7 ideas for a ‘difficult’ shady garden corner – plus 3 options that really won’t work.
0:00 Introductions
1:35 Should you put a shed in a shady corner?
2:15 Tips on building a shed from recycled materials https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/need-build-shed/
2:45 What you need to know before buying a new shed: https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-to-avoid-a-garden-shed-disaster/
3:11 Pros and cons of pergolas and gazebos in a shady corner
3:26 What’s the difference between a pergola and a gazebo?
3:35 How to turn a pergola into a simple gazebo
https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/turn-pergola-simple-gazebo/
4:22 Garden chairs, tables and benches in a shady corner
5:30 Can I plant a tree in a shady corner?
6:44 Sculpture in a shady garden corner
7:11 Can you put a compost bin in a shady area?
8:21 What you should NEVER put in a shady garden corner
8:49 How to create a wildlife friendly garden: https://youtu.be/5ft7XW-ZuX8
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34 Comments
I'd like to know what you consider a middle sized garden; yours look mighty large to me. At that rate a large garden is the size of a park
Gorgeous wall
Water feature
I do wonder what happened with this and I will look, but…..I think a patio swing that looks out across the yard.
you have a lovely garden statue . How about you move it to that corner and behind it have a big garden mirror you can get the mirror not of glass which would be expensive but the flexible metal i dont know what the metal is called and this mirror will refelect and give a lovely focal point . also as it only gets one hour of sunlight it wont be a fire hazzard as mirrors in garden can have a fire risk . you could attach it to a wood frame /fence panel or old piece of wood and stand it diagonally across that corner and then have that statue positioned forward to it, may be you could get a red acer tree for the spot where you moved the statue from
I have had a property in the past that had a shady corner. You are right in how hard it is to decide what to do with it. We tried many of the ideas you mentioned, but in the end we felt we actually needed the storage space but did not want to see the storage. We put up a sort of wall angled across the area. We actually put down pavers on the storage side, but with yours already having that solved the actual ground will not be an issue. On the angled wall that was actually more out into the sun, we continued with our regular boarder as if the storage area was not there. Visually from the house it looked as if the garden did not have the break of the storage area that we ended up loving in a way that did not spoil our view!
I'd put am ornamental fountain in or pond
Shady corner I would go with a rock garden
I used to have lovely shade gardens until local farmers pressed the town to allow them to put up 10 ft fences. This immediately resulted in a mass migration of deer to local residences’ gardens. I use a lot of bad smelling repellents …
A wall of clematis
This video is nice and informative.i request if you give this type video I will benefit. I don't know good English. Yet I try to understand your speech.
YOU ARE JUST A SPLENDID PERSON AND VERY VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, I LOVE THAT!!!!!! YOU INSPIRE ME, THANK YOU 🙏 FOR THAT!!!!!!!!
It seems to me that nowadays more and more people instead of a garden they want to have a zoo.
My vote is to add a water feature there. Something low maintenance but aesthetically pleasing.
Thank you for this video and all your others. I find them informative and pleasant to listen to. I'm so glad you don't have music underscoring your speech. I find music so distracting and overused! (I'm a musician!). Thanks again for your marvelous content and sharing your ideas and knowledge. 🙂
Such good suggestions.
You always explain things beyond the idea with very useful pros and cons.
Thank you!
Good place to add an outdoor fireplace, BBQ, or a double dutch face to face swing to invite friends to share a chat
Can’t wait to see it
Hi Alexandra. Yes, I’ve got the same problem I’m working on. The front of the house and the fence behind the house both cast shadow. I”m thinking of picking some evergreen that can be repeated in both areas. I would like that corner to be a screening plant of some sort, since I am looking into my neighbor’s backyard there, and the fences don’t match. I’m seeing on line that some weeping spruce are a bit shade tolerant, but I haven’t decided. I have rabbits in the area, so I’ve got to consider them too. Don’t want to shell out the big bucks, only to get the tree devoured by a gang of hungry creatures. Thanks for the video! 😘
You are such a wonderful person 🙂 great content and inspiration
Ivy at the walls and a play area for the grand children. Provided you have them, and they are still in that age.
With their own table and chairs to do their brewing of lovely inedible garden soups and pizza's 😉 With a big and sturdy parasol to keep them dry, when it rains.
I turned my shady corner into a Japanese rock garden…another shady area, I made into a Japanese moss garden
Did the man with the chainsaw survive this?
Probably not related to the video, but you have one persona I see in a lot in the background of your video's: a lovely dog! Time for a spotlight introduction maybe? 😉
Great ideas.
Ahhh england seems to have the best climate best elevation..
I have a front of the house shady corner.. I was thinking of taking most of the plants in the middle off and putting a bird bath but instead of water bird seeds… and have on yhe ground a stones in two colours in circles to give a serine look.
I have tried 3 years different shade plants.. but the beauty just lasts for 2 weeks and it's all green.. this is also the corner walk way to my front door…
Alexanda, I think you DESERVE a she-shed! Don't deny yourself the sheer pleasure of a "just yours" spot because of frugality. We must remember the old adage of, You can't take it with you. 😉
It is now two years since this was first posted…so, what did you decide? I bet there is a video here…
You have probably sorted it by Now ! Personally I think you have to give and Take so Put the Sheds with some Nice Ferns and Shrubs with Autumn Colour maybe some Winter flowering Plants, like Vebernam Tinus ,Eve Price , Lisa Rose Flowers from December to May,Some Korean Pussy willows a Ginger Wine Nine Bark and put the Greenhouse where the sheds were 😊
My shady corner in my former garden had a higher growing full shrub in the back, then graduated down to lower shrubs and in the very front a small pond surrounded by river rock. The thick shrubs and water source became a haven for wildlife, including frogs and insects of all sorts, including colorful dragonflies. It faced more north/east, so it did get a few hours of morning sunshine which really was a benefit. I can’t wait to see what you decide to do in that corner. Thank you for your guidance.
"Man with a chainsaw" 😂😂
What about a pond?
My shady corner is now a fernery. Plus lots of Lily of the Valley and an agapanthus.