Though most of us would prefer full sun with a lo of natural light, many gardens feature partial or full shade. If you happen to own a shady garden, it’s not an issue! Every garden can be transformed into something really adorable, whatever this piece of land is. Full shade is dreamy, soothing and relaxing space that will help you feel at ease after a hard day. How to turn a shady garden into such a peaceful retreat? Let’s find out.
Determine The Conditions
First of all, you should understand the shade level as this is important for picking plants. Your garden might feature partial, dappled, moderate, or heavy shade. You should also figure out if you have a dry shade or a damp shade, it will influence your choice, too. Most plants for shade prefer forest soil, you will have to add nutrients, mulch regularly, and track the acidity levels to ensure they’re high enough for shade-lovers to thrive. The good thing about shady gardens is that they usually don’t require that much watering but still need some.
This is how you can style a modern shady garden. Tall and low greenery with eye-catching leaves and large pavers highlight the contemporary feel.
A narrow side yard is a shady garden, too. Greenery and ferns, flagstones and pebbles are used to make it cooler.
Nasturtiums are lovely bright blooms that don't require much maintenance.
Phlomis fruiticosa is a bold solution for a shady garden: they provide both bright color and creative shape.
This shade space strikes with a variety of colors and heights, there are various textures and a bit of blooms add interest.
The narrow side yard is a whole lush garden growing in shade: there are potted ferns, topiary trees, blooms and vine covered arches.
This side yard shows off a bit of greenery, some trees and Fatsia japonica to add shape and interest.
This shady green space shows off groundcovers, grasses, leaves and trees. Stones add a relaxed touch to the garden.
The shady space is covered with vines on the arches, greenery and grasses and skinny trees.
This beautiful space includes various types of green plants, some blooms and trees and looks like part of a forest.
Choose The Plants
Ferns, Hosta, Lungwort, Bleeding Heart, Coral Bells, Wild Ginger, Bigroot Geranium, Cushion Spurge, Hellebore, Foamflower, Lilyturf, Japanese Aralia, Ajuga reptans, Hypericums, Bellis Daisies, Hydrangeas – these are just some plants that can grow in shade. Of course, before making a choice, read about the conditions they prefer.
Climbers are popular for most gardens but the point is that they grow in the direction of the sun. Depending on the shade level of your shade garden, you probably want to avoid this category of plant altogether. Meanwhile, groundcovers and moss will be a perfect choice for a shady garden as lawn will be too hard to cultivate.
The townhouse garden is done with grasses, some greenery and tall trees that don't block too much light.
The lovely space shows off greenery, white blooms and a tree. The brick path gives a more formal touch to the garden.
This small side garden shows off grasses and a skinny tree, and a stone path adds a natural feel.
This is how lush even a shade garden can look, just choose the plants right. (via holleydesigns).
Groundcovers, various types of ferns and greenery with mix and match leaves will make your sahde garden wow. (via thedesignfiles).
This contemporary space is designed in partial shade, with greenery, grasses and trees. Potted plants add a more modern feel. (via livingetc).
This shade garden is done in wild style so that it resembles part of the forest. (via fredericdelesalle).
The lush garden reminds of woodlands, though it's a garden still, and a wooden path proves that. (via gardenista).
Ajuga reptans is a beautiful bloom that can grow in shady gardens adding color to them.
Antirrhinum is one of the flowers that can grow in shade and it looks extra bold.
Think Of Style
Japanese style gardens are perfect in shade, so if you feel like it, you can pull off this style. Woodlands are also about shade, so you can go for a forest-like garden. If not, then choose any other type you love or create an eclectic landscape forgetting about manicured lawns and refined garden beds, let it grow wild!
This shady garden is styled with various greenery and some trees plus a bit of bold blooms. Though they aren't many, it looks eye-catching.
Brunnera macrophylla is a lovely delicate flower for a shady space.
Choisya will definitely refresh and brighten up any shady garden with its white blossom.
Diascia is a nice shady flower that will add height variety to your shade garden.
This shady garden is a xericape with not too many and not too bright plants but they don't require much maintenance.
Fatsia japonica is a lovely shade plant that catches an eye with its unique leaves.
This is how you can vary green plants in a shady garden creating a gorgeous lush landscape.
The garden is done with tall fens, greenery and some white blooms that look quite natural.
This lush garden is styled with lots of various greenery, bushes and trees and a bit of very delicate blooms. The hardscaping is done with gravel for a more formal touch.
Dark purple foliage is paired with purple blooms to infuse the garden with color.
Brighten Up
Shady gardens might seem gloomy and moody and to avoid it you can play with form and texture. While the flowers of shade-loving plants aren’t always as colorful or showy as the sun-loving ones, they do offer some of the best foliage and texture you can get, for example, with gunnera, fatsia, or ligularia, just add ornamental grasses or sedges. The delicate fronds of the maidenhair fern appear to almost float off the stems.
Try mixing in multi-tonal or variegated plants. There are some fabulous chartreuse and yellow-toned plants that are perfect for breaking up a sea of green, for example, Hakonechloa macra “Aureola”, Carex “Evergold” and Acorus “Ogon”.
Consider using various heights for more eye-catchiness. Along with great ground coverage and pretty mid-height plants, you can also look for taller options, such as Japanese maple.
Don’t forget hardscape and choose it according to the garden style: a more wild-looking garden will be cooler with more natural-looking stones and rocks, and regular stones and pea gravel can also brighten up a shady area but in a more refined garden. Furniture is another way to bring some brightness to a shady garden space.
Contemporary landscapes dont' require flowers, so this modern shady garden is done with topiaries and grasses and some trees.
The shady space is styled with various greenery including ferns and hostas and some purple hydrangeas.
Side yards are often narrow and shady, and there you can rock various greenery, groundcovers and some tall plants to vary the heights.
The shade garden is done with various greenery, grasses and dark foliage. The blooms are only some white hydrangeas for a fresh touch.
The modern shady space is done with various types of greenery and instead of hardscaping you can see groundcovers.
This beautiful and lush garden is grown in shade and it's filled with greenery, groudncovers, shrubs and delicate trees. Pastel hydrangeas break the green monotony.
The little shady nook features various types of greenery and delicate trees. Some white blooms add interest to the space.
The lovely shade garden is styled with lots of greenery including big fronds. Purple and pink blooms add color to the space, and gravel and stones highlight the natural style.
This lovely space features various types of shade-loving plants at all levels. Some white blooms and trees add interest, and gravel delicately shows the way.
Hydrangeas are among blooms that are suitable for shady gardens, you can vary their color.
Kalmia latifiolia is a fab and bright bloom that will bring a wow effect to a shady garden.
Leucojum vernum is a cool and delicate bloom for a shady garden.
This narrow side garden is filled with plants, from groundcovers and ferns to fronds and skinny trees.