I'll trade you 2 lizards, 1 rattlesnake, 3 tumbleweeds, and a 10 x 10' piece of hot dusty scorched desert for a piece of your green shaded lawn big enough to stretch out on.
{{gwi:140876}}

Toomuch, you ought to be able to grow impatiens and
hosta in the shade in zone 5. Have you tried those?
Do you have clay or a softer soil?
Tinfoilhat, I don't know what to tell you---

Don't worry about tinfoil, he has that great pool to lounge around. Something should grow Toomuch get a hanging planter with several things & try them over there. Guess you could plant it with plate flowers!!Jan

Toomuch...I'll tell you, sometimes I think I would trade my huge yard for a much smaller one...or at least a lot more wooded area. For the last few years, I've been working on making mine a little less maintenance intensive, but sometimes I think that they are still winning.

What kind of shade do you have?? Moist or dry? There are shade plants available...you should be able to grow hostas, ferns, astilbe, bleeding hearts and I think Solomon's seal. Maybe you could try some containers too....

But, it's okay to be envious...as long as it's friendly envy!

As for tinfoil....no way would I trade you my friend!! Too hot for this menopausal gal!

Wow, I think I'll feel better about mowing and pulling weeds next time, better about everything (tinfoilhat!)

I don't know what I am doing, or more precisely which is the chicken and which is the egg. I keep rounding corners so they're easier to mow and ending up with "flower beds." A lot of "extra work." By next year I think I will have decreased overall labor necessary to maintain things, but am not sure. I think that was the original intention, not to create more space for flowers and veggies. Even I don't know. I am envious of those who know what they are doing. Not necessarily of their yards, just the knowing. Peace!

I can understand that but just imagine some one like me (57) with arthritis moving several tons rock and a few cubic yards of compost/mulch ( the steroid shots that follow) and maybe you will feel better.
I think my brick path that I put in a few years ago destroyed any cartilage left in my knees.

toomuch....at least you HAVE a yard! I have NO yard. No grass, no trees, no dirt. Just a sidewalk outside my door, with rock mulch across from that and the brick wall of a building right there. I am envious of YOU!

As they say the grass is always greener on the other side.

Standing on the other side looking from a distance you cannot see all the weeds all you see is green.

I had the little suburban yard and went in search of my dream of lots and lots of land.

Found the perfect property with 4 acres. I did not think about the herds of deer, the entire squirrel population, groundhog, rabbits, voles, moles every animal known to man was on that land shopping trip with me.

Everything I planted is eaten to the ground. My animal food bill is higher than my family food bill.

You have gotten some good advice. If you want a garden it can be done with any size amount of land you have by choosing the right plants.

You wouldn't be envious of me (or my back) after spreading 2 truck loads of mulch today knowing that we "only" have about 6 more truck loads to do.....

Lots of work! As beautiful as it is, my next place is going to be LESS labor intensive.

We have about a quarter acre on a dead end street, not totally flat but with some variation. It feels pretty good, but I think as we get older its going to get harder to take care of even this. I lost a lot of ground to the weeds when I didn't feel well last summer.
Too much, do you think you could grow Solomon's seal? I have the tall native, a short one, and a short variagated. I could send you some. I'd offer my new creeping solomons seal, but its not far enough along yet. They just have a subtle bloom in the spring, but nice arching plants would be a good foil for garden junk! It grows in sun or shade. Its everywhere at my house cuz I love it. Blood root too, but it goes away entirely leaves and all by mid June. You'd have to let me know asap before it gets too tall to ship.
Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Solomon's seal

Thanks for the offer ! I looked at your link and it says "Rich Moist Soil" . I might just have the place for it :) How can you ship it ? I would love some :)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can give you all the info -- My e mail is :
Levandoski812@att.net

Kathy (8-)

Love, love, love Solomon's Seal. I have a small colony of the short varigated in a deep shade bed on the back rear corner of my house. Didn't know about the tall native but I will before the week's out! (ha, google is my bf) Tnanks, Kathy for sharing that bit of info.

toomuchglass, here's a no-fail formula for you...

Rich moist shaded soil + *toomuch* creativity/imagination = a lil slice of paradise, Garnish as desired with pieces from your gallery...then invite me to tea in your garden so I can relax and admire all your lovely pieces at leisure =]

Once I realized my Solomn's Seal was thriving, I added a couple hostas, snagged a cutting from a vinca vine from under the shade tree & plopped in some dead nettle for ground cover. Oh...and last year I added an autumn fern (?) which has tripled in size. Color me flabbergasted but it's all thriving and lovely. And trust me when I say, if *I* can do this, anyone can. Ha, if I only had an OUNCE of your creativity!

Yup... thIS is a challenge *grin*. And I'm expecting to see victory photos in a few weeks. I trust I won't be disappointed.

blessings,
~digger

I got my plants from Kathy all planted ! I put them below the fence that has all my plate flowers hanging on . It's now a craft project / botanical garden :) I'm soooooo inspired !!!! I even talked with my neighbor - I wanted to put my painted pink flamingos along the deck rail that faces her house. She couldn't believe I even asked - but I wanted her to be okay with my garden junk :) I'm on a roll now.

*I still wish I had bunches of trees to hang things on ..... oh well .........

Roll on! (and don't forget to post pics)

QUOTE: *I still wish I had bunches of trees to hang things on ..... oh well .........

*oh well*? Really?! Nahhh...no way...yer foolin us. I know you've got ideas dancin around in yer head like sugarplums on the night before Christmas. So give it up...toss out your thoughts. I for one, could use a lil inspiration myself. (and if my yrs of lurking here have taught me nothin else, i know that i know you are a reliable source of inspiration).

Have fun & keep plowing ahead.

blessings,
~digger

YES...we want pictures!

aside @ marlene: talk to me about astilbe. all three of my attempts have been massive failures. tell me why. pretty please? not ready to throw in the towel...they are gorgeous.

thanks in advance for any direction

bless ya!

Oh Digger .... you sweetie ! Why can't you be my neighbor ? LOL

If I had my way --- I'd have the most memorable house in the city . Extreme Yard art ! LOL . Why don't I ?

DH does all the yard work ( it's small ) but he doesn't want things in his way of mowing or things he'd have to trim around. I can't argue with him . He's right. *sigh*

Yards are blank canvases ! LOL