Very Shaded Area in the Backyard....What to do with it?

Parent Cafe
1

I have an area in the back yard, which is about 20 feet by 60 feet that is very shaded from trees that are outside our back fence.

I’ve tried grass that is supposed to withstand shade and it failed. I’ve considered making a rock garden, but what other alternatives can I consider?

The area is not “very dark” and throughout the day, some sun will peak thru the branches, but it’s not enough to keep grass. I would describe the “light” as nicely shaded, not “forest dark”.

I know that I used “very shaded” in the title, but I did that to indicate that this isn’t an area that has decent light at least a few hours a day. It is always shaded, but not dark-dark, and will get little bits of light coming thru as the sun passes.

This is on the east side of the house.

I also suspect that the tree roots may also be interfering. The trees are likely 40-50+ years old, very tall, etc. I do like the fact that they shade part of our house, which helps keep it cool.

Because of the likely tree root issue, whatever we do can’t be something that needs a lot of water because likely the trees will be hogging most of it. So, drought tolerant would also likely be needed.

We have pets, and I want to avoid areas that can become muddy messes creating dirty paws.

ALSO*** Obviously, it’s nearly fall, so do I have to wait til spring to do anything? Or is there anything I can do now. My schedule is lighter right now, so I’d like to use the time to get something done.

Thanks!!

2

Could you do some type of a water feature? I love the gurgling sound of water.

3

A patio?! Hostas? Myrtle? Pachysandra? Those are the types of plants that work well here in shaded areas - even among roots. We have very large, established pines, maples, etc. and have still been able to grow these plants underneath.

4

@bjkmom Yes, plan on doing a water feature. Love that sound, too.

@abasket There is a good-sized covered patio, although we are considering extending it and the covering a bit.

Love Hostas and we do have some. I will look into Myrtle and Pachy.

The goal is to have something rather low maintenance, but a relaxing area. We have a lawn person, but I don’t like him doing the backyard since I don’t trust anyone to close the gates properly and I fear that my dogs will escape.

I should also mention…we’re in western-central Alabama, so hot in summer, a little bit of freezing in winter, but not too much.

5

I planted lingonberries in a shaded area in my yard which gets not a whole lot of direct sun. They don’t produce much, but work as a nice, evergreen groundcover. There aren’t any pests that touch them, and slugs don’t destroy them, which is usually an issue with hostas. Highly recommend!

6

It depends on what zone you are in as to which plants will work for you. I have a very shady area and I’m in zone 6. I’ve got a lot of hydrangeas and hostas. I’d google to find your zone and then see what shade plants work there. As for the mud, I mulch with pine needles so it covers any muddy areas.

7

@suzy100 I do like pine needles for their purpose, but does anyone know how they are with small dogs. Do they hurt them? Do they attach to their fur and come into the home with them? One of my dogs is a 4lb yorkie, so hair, hair, hair.

8

The shrub Oregon Grape seems to tolerate a lot of shade. I planted them in similar-sounding areas to yours, and they did just fine.

9

Viburnum, hollies, native rhody, goats beard, tirellia. foam flower, solomon’s seal, fake solomon’s seal and other native shade loving plants if you want to expand beyond hostas.

10

We have neighbors who have a really large area under their tree where nothing will grow. They planted some sort of ground cover that is green and grows up about 5-6 inches or so…it’s really pretty and green and covers it quite thickly. It’s so nice that other neighbors started doing that to their bare spots. You could ask a garden center about different sorts of ground covers.

11

I was going to suggest you visit a local park of yours with wooded areas. See what is growing under the shade in the parks - native plants are a good bet.

12

We have a similiar area,m2ck. I also have a dog.

We expanded our yard further into the woods which involved clearing and removal of poison ivy two years ago. The poison ivy has finally been eradicated and we can finally do something.

Google… shady garden paths images …and some great ideas come up.

https://www.google.com/search?q=shady+garden+paths&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

13

Personally I’d stay with hosts, and maybe some liriope. Host as come in an amazing array of sizes and appearance, so you can do a complete garden just with them, and have a lot of variation. I like them under trees because they’ll die back each winter, which means the autumn leaves end up on the ground, mulching the hosts, rather than collecting in the branches of evergreen trees.

14

I use hostas sparingly where landscape calls for round mounds. If there’s a vertical/pointy element, hostas can be effective. There are so many native plants that thrive in shade. Solomons seal planted in mass is quite striking. In a wild unstructured landscape goats beard fills the space. In woody area, may bells, rue anemones provide color in early spring. The native viburnum in the dark corner of my yard looks fresh as if it gets all the sun and water. I never water that plant.

15

I need to investigate the various size and colors of hosts. I’ve only used the basic solid and variegated ones that are rather small to the ground.

that “native viburnum” sounds like a winner as well.


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Viburnum, hollies, native rhody, goats beard, tirellia. foam flower, solomon's seal, fake solomon's seal and other native shade loving plants if you want to expand beyond hostas. <<<

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I wasn’t aware that hollies would do well. Will they still have winter color? I’ll look into the others?

16

I’m not a big fan of hostas, but they do serve their purpose. My back yard has tons and tons of shade all provided by trees on my neighbors’ properties so I’m stuck with it. I have hostas, ferns (all sorts because I really like them), astilbe, bleeding hearts, virginia blue bells. For shrubs I’m partial to hydrangea and spirea. Mountain laurels like partial shade and are just gorgeous. I’d definitely consider using patio if it’s too shady. Usually states will have a cooperative extension or a native plant organization that will have lists of appropriate plants for your area. I’m in Zone 7a and what I grow might not be right for you at all. (Plant hardiness zone map: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ )

17

A variety of hostas done right can create a stunning look!

https://www.google.com/search?q=577+hosta+garden&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CB4QsARqFQoTCILW6eyizMcCFVADkgod9Q0NnQ&biw=1680&bih=925#tbm=isch&q=hosta+garden&imgrc=SVJExqEgY_nOTM%3A

18

Maybe try Irish Moss, (Sagina subulata), which is really a very short plant (1") and not a true moss. I can’t keep it going here in Florida (tried it between stepping stones) but garden sites report it as being grown successfully in Alabama. I think the shade would help it survive the hottest months. It feels sublime on your feet.

19

I love hosta, but deer devour them in New England unless they are right by the house. And this year my chickens discovered that they love them too, and they ate al the young leaves!

I like the idea of a patio plus massed plantings of hosta, astilbe, viburnum (my favorite shrub), rhododendron, etc.

Euphorbia is a great-looking plant with wonderful color that I believe is shade-tolerant. There are many varieties, though.

20

You could extend your patio paving into the area and add shade-loving plants in large decorative pots with hose hook-ups to your automatic sprinkler system. The plants would then not compete with the tree roots. I like flowers, so impatiens and begonias might work.