William Ripley, APLD The arbor is stained a traditional color for this formal space which keeps the garden sophisticated and tailored while accentuating the other shades of green in the plants. This color looks black, but is actually considered "Charleston Green." Here's a little info I found on the color, " http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/classic-paint-colors-00417000077685/page5.html"

Living Space Landscapes. Shade garden replacing turf area.
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional backyard stone garden path in Minneapolis.

This garden path was created next to the new master bedroom addition we designed as part of the Orr Residence renovation. The curving limestone paver path is defined by the plantings. RDM and the client selected plantings that are very happy in the shade as this part of the yard gets very little direct sunlight. Check out the rest of the Orr Residence photos as this project was all about outdoor living! This photo was one of the most popular "Design" images on Houzz in 2012 - http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1435436/thumbs/pt=fdc1686efe3dfb19657036963f01ae47/Houzz--Best-of-Remodeling-2012---Landscapes - and added to over 11,000 Ideabooks

A master bedroom with an ocean inspired, upscale hotel atmosphere. The soft blues, creams and dark woods give the impression of luxury and calm. Soft sheers on a rustic iron rod hang over woven grass shades and gently filter light into the room. Rich painted wood panel molding helps to anchor the space. A reading area adorns the bay window and the antique tray table offers a worn nautical motif. Brass fixtures and the rough hewn dresser remind one of the sea. Artwork and accessories also lend a coastal feeling.

Astilbe, hostas and hydrangeas in a shade garden.
Design ideas for a small traditional shade side yard stone landscaping in New York.

The star at the center of this veggie garden is the perfect place for the dwarf lemon tree. The six pointed star (just like the Great Seal of the United States) is ideal for the strawberries to cascade over the edges. The star is 6' with 3' clearance around the star so the space is wide enough to comfortably access the veggie beds from all sides. Photo Credit: Mark Pinkerton

This shade arbor, located in The Woodlands, TX north of Houston, spans the entire length of the back yard. It combines a number of elements with custom structures that were constructed to emulate specific aspects of a Zen garden. The homeowner wanted a low-maintenance garden whose beauty could withstand the tough seasonal weather that strikes the area at various times of the year. He also desired a mood-altering aesthetic that would relax the senses and calm the mind. Most importantly, he wanted this meditative environment completely shielded from the outside world so he could find serenity in total privacy. The most unique design element in this entire project is the roof of the shade arbor itself. It features a “negative space” leaf pattern that was designed in a software suite and cut out of the metal with a water jet cutter. Each form in the pattern is loosely suggestive of either a leaf, or a cluster of leaves. These small, negative spaces cut from the metal are the source of the structure’ powerful visual and emotional impact. During the day, sunlight shines down and highlights columns, furniture, plantings, and gravel with a blend of dappling and shade that make you feel like you are sitting under the branches of a tree. At night, the effects are even more brilliant. Skillfully concealed lights mounted on the trusses reflect off the steel in places, while in other places they penetrate the negative spaces, cascading brilliant patterns of ambient light down on vegetation, hardscape, and water alike. The shade arbor shelters two gravel patios that are almost identical in space. The patio closest to the living room features a mini outdoor dining room, replete with tables and chairs. The patio is ornamented with a blend of ornamental grass, a small human figurine sculpture, and mid-level impact ground cover. Gravel was chosen as the preferred hardscape material because of its Zen-like connotations. It is also remarkably soft to walk on, helping to set the mood for a relaxed afternoon in the dappled shade of gently filtered sunlight. The second patio, spaced 15 feet away from the first, resides adjacent to the home at the opposite end of the shade arbor. Like its twin, it is also ornamented with ground cover borders, ornamental grasses, and a large urn identical to the first. Seating here is even more private and contemplative. Instead of a table and chairs, there is a large decorative concrete bench cut in the shape of a giant four-leaf clover. Spanning the distance between these two patios, a bluestone walkway connects the two spaces. Along the way, its borders are punctuated in places by low-level ornamental grasses, a large flowering bush, another sculpture in the form of human faces, and foxtail ferns that spring up from a spread of river rock that punctuates the ends of the walkway. The meditative quality of the shade arbor is reinforced by two special features. The first of these is a disappearing fountain that flows from the top of a large vertical stone embedded like a monolith in the other edges of the river rock. The drains and pumps to this fountain are carefully concealed underneath the covering of smooth stones, and the sound of the water is only barely perceptible, as if it is trying to force you to let go of your thoughts to hear it. A large piece of core-10 steel, which is deliberately intended to rust quickly, rises up like an arced wall from behind the fountain stone. The dark color of the metal helps the casual viewer catch just a glimpse of light reflecting off the slow trickle of water that runs down the side of the stone into the river rock bed. To complete the quiet moment that the shade arbor is intended to invoke, a thick wall of cypress trees rises up on all sides of the yard, completely shutting out the disturbances of the world with a comforting wall of living greenery that comforts the thoughts and emotions.

A rhododendron berm, seating area surrounded by chartreuse hostas and a Skylands oriental spruce, a fern garden and a perennial border are highlights of this back garden adjoining a lake.

Irregular bluestone stepper path and woodland shade garden.
Inspiration for a traditional shade stone landscaping in Boston.

Photo credit~Jeri Koegel
Photo of a large traditional shade backyard concrete paver landscaping in Orange County.

Mechanical pergola louvers, heaters, fire table and custom bar make this a 4-season destination. Photography: Van Inwegen Digital Arts.
Example of a trendy rooftop rooftop deck design in Chicago with a pergola

Photo of a small traditional shade backyard landscaping in Portland.

This garden path is an entry to the shade garden. The stepping stone walkway is planted with moss. The garden path meanders through the canopy of the shade garden. The garden and landscape design is in Connecticut backyard by Matthew Giampietro of Waterfalls Fountains & Gardens Inc. designed and installed the secret garden and the stepping stone walkways.

Conte & Conte, LLC landscape architects and designers work with clients located in Connecticut & New York (Greenwich, Belle Haven, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Fairfield, Southport, Rowayton, Manhattan, Larchmont, Bedford Hills, Armonk, Massachusetts) House designed by James Schettino Architects; Boxed Vegetable Gardens, thanks to Fairfield House & Garden Co. for building these!

This shade garden walkway design with wooden planks is a stroll garden in the backyard of this Connecticut property. The gazebo is on the hillside overlooking a river and woodland shade garden. Landscape design by Donald Giampietro

Request Free Quote Side Yard Landscape Design in Glenview, Illinois features the use of Gray in your landscape with blue stone and crushed blue stone path, water feature, garden plants, and painted brick wall.

Russian sage and lady's mantle alternating along a white fence with pink roses
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional front yard wood fence driveway in New York for summer.

Bliss Garden Design
Photo of a contemporary shade backyard landscaping in Seattle.

A shade garden full of Hosts, Dicentra, Hakone Grass, Asarum canadense-wild Ginger, Helleborus, Epimedium , Ferns, Carex, Aquilegia & Heuchera to name a few. I find this area very little maintenance for me and provides color and interest from March to November-Dec. Mariane Wheatley-Miller