Shady Landscaping Ideas

Bright Foliage and Flowers

• Brighten a dark shady landscape by planting brightly colored flowers as well as lighter shades of foliage. Lighter colors of green leaves and flowers will draw visitor's eyes to the flower and give the appearance that the landscaped area is brighter. Candytuft, and gas plant, as well as the white and yellow monkshood blooms and the sweet woodruff flower make good bright shade hardy flower options, according to Purdue University. Light-colored foliage that grows well in shady areas include caladium, which comes in different shades of green; canna, which has shades of green as well as striped/variegated patterns, and golden sage, which boasts leaves with gold and light green coloring.

Texture and Form

• Plants with texture draw attention to spots in the shady landscape you want to highlight, whether that is a colorful maple tree, a shaped topiary, or a tall garden statue. They create a backdrop that pulls the eye toward what they surround. So add plants with textured leaves, such as maidenhare fern fronds or big-leaved hosta plants, around shady garden and landscape items you desire visitors to notice first, according to the University of Illinois. Adding forms such as weeping, creeping, and spreading trees and plants will make your shady garden and landscape seem larger and less crowed. Choose pyramidal-shaped or columnar-shaped topiary and shrubs that will work in conjunction with the texture variances. This will take the focus off the landscape being shady and put it back on its unique characteristics.

Air Circulation

• Keeping lower tree limbs pruned will allow more air flow in the shady garden and landscape. This can help thwart disease by preventing foliage from staying wet and from the humidity getting too high. It will also allow a little more sunlight to seep through. Good trees to plant for shady landscapes that need more sunlight include honey locust and ash. Plant your shrubs and other plants a little father apart than you would in a sunnier landscape to help with air flow as well. Less crowded plants and trees give an airier feel to the landscape.