I'd go for it. There are some plants, including flowering plants, that do well in shade so you might do some research or talk to your local nurseries to see what's recommended.

I would try to maximize your natural light even if you think you don't have much of a view. I have seen gorgeous shade gardens. You can put in shade plants like impatiens or vinca. You could put up a trellis. You could also hang something pretty on the fence like a Mexican pottery or whatever would go with your house. You can make it look terrific if you want to.

I would have as much window space as possible. To me it is worth it even if it reduces the amount of storage and I also agree with others that a shade garden can look very nice. Try the landscape forum for plant ideas.

windows are always worth it. as already stated, they allow natural light in and make the room feel larger. also, remember that you aren't always looking out of a window square on. sometimes you catch a glimpse of blue sky or tree or sun when you're bent over or sitting down, or whatever weird angle you happen to be looking out from. don't underestimate that.

bigger windows would also bring your backyard into the room more strongly. It would make the two areas--inside and outside--feel connected.

Go with the windows...maybe you could mount one of those decorative waterfalls on the fence...there are many plants and flowers that thrive in shade...if there isn't much sun ...talk to those on the landscaping and gardening forums..they will have great ideas of making the most of the small space!

Windows, window, windows, yes I would definitely do it.

Hostas, Callas, Hydrangeas are other shade loving plants that are easy to grow. Shade gardens are a beautiful addition to yards. I will give up almost anything to get another window in.
I have 51 windows in new house and 9 sets of french doors. I want to be able to enjoy the outdoors from every room. Some "new" design thinking suggests that widows and doors should be minimized and if you love the outdoors , go outside. I personally think this is absurd. Bringing the outdoors in through great design, wonderfully placed windows & doors will always be classic.

Go for it, add your windows. I do like the windows down to counter as well.

How about putting in one of those garden windows? I know they may be dated, but I like houseplants so I've always liked these:

{{!gwi}}

Thank you everyone! It's so nice to get a unanimous response--especially one in line with what I wanted to do anyway :). The shade is deep shade (under tall evergreens) but still you're all right, I could do more with it. (There are two large shrubs there right now that a garden designer told me long ago would love the shade--wrong. Time for a change.) Rhodies might work under the evergreens...

edlakin, and everybody else, you're right--I will get different views from different angles--I'll be able to see the sun in my enighbors' yards!

gina, I like those greenhouse windows too. I am also thinking about a box bay--I saw a great idea in a magazine once: a box bay with mirrors on the short ends so the light was magnified--it was wonderful!

I once had an interior designer here (OK, I am a great one for short relationships with designers). He looked at two small windows in our MBR, which I happen to like (on either side of the bed) and said in that sniffy ID voice, "I find that people so often overwindow their spaces." What??? No such thing!

thanks again!

I agree with all the other posters on the window. However, before you look too hard at the greenhouse window, please read a thread from a couple of weeks ago in which someone asked about greenhouse windows (aka garden windows) and got 18 replies, 17 of which (including mine) were negative( dated, hard to clean, drafty, etc). It turned out that the OP wanted a bay window, not a greenhouse window, which I think is generally a better idea.

As for "over windowing spaces," maybe there's a reason you had a short lived relationship with that designer.... :)

Go to a good, local garden center and learn what will grow and thrive (half-dead plants are worse than no plants) in your shaded area. Or you could landscape the area with bird feeders, bird baths, chimes, sculpture...anything you love.

You can make a shaded retreat with benches and fountains. It will be lovely to look at while you're at the sink.

I'd love to have a house like A Country Farm's with "51 windows...and 9 sets of French Doors" but I don't. Still I love my window that looks across my driveway, part of my yard, and to the neighbor's house. They're letting me plant lilacs along their blank bedroom wall! It's quite a way off, but I'll still see, and possibly smell, them! I'm setting another lilac between the living room and kitchen windows.

I had a window like that at our first home. It looked out on our very narrow side yard with a tall, wood fence maybe eight feet away and dirt where not much would grow. I ended up nailing tall trellises to the fence and planting easy to care for vines on it. They grew and at I was at least looking a green. Perhaps you can add a bird bath and feeder to your area.

Agree definitely windows. Birds can be delightful company while working. They're attracted to food and water for drinking and bathing that's safe from hawks and other predators and nearby shelter for hanging and chatting in.

I had a full lengh bay in my previous dining room that was about 4 feet from the fence. There were two huge evergreen japonicas growing there that I trimmed up almost to fence heighth so they made an arch or walkway in front of the window (not to mention hiding the house next door!!). Between the japoinicas on the fence itself, I made a little "bird village" . . .had about 10 different sizes of birdhouses and other little wooden "fou-fous", including some small birds (metal and wooden). I wrote "Birdie's Bar and Grill" on the roof of one of them. Since everthing "weathered", it was not an in your face thing, but a LOT better than looking at the plain wooden fence. In the spring/summer, I hung pots of flowering annuals on the fence and in the limbs of the japonicas.

Go for the windows, plants and paint a mural on the fence!

Awesome ideas! Yes, I need to cater to the bird population. They like that spot anyway. I have to just get creative...I like the mural idea too. Lots of things will work and you all are giving me a little bump to get going! It was funny, this winter somehow a big long branched stick from the woods got propped up on the fence, and I really liked looking at it, with the snow on it and everything, sort of like a very small tree. And that was only a stick, lol. If I try just alittle I'm sure I can do even better than that!

I have been craning my neck all day at different angles in the room and am realizing I will see nice things across the street, etc. Caroline, love that your neighbors are letting you plant lilacs!

You might want to consider judicious pruning of the trees to let in more light. :)

I saw a nice arrangement with a light-colored stone wall on the far side of a small, enclosed outdoor area, with a stone birdbath hanging on the wall, right at eye level. There were flowering, vining plants on part of the wall. It was really quite nice.

I'd give anything for 8 feet. We only have two (two!) between our kitchen wall and the neighbor's fence and we're still including larger windows in our plan. Be happy for anything green to look at and the 8 feet of space!

You've probably already been convinced that the windows are worth it! :>)

Just another encouraging experience- My former dentist's office had a tiny garden accessed by sliding doors (so just a little wider than the sliding doors- maybe 8-10 feet and perhaps 6 feet deep outside each treatment room. It was surrounded by trellis and landscaped with small shrubs and some flowers. It gave patients something restful and calming to look at- instead of more posters with teeth!

I'm a window person, and in my kitchen, don't think I'll even put up window coverings (I have lots of privacy).

so it seems EVERYONE wants more outdoors, more green more light!

unfortunately the tall evergreens belong to the neighbors, on the other side of the fence. They are good for privacy but block all the morning light...oh well. We do prune the branches on our side when we can bc they clog up the gutters--but we need a cherry picker to do it (or someone in a cherry picker)

I need to find out if rhodies will bloom in deep shade, and if there are any good shade vines.

thanks for all the great ideas! Holly

I had a house once that had some gorgeous, huge evergreens. I loved those trees. My favorite things to plant in the shade were rhodies (there's a cousin shrub whose name escapes me right now that works just as well and they bloom earlier - possibly camellias). They come in all sorts of colors and are quite low-maintenance.

I also love, love, love bleeding hearts and fuscias. They both love shade and come in gorgeous, vibrant colors and shapes. I'd hang the bleeding heart hanging baskets right on the branches of the evergreens. They'd spend the winter sheltered in our garage.

Hostas are great, too but are fairly low-growing so you won't really see them much from your window.

How about a stained glass window? Or an obscured glass with some leaded design patterns?

Definitely! To me, the light coming in through the window is what it's there for. If there's also a view, then that's a bonus.

I've never met a window I didn't like (not even the one we had that looked over a junk yard in the apt we had before this house.)