- Vary and balance horizontal and vertical shapes. - Unify
structures with colour and design. - Create a backdrop, such as
a fence, a green hedge or a planting of several shrubs of one
variety. - Add points of colour or height. - Keep plants,
especially shrubs, well trimmed to maintain shape and style. -
Observe your garden over the seasons and move plants to maintain
a pleasing composition. Denise’s plant tips for deep shade -
Don’t overlook plants that prefer sun—or those that are
typically invasive; while they may not perform as they would
under ideal conditions, they can have an interesting effect.
Gooseneck loosestrife, a bully in a sunny garden, grows shorter
and behaves itself beautifully in shade. “I hate to admit it,
but I also have some goutweed [Aegopodium podagraria] growing
under the eaves of the garage.” - Choose pale colours that glow
in shady conditions: pale mauves and pinks, whites and creams,
with deep maroon-to-black flowers for drama. - Buy good-quality
plants—the biggest, best-grown tran