Garden Design: 10 Tricks That Will
Get the Most Out of Your Shady Garden!
Almost every garden plot has a shady place somewhere where no plant really wants to grow. To be honest: It is almost impossible to change that, because it is often the buildings that take away the sun from the garden sections. So we just make the best of it and think about how we could design such garden areas alternatively. You can also check here some unique lighting ideas for your garden at site frostfire.co.uk/collection/lighting. We have some fantastic tips for you who aren't afraid of a little dark.
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Turn a dim atmosphere into a cozy atmosphere
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Clean walls and floors create an apparent brightness
If we are desperately looking for a bit of daylight in the garden , but don't want any, then we can make a real impression with clean walls, fences and floors. With the help of a high-pressure cleaner, mossy boards or gray wooden panels can be cleaned again and become lighter in this way. This doesn't conjure up sunlight, but it makes a slightly brighter impression.
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Pruning trees sometimes works wonders
Sometimes the solution is pretty simple when it comes to dark areas in the garden. Do we have some very old conifers or deciduous trees in the garden? The conifers in particular make for gloomy corners in winter and summer - and when they are getting on in years, they don't look so beautiful anymore. Then pruning or sometimes even cutting down some trees helps to create brightness according to the tree experts at LemonCitrusTree.
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Design with color
What would be an ideal way to cover up darkness? Strong, bright colors! The actual space in this example does not seem insanely bright. But the home side helped a lot with paint to set a nice accent on the seating area. And suddenly the whole place shines. And nobody thinks about darkness anymore! We think: simply brilliant on hot days!
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Exotic plants as an alternative for shady places
It goes without saying that we would like to place a few plants in shady places. And there are numerous varieties on the market that also grow in dark places. Such exotic plants as in our next example are a nice alternative. Our tip: It is best to ask a specialist in the garden center for advice. He has the right plants ready.
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Never use artificial plants!
Evergreen plants such as boxwood and pine, but also hostas or ferns that lose their leaves, not only grow in shady places, but love them. In specialist magazines, we get tips on how to put entire sections with such plants together so that a coherent picture emerges. But what we should never do: Please do not use artificial flowers just because they cannot break. No garden or balcony deserves that.
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Climbing plants on fences
Climbing plants and shady places sound like a contrast at first - but it doesn't have to be. Because on such accentuated fence elements, clematis, wild vines or roses grow particularly beautiful and attract attention. We divert the viewer's gaze from the dim lighting conditions to a spectacular climbing plant that causes a stir.
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Container plants for more flexibility
Backyards, too, often show their dark side - especially when, as a row house, they are surrounded by further side walls. A great idea are then potted plants that we can move flexibly to different places where - depending on the season - they get the most sun. And the buckets are also a nice design element.
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Cheat with accessories
If we really can hardly rely on natural light, suitable lighting can of course also help us out of distress. These can be fire baskets as well as an outdoor fireplace, fairy lights or electric lamps. Especially when we often grill on a terrace, we should combine the useful with the beautiful.
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Dark gardens are irrelevant to the social atmosphere
Our last tip comes with a wink, but is actually meant seriously: As soon as we bring life to a terrace or garden, hardly anyone cares whether it is a little darker here or not. Let's just add lots of little lights and candles: Our guests or roommates do the rest with their good mood.
Spring fit: waking your garden from hibernation
Do you dream of a bright summer garden, but the reality is a desolate plot of land with dead shrubs, muddy lawn and clutter? Comfort yourself, because you are not alone with this problem. Let the following ideas inspire you and wake your garden out of hibernation.
Get Flowers If You Missed Planting Onions
If you forget to plant spring onions in the fall, don't be too hard on yourself. Just pay your local nursery or your trusted florist a visit and pick up a couple of pots of daffodils, hyacinths and anything else that's already in bloom.
Arrange the flowers on the terrace right in front of your window and enjoy the color effect. Those few flowers will brighten up your garden instantly - and when they have faded, you can plant the bulbs in the garden for next year.
Clean the beds and borders
After the gloomy January, the sun finally begins to show up more often in February. Use these hours of sunshine to tidy up outside.
If you haven't winterized your garden, your bedding borders are likely overgrown with perennial plant stems. Use the secateurs to cut everything back to the base, then weeding and raking the soil thoroughly.
This quick cleanup should change the look of your garden a lot. You will feel like you are one step ahead of the new season.