Landscape Design Ideas With Shade Trees in the Bed

Formulate your landscape design around your grove of shade trees.

Designing a landscape centered around a bed of shade trees leaves you with many options. Feature the trees as a natural canopy for outdoor living space or the centerpiece of the yard with gardens designed around it. The trees can serve as the anchor for a cozy shade garden that features native shade-loving plants. Focus your options on the size of your entire yard and your vision for the use of the space.

Shaded Patio

Use stone or brick pavers to design a patio that allows the shade trees to play the role of a natural canopy. Start your patio far enough away from the trunks to avoid disturbing tree roots. Design a free-form patio that takes advantage of available shade and sun. During months when regional climate allows, adorn the patio with easy-care outdoor furnishings. Provide space for morning coffee, evening cocktails or large family dinners under the canopy of trees.

Room for the Kids

Use the shaded section of your yard as a play area for your children. If the trees are sturdy enough, hang an old-fashion tire or rope swing. Allow the kids to snack on a child-sized picnic table, or place small, brightly painted chairs under the tree suitable as quiet reading space. Add a playhouse to further enhance the space. Design a whimsical winding garden path from the house to the trees. Line the path with colorful perennial flowers to keep the space inviting.

Colorful Options

Using the shaded bed as a centerpiece, design colorful flower gardens to balance the subtlety of the shaded areas of the yard. Plot out flower beds to add color where needed. Plant annuals, perennials or native flowers to bring your design to life. Depending on the type of trees in the bed, plant shade-loving companion perennials to add depth to the entire landscape. Design the flower beds to leave plenty of lawn or walking paths for easy access to each bed.

Hydrozone

The first step to hydrozoning is to introduce plants to the garden suitable for your region. Once desired plants have been identified, map out a plan to introduce hydrozoning step two. That entails planting like plants together based on needs for light and water resources. Keep this idea in mind when discussing your family's desires for the yard. This is a water-wise way to begin a landscape plan anchored by a bed of shade trees.

References

• Sunset: Living Yard in a Small Yard
• Colorado State University Extension: Water Wise Landscape Design
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service: North Carolina State University: Residential Landscaping: M. A. Powell