My new shade garden!

This was my weekend project. Still a work in progress but I had to share it with someone other than my hubby! Here is the before picture. That is the most sun this area receives.

Hubby helping me dig out the sod. Hard clay soil.

Adding in all the good soil stuff.

The edging is in, now for the stepping stones.

Got the corner planted. Will add more pics as I get more done. Thanks for looking.

Looks wonderful, and looks like you got a lot done this weekend! I'll look forward to seeing your progress.

great job I can't wait to see the rest of it. keep those pics coming we live for good pics.

How neat! You both should be very proud. Keep posting pics so we can keep up with how good it looks over the summer.
Melissa

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. Can't wait to get back out there and start working on it again. Funny how working in the garden doesn't seem like work compared to working in the house!

Wow staceysmom!!! you and the hubby are doing great work together.... I helped my mom put in a new little garden over the weekend that was fun!!!! Wish it were in my yard but Im almost out of room!!!! LOL. Happy gardening. Loved looking at you photos. Ronna

Good job! Kuddos to your DH! My DH is not the most cooperative when it comes to digging and lifting, hehe

Looks great so far!!

Looks like it's coming into place! I love new gardens. There something so simple about them.

Got it all planted today. Can't wait for things to start growing in. May have gotten a few plants too close to the others and will have to do some tweaking in the future. But a garden is always a work in progress. Now just waiting for the mulch.

A closer shot of the one end. It was work but sooooo much fun. This is the first garden I have done from start to finish. So far I am very pleased.

I would like to plant a vine on either side of the window to add some height and fill in the void as this is two stories high right here. Any vines that grow in shade? Any suggestions? Either that or I thought about a shepards hook and hanging a pot of annuals for a pop of color and a little bit of heighth for added interest.

This message was edited May 28, 2008 11:18 PM

Ronna, thank you! Any pictures of your mom's garden?
robcorreia, I passed the kuddos on to my hubby, he was pleased to hear it.
Thanks flowerjen and doss, so nice to hear.

You have given me the inspiration, now I' out to do similar.Mike

So pretty! I saw a clematis that grows in the shade, now if I can only remember who carried it....

here hope this helps...
http://www.gardencrossings.com/index.cfm

There are clematis that are pretty happy in the shade as long as they get some sun. I have Nelly Moser climbing on an East wall. You might want to ask in the Clematis Forum

With your two stories though I would sure be tempted to put a couple climbing hydrangeas up that wall.

Wow staceysmom that turned out stunning.... I love the statuary... Am a sucker for the garden art... But tasteful like youve got. :) Enjoy... No I did not take any photos of my moms... I brought her a bunch af plants to put in it. It was fun... She likes it so thats all that counts. Ronna

I found a Clematis I am going to try. If it doesn't make it.... oh well. I looked up the climbing hydrangeas - wow, gorgeous plant. I have siding so would have to get some kind of big supported trellis for that. It sure would frame my window nicely though.
Thanks Ronna, yup, I feel garden art adds just a bit of whimsy.

Va. creeper(Partheocissus quinquefolia), will climb up the wall, and not hurt the siding.See how it clings to a tree, and leaves no damaging trail.Mike

Thanks Mike! I like the varigated one. Very pretty. I love putting white in the shade.... it really pops.

I have a west facing side, two story wall where I plan on doing the same as you between windows on each side (2 windows on one side and 2 windows on the other) and plan on putting clematis between the blank spots. I only get late afternoon sun and one side is dappled from trees. It seems the experts on the Clematis forum recommend the viticella group for shady areas. If you go to clematis.com and on the right side type in clematis viticella and hit search. The group will come up with pictures and you can page through them. I've eyed Silver Moon in Wayside Gardens catalog and it's mentioned to grow well in the shade with its color only getting better (a mother-of-pearl essense). I really like that one but have a gray sided house so I think Silver Moon would not show up as well as a deep purple or red/pink. I'm going to try Ville de Lyon. Another good site is roseland.co.uk/clematis/cat1.htm. They have the word viticella in the description and if you click on where it says MORE# (to the right of the description - they give nice pics and descriptions of the clematis. I think clematis is a good choice for you. My neighbor has the climbing hydrangea and even though they're great for full shade, I understand it takes a long time (hers is in 5 years without a bloom) to establish and get blooms. I grows extremely high and wide so I think you'd have to prune it for height and if you prune horizontally you are cutting off the "old" wood needed for blooms. Once you make your choice then the clematis forum ladies buy from Chalk Hill and Brushwood Nursery and others.

On another note, I'd love to know what plants you've planted. You have a nice mix and I'd like to know what you planted for some ideas for a shady area in my backyard. I planted 3 Cimicifuga Brunette in another area and can't wait for it to bloom. Your shade garden looks great, you both did a really good job. Good team work. I wish I could get my husband into gardening but he loves training his hunting dog more. Oh well, to each his own! Let us know what you decide!

medinac, I was talking to one of my neighbors the other day about a vine or something to plant in my garden. She was in the Nursery, Landscape business years ago. She was telling me about the viticella Clematis! She recommened "Polish Spirit". It's supposed to do well in shady areas and is an easy clematis for first time growers. She said it will get me hooked on them. (Great, just what I need .... hooked on another plant) And like you I have gray siding on the house.... luckily "Polish Spirit" is a deep purple color. So I went on-line and ordered one a couple of days ago! I went and checked out that "Silver Moon" you had mentioned. Very pretty. May have to check around my yard and see if there is an area that one would work in. (See, I don't even have the first one yet and I'm talking about getting another one!)
Thanks for the nice comments on my new garden. Hubby isn't a gardener but does like to look at the gardens we have, he has even learned a few of the plant names. I originally made that garden because I love Heucheras and needed room for some I had aquired. So in that space I have about 5 of them and have one more on the way that I ordered. I also have some foam flowers along with a couple of Pulmonaria: "Mrs. Moon" and "Bertram Anderson". I have some Hosta : "Golden Tiara", a few Geranium: "Biokovo", a couple Japanese Painted Ferns, Astilbe: "Visions", some Veronica "Trehane Speedwell" (love the light green of the foliage on that Veronica it really glows in the shade. And I also have the Japanese Maple "Blood Good" I needed mostly plants that don't get too tall as the windows there are at ground level. Can't wait to get the Clematis in there, hopefully I don't kill it, I tried growing one years ago and it didn't do well at all.
You'll have to post pictures of your garden when you get it all planted. I love looking at other peoples gardens and plantings.

Thanks,
GayLynn

Wow! You and I could be dangerous together plant shopping. I absolutely love heucheras too and have several and planning to get more. The current one I must have is Tiramisu. I was on the clematis forum asking for suggestions and "niobe" (she's got a fabulous yard and lots of clematis - you need to check out her pics) recommended the Polish Spirit to me as well. I plan on getting them for the split rail fence I have in the front of my house. She too said it was very easy for beginner clematis lovers and very vigorous. I also tried to grow one on the east side of my house but I think it got wilt and finally bit the dust. I figured it was me and gave up for while. I am currently growing 2 Niobe and bought the Ville de Lyon but am looking for two nice trellis. If I can't find two trellis I really like I will have my husband make a couple out of the wide lattice in white. The Polish Spirit should look great there in your location, it will really light up your garden! I also have some Golden Tiara hosta and the Japanese Painted Fern. No wonder your garden caught my eye. I'll have to check out pics of your geraniums and the Veronica. Please check your D-mail, I have a question for you.

Hello staceysmom... Sounds like things are going great in the new garden... Was reading about your clematis you ordered and We got the clematis Rooguchii. This is the first full spring and its blossoming!!! Very pretty dark blue to a purply color. Nice bell shaped flowers. Im really happy with it!!! Im going to look up the ones you've ordered. All of our did so well this year! We need the shady one also. This one gets some sun in the later afternoon but the discription say part to full shade :) Am really happy with it> It really doesnt have the clingys like other clematis does you kinda have to help it alittle with some gardeners ties. But it clings some I really didnt have to tie it in to many places. I guess lots of people kinda let it ramble thru the garden. Any way we love it ! Good luck with yours they are really easy to grow. Ronna

Ronna, I saw that one and seriously considered ordering it. I really liked the bell shaped flowers. If I can't get Polish Spirit to grow, I don't have much luck with clematis, I think I will have a go at Rooguchii.

GayLynn