We all love the sight of the sun sparkling on the water. Whether it's the inviting view of a backyard swimming pool or the ripples on the bay at high noon on a sultry June day, water has the power to entice us. But, if you've already devoted several years of your life to baking in the sun at the pool or beach, perhaps you are ready to leave your sun shades and beach hats behind and move into the shade for a different perspective of water.
SHADY WATER
There is something incredibly relaxing about sitting in a shady spot and listening to the sound of bubbling water. The sound might be coming from a fountain, a tilted urn, a waterfall or out of a frog's mouth, but if you close your eyes, the soothing effect will be the same. If this gurgling water is in the shade, you can sit there for a long time and not have to worry about getting a sunburn. You could even take a nap.
There's another type of water to be enjoyed in the shade - quiet water. This could be a simple tub of water with a few plants or it could be in the form of a pond reflecting the trees above it. This quiet water lends a feeling of lush coolness to the garden. There are many water plants which will do well in the shade. Louisiana iris comes to mind for spring flowers. It will bloom with as little as three hours of sun per day or even in bright, dappled shade. The strong linear leaves are attractive accents to the rest of the yard. Check with a nurseryman who is knowledgeable about ponds and aquatic plants and be sure to place lots of chairs near your water garden, because friends and neighbors will all want to linger.
SHADY SOIL
Soil preparation for the shady garden is much the same as for a garden in the sun. Any garden will benefit from the addition of compost, aged manure or peat moss worked into the top few inches of the soil. This works for several reasons. It helps break up our heavy soils; it serves to hold moisture around plants and keep the roots cool; and as the plant is rained on or watered, a healthy fertilizer tea will seep down to the roots and feed them.
There are some exceptions to this kind of soil preparation. Native plants often want to grow in a fairly lean soil, so don't add much organic matter where these are planted. Bog plants like to have wet feet, so don't add the sand where these will grow as they like heavy soils and poor drainage.
SHADY CONTAINERS
Containers can enhance the beauty of your garden by adding another dimension in height, different leaf textures and flowers.
Hanging baskets of ferns, ivy or cascading begonias are a wonderful way to raise the eye. You can hang them from an arbor, from the spreading branches of a tree, or from the overhang of your house. You can achieve a similar effect by placing your pots upon pedestals of some sort. These pedestals could be tree stumps, pots turned upside down, or fancy cement stands ornamented with flutes or flowers (such as bases for birdbaths). Use your imagination.
The plant materials for these containers can be varied. There are the ivies to be considered. These come in a wide assortment of leaf sizes and colors. There are also the ferns, from Boston to staghorn, also available in a range of leaf colors and textures. Most of our house plants can come outside spring, summer and fall and do beautifully.
When adding color, one can never go wrong with impatiens. Whether you want a cool, monotone in white, a dash of red, or all the colors massed together, these are very useful plants. Be sure to put them in a pot large enough so they won't dry out and wilt every day. Make it at least 10 inches across.
Begonias are another wonderful and widely varied plant useful in adding color and gorgeous leaf texture to the garden. While there are many types of begonias, I recommend that you that you try the cane-like (angel-wing) or rhizomatous types, many of which have spotted or textured leaves and arching branches dripping with flowers in white, pink, red or orange. You can find these plants at begonia society sales, held spring and fall or get cuttings from a begonia lover. They're always willing to share. All of the container plants mentioned are tender, so bring them in when the temperatures fall below 40 degrees.
VINES FOR SHADE
There are several vines that grow well in shady locations and will provide additional texture and color to the shade garden. Claradendrum (you may know it as bleeding heart or glory bower) is a favorite of mine. It has white heart shaped flowers that send a red drop from the bottom. It will need protection when it is really cold. Leatherflower is an excellent non-aggressive, cold hardy vine for this area. Carolina aster is a climbing aster with heavy fall blooms. This one might be hard to find but well worth it. Kadsura has adapted well to this area and has variegated yellow and green foliage. White thumbergia is an excellent non-aggressive vine for shade.
GARDENER DETECTIVE WORK
You may have to do a little searching in area nurseries to locate some vines but it would be well worth the effort. If you have a shady area in your landscape, you undoubtedly really appreciate it lately given our unusually hot and dry weather thus far. And, that shady area can become even more peaceful and attractive when provided with the pleasing color of plants and relaxing sound of flowing water.