Garden Design – Incorporating Hostas and Ferns

Garden Design – Incorporating Hostas and Ferns

You may think that if your only option for a garden is a shadyarea, you may not be able to create a garden. If you use shadeloving plants, however, it is very possible. Hostas and fernsare perfect options for shady areas. They add grace and charm toany garden area, and their foliage is beautiful.

Since other plants might not do well in the shade with the hostasand ferns, you can compliment them by adding elements such as astatuary, stone bench, brick wall, or birdbath. The deep greensof the ferns and hostas will work well visually with the stone orbrick accessories. You will love relaxing in your shady area!

Since the area will be in the shade, it will hold moisture longerafter rain or in the mornings, so creating a cobblestone or brickpath will help to keep your feet clean and dry. A natural barkpath is another option, especially if the garden is among trees. The brick or tiles should be used for formal gardens, but moreinformal gardens will look good with pebbles or paving stones.

A water feature is a very appealing addition to your shadegarden. It will remind you of a natural stream, and you willfeel as if you are in the wild, where the ferns and hostasnaturally grow. It doesn’t have to be expensive to add thisfeature, as it can be as simple as a reflecting pool.

If you use some boulders in your shade garden, mosses and lichenswill look great growing on them and will thrive in the shadyarea.

To add some contrast and diversity to the garden, some of thehostas should have variegated foliage, with cream and goldcolors. When placed in front of the dark greens of the otherplants, they will stand out and really show how green the rest ofthe garden is. The colors will likely match those of the stoneelements that you add, whether it’s a bench, birdbath, oranything else.

Woodland wildflowers should bloom well, even in the shade. Thecolors of these will look great against the other dark colors. Be sure to sprinkle seeds for both early ad late blooming plants,so something is always blooming. Some early bloomers are crestedirises and creeping phlox. Examples of late bloomers aregoldenrod and mountain anemones.

It can take some time to prepare the soil and design where thehardscape elements of the garden will go, but once everything isin place and planted, the maintenance of your shade garden willbe low. Ferns like the classic Boston fern will be a great addition to your landscape, whetherit’s your only option or you have it just in the shady part of afull garden landscape.




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