Learning to Embrace Shade in the Garden

When you have lived at a belongings for nearly 50 year , you are bound to see your landscape painting go through some changes . Linda Skyler is no alien to this reality , as she has dealt with giant Douglas fir Tree ( Pseudotsuga menziesii , Zones 4–6 ) growing into maturity and covering most of her once - sunny Pacific Northwest garden with wraith . Although it was a challenge at first , she has raise to be intimate shade gardening and the various plant that flourish in humiliated light .

At a glance

Size:1/3 Akko

positioning : Bainbridge Island , Washington

Zones:8

Conditions : Mostly full tint ; stiff soil

years of the garden:40 days

Like many avid shade gardener , Linda first fall in sexual love with the countless shapes and colors of ferns and hostas ( Hostaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–8 ) , and she collected many dissimilar varieties over the years . She also has a great affinity for shrubs , naming rhododendrons ( Rhododendronspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) , pieris ( Pierisspp . and cvs . , Zones 5–8 ) , and hydrangea ( Hydrangeaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) as essential for adding texture , color , and altitude . By mixing an array of plant with lush , unequalled foliage , Linda is able to attain garden interest throughout the whole class . But do n’t look Linda to point out her preferred works if you ever get to visit her in Washington . “ All of my plants are pet , ” she says . “ They all have a special place in the good conditions . ”

After so many geezerhood of toiling , you might think that Linda just wants to seat back and enjoy the yield of her Labor Department , but the passion of this gardener has n’t reached its boundary , and she still has plenty of experimenting left to do . Linda suffer ideas for future labor by chew the fat other garden and learning about new plants that might be good alternative for her distance . She especially loves sharing horticulture stories and cognition with other plant life lovers . “ I ’ve learned a heap along the way down the proverbial garden track , ” she suppose . “ you could try anything in your garden . It ’s all test and erroneous belief — and patience . ”

Kaitlyn Hayes is a digital content production medical specialist forFine Gardening .

Photos : courtesy of Linda Skyler

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a garden that embraces shade

Long-lasting interest in the shade is tricky.In this garden, a mix of sturdy shrubs—evergreens or flowering deciduous gems—mingle with more-familiar shade-loving perennials such as hostas and ferns. The result is a low-light space that’s engaging year-round.

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