardening. Not only has it led to researching the definition of shade, it has also led to research on plants that are happiest in the shade. After living among the trees for over 20 years doing trial and error plantings along with reading about shade-loving plants I have learned to create attractive gardens using plants that feature certain elements that are often overlooked. Some of these elements are texture, form, and contrast.
Contrast is created through color. Even though we may not have the bold colors displayed by the sun-loving flowers, we can still have foliage with contrasting shades of colors. Consider Hydrangea, Caladiums, Begonias, and Pentas for their nicely colored flowers and leaves. Strongly contrasting greens make for a quiet, contemplative, relaxing space that is still dynamic and interesting to view and experience. Plants with contrasting greens include Elephant Ears, Ferns, and Hostas.
Mixing different plant forms ensures visual appeal year-round. Tall evergreens, rounded shrubs, and sprawling perennials create layers of texture that change beautifully with the seasons. Plants with form that help define your garden space include trees, shrubs, and groundcovers. There are also plants with unique shapes, and they create interest. Elephant ears (Colocasia, Alocasia, Xanthosoma, Remusatia spp.), Japanese Red Maple Tree (Acer palmatum ÐÔÊӽ紫ý˜AtropurpureumÐÔÊӽ紫ý™) and Tractor Seat plant (Farfugium japonicum) are a few shade loving plants with unique forms.
Textured plants provide immediate weight and impact in the shade garden and demand attention. Ferns are an excellent choice for adding texture to your shade garden. There are many varieties of ferns to choose from and each one adds its own unique texture to the shade garden. Some ferns to choose from are Autumn Fern, RabbitÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s Foot Fern, Ostrich Fern and Wood Fern.
Now you have more information on some of the elements to consider as you garden among the trees. You will see plants through new eyes as you are more aware of these characteristics of form, texture and contrast.
