Shady Retreats

Many gardeners unfortunately consider shade their enemy, when in fact shady areas are one of the gardener’s greatest friends, allowing them to grow a huge assortment of plants that would shrivel and die in full sun. What does not grow well in shade, however, is grass, and before we were called in to rework the area seen at left, a few blades of miserable grass languished underneath a large maple tree. We restored the arbor, with its magnificent, ancient wisteria and grape vines, installed the brick and stone paths, and created a lush, restful garden venue. In the picture below, we converted the dark scraggly underside of a large spruce into a garden that brightens even the cloudiest day.