Shade Garden Gone Wild

We're closing in on the construction phase of our new studio, and it was time to spruce up the garden. What we are experiencing in our garden is a two-fold problem that can be common in any garden, but I think possibly even more so in the south, where there is no real winter.

Our trees and many of our shrubs in the garden have grown quite tall. This means lots of shade, and lots of bare space under the branches. Under-story planting can be tough since some areas of our garden would almost be considered "forest floor" in their shade level.

I chose a couple of plants that should do quite well. I also asked Joe Argentine to make sure that I could get fairly mature plants. If your new plants are too large, it can be next to impossible to dig holes large enough when you're working around existing root systems. On the other hand, if they're too small they might fail before they get up into the light. The Viburnum suspensum that I have used along the studio wall and fence is a staple in Florida. Very hardy in shade and full sun. By now, it almost rings the perimeter of our lot, so I consider it an anchor plant.

The short feather plant, Asparagus meyeri or "Foxtail Fern" has a wonderfully soft look to the foliage, and I really like the texture.

Also, the bright green color-almost chartreuse-really brightens the space down at that level. The cleaning up and replanting also really shows off the great branch shapes of the Lugustrum.

All in all, I was a happy gardener at the end of this planting day!