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Landscape Design

designing a natural shade and sun garden-help!

15 years ago

Really branching out this year. My veggie garden- bigger and I'll learn a lot from trial and error i'm sure. Actually my biggest investment will be a shady, moist garden full of foilage and medicinal flowers(bee balm, nettles, valerian, yellow dock).Then I'm making a raised bed on western side of house for medicinal flowers, cutting flowers, and a shrub, and an area where i'll let a few mints run wild. How do I organize it to look pretty? My design so far is just put the plant in shade or sun, group according to moisture needs, etc. Although I like the look of natural gardens, there should be some kind of design to make it harmonious, and pretty to the eye. Any links or tips?

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Comments (4)

duluthinbloomz4
15 years ago
Harmonious and pretty? I'd go for the knot garden. I've seen lots of those in botannical gardens and on historic homes tours. Google has many images of knot gardens or English knot gardens. It would be a fun challenge to lay something like that out with herbs, veggies, and flowers.
novice_2009
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks! Not sure what a knot garden is, but i'll google it.
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ilikemud_2007
15 years ago
I don't really have any suggestions just a warning - don't plant mint in the ground! It will RUN WILD and you'll be doing battle with it for the rest of your gardening days.
drtygrl
15 years ago
I think some thought on a design would be a good idea. The plants you mention for the natural "moist shade" garden dont actually take shade well, with the exception of 'nettles' by which I think you mean lamium. (There are actually several perennials with nettle in the name, so I could be wrong). Bee balm is a sun perennial and in your zone can be very rigorous so think carefully about where you plant it and how much maintenance you are going to be able to give it (it probably needs to be divided and kept in bounds every other year)Yellow dock is generally considered an invasive weed, and looks like one, so it would be difficult to incorporate into a garden. And please pay attention to the warning about mint, it will easily take over any garden area.
Just based on the few plants you named, I think maybe you should do a bit more research before you get going. I dont want to discourage you- please go forward with a garden, just make sure you understand the plants you are planting.

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