Mostly Shade Bed Design Help

10 years ago

I wonder if you would share ideas and give me feedback on my ideas for what I plan to do with this area. I'm really not good at design. Please be kind. I'd love to learn something.

The area is in mostly shade but does get a bit of filtered late pm light. The bed would go between the walkway you see in the pictures and the corner of the fence. That's about 9 or 10 feet wide. It can be as deep as I want it to be, but I think 4 or 5 feet is about what I'd like to do.

The plant ideas I have for the space is a larger variety of azalea in the back all the way across, possibly an oakleaf hydrangea, a mophead together in front of the azaleas, and then an accent or two of smaller hostas possibly on an end or between the hydrangeas. I could add in annuals for accents down the road too, I suppose.

I am open to any ideas and welcome your thoughts and comments.

Photos below (ignore the grass/weeds--lawn is a project for another day). Please let me know if I've left anything out. Thanks in advance!

FRONT VIEW

VIEW FROM PATHWAY

VIEW FROM YARD

Featured Answer

daylily

10 years ago

I have very large garden beds and I way overplanted and within about 2 years, the entire yard looked like a mess, and I've been paying the price now for years and years. A hosta is beautiful but if it is crowded underneath branches of shrubs, it really loses its beauty. A rhodo is beautiful even when not in flower, but if another different type shrub is crowding it, it loses its beauty.

My personal preference would be to get the variety that you want throughout the rest of your yard. Having said that, some people seem to like lots of variety crowded together. So to each his/her own. Walk around your neighbourhood and look at yards where things are overplanted - and see if that is the look you are going for. And google shade gardens - you can get lots of great ideas.

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Comments (12)

daylily
10 years ago
I would think that you could fit 2 (maybe 3) azaleas along the fence and that would be it. With a bed that is 4-5 feet by 9-10 feet, that would be all that I could envision. I guess it depends on the variety, but wouldn't most azaleas need at least 4 feet in diameter?
kinlaw (Zone 7b/8a, GA)
Original Author
10 years ago
daylily, that's a really good point...I could be overreaching here. Still I was hoping for some variety in that space....
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kinlaw (Zone 7b/8a, GA)
Original Author
10 years ago
Excellent. Thank you so much for this thoughtful comment. I think you're onto something. Also, what you suggest would be SO much easier.
laceyvail 6A, WV
10 years ago
I would use one handsome oakleaf hydrangea--and give it plenty of room between the planting and the fence.
kinlaw (Zone 7b/8a, GA)
Original Author
10 years ago
laceyvail, I do love oakleaf hydrangeas. I will seriously consider that. The only thing that might keep me from doing it is that it would put one deciduous plant alone in a prominent place. I generally try to avoid that in my yard. But maybe I need to try it. Thank you!
User
10 years ago
kinlaw (Zone 7b/8a, GA) thanked User
kinlaw (Zone 7b/8a, GA)
Original Author
10 years ago
vstavay - Wow. Thank you!
kitasei
10 years ago
Where I am, the hosta would never look like that when the azalea is in bloom. Which is a good thing, because I find the effect garish!
User
10 years ago
Sorry Kitasei, I'm using the pictures I have in my library .
gardenweed_z6a
10 years ago
Just a thought that occurred to me. I make extensive use of hosta in my shade beds but I intersperse them with other low/zero maintenance foliage forms/types such as Heuchera/coral bells, Tricyrtis hirta/toad lily, Aquilegia/columbine, Hellebore/Lenten rose, Gentian, Polemonium/Jacob's ladder, Lungwort/pulmonaria, Mertensia virginica/Virginia bluebells, Cimicifuga racemosa/black snakeroot, Tiarella cordifolia (Heartleaf foamflower), astilbe, & Alchemilla mollis/lady's mantle. Most of them grow to similar heights so that's normally not an issue. Toad lily grows taller but since it blooms late in the year, it doesn't bother me that it's taller.

BTW - there are lots of garden design books available from your local library. Ask me how I know.

I garden on a full acre of property in southern New England so have unlimited space to fill. What I aimed for and think I've achieved is not only curb-appeal but my own pleasure when I go 'walk-about' my garden beds.

I knew when I moved here the soil was slightly acidic sandy loam so knowing what type of soil you have is key to your success. We also (normally) have adequate rainfall so none of my perennials need watering. This year has proved a challenge.
emmarene9
10 years ago
I'd like to know how this bed relates to the rest of the yard and the house. My first thought is that I would not want shrubs to block the view of my house. I would only plant perennials in that area.