The Big Picture

From the patio door in our family room

It's been awhile since I've posted long views of the garden - hope you enjoy the big picture as much as we do!

From the guest bedroom

From the far east side of our yard

East side of the patio border

From the middle of the lawn

Angel's trumpet and assorted pots outside the back door as seen from upstairs.

View from the guest bathroom

West side of the patio border

Our garden is eight years old now. At times it seemed like we'd never get here. The first three years, most of what I planted was dug up by squirrels, eaten by rabbits, or died for reasons unknown. It was discouraging at times when I first came here, planting this gracefully-curved, beautifully-shaded large bed that was mostly empty except for a few struggling hostas, a small group of struggling pink pumila astilbes now long-gone, a thick layer of pine nugget mulch, and a tangle of silver maple, serviceberry, and arborvitae roots.

Although at times I felt like giving up, perseverance stubbornness won out. Through trial and error we've found native and cultivated plants that thrive here. We're fortunate having beautiful, loamy black soil that has been enhanced even further with the addition of lots of organic matter from leaf mold, home-grown compost, and occasionally, some store-bought mushroom compost added to planting holes. Already an experienced gardener when I came here, and even realizing no matter how much I knew there was always more to learn, this garden has taught me more than I ever wanted to know, and for that I'm very grateful.

August Garden

This season marks seven years since moving here and starting our shade garden. Slow and sometimes frustrating in earlier years, it feels like this season the garden has finally come into its own. While the garden will continue to evolve and tweaking will continue as long as gardening here continues, this season, all season, as I look upon the garden, I feel pleased.

In the second year of our west-side, side-yard veggie bed, I was so happy with the harvest from the part-sun bed last year, I added a bed in the east side yard early this spring. Almost identical crops are planted in each bed - an experiment to see what grows best where. Tomatoes are happier on the west side, and peppers on the east.

Lettuce, assorted greens, beets, beans, radishes, and herbs seem equally happy in both beds.
Peas thrived until early July in the west bed, and cucumbers are now climbing the trellis in their place. Cucumbers have been dissapointing this year, since cutworms attacked the seedlings of the first sowing. The second sowing was done indoors, and the seedlings were allowed to start vining before they were planted out in the garden. They're thriving, and covered with male blossoms. The female, fruiting blossoms should be coming along soon. Cucumbers grow fast, so while I expect a much smaller harvest than last year, I still hope to have lots of cukes in a few short weeks.

Every gardening season brings challenges and rewards, and this season has been no exception. With more rewards than challenges this year, in spite of the above-average high heat and humidity, it's not a stretch to say this has been my favorite year yet gardening here in the shade.

A Garden in the Shade

There's some dappled morning sun on the patio, garden, and lawn. Mostly though, our garden is deep shade.

I've lived and gardened here for the past four years since moving in with my husband.

I do sometimes miss my vintage Georgian with its sunny borders and vegetable garden. I miss the tomatoes most of all.

Still, I love this garden in the shade. During the dog days of summer it's a cooler, breezier retreat from the sun than the suburban back yards of most anyone I know. I can work back here any time of the day I choose without having to slather myself in sunscreen. Because it's so shaded our house stays cooler inside than most. We don't have to use our air conditioning as often. We save energy, we save money, and we get to enjoy the fleeting sweet sounds and scents of summer borne through our open windows on soft, sensuous breezes.

We spend a lot of time outside, from early spring through late fall, and all throughout the summer. The summer shade in our backyard is so much a part of the pleasure of our outdoor lifestyle. I do miss my vegetable garden, but oh, how I love this garden in the shade, and the man I get to share it with.