Here are some tips to help you design your shade perennial garden so that you will be able to maximize your enjoyment while minimizing commonly occurring problems for shade gardens.
First, you should put adequate time into planning out your shade perennial garden before you plant. Examine the space closely, noting how many hours of direct sunlight the space gets daily (if any), the quality of the soil, and any drainage problems that are visible. Also note what is currently growing in your soon-to-be shade perennial garden space. Some plants you may want to keep, while others may be noxious weeds that may be difficult to get rid of in your shade perennial garden. Consider your water source as well - although it may be counter-intuitive, shade perennial gardens generally need a lot of moisture, and you will want a water source nearby.
Next, you should attempt to sketch out what you would like your shade perennial garden to be like. This is an important step, but you don't have to be an artist to do this. Rough circles and possibly some graph paper will help you quickly notice if your plans are too ambitious, not leaving enough space for plants to grow, or if some plants may obscure others due to their height in the shade perennial garden.
In terms of design, think about the colors, textures and heights of different shade loving plants you are considering for your shade perennial garden. You should also consider the blooming period of the shade perennial flowers that will be inhabiting the space, and try to coordinate these blooming periods for a spectacular show. Also think about the colors of the flowers and make sure there are not any color clashes (pink and orange, for example). White and pastels are favorites in many shade perennial gardens. You should also consider which plants will "anchor" the garden space. Often these are large shade loving perennial plants like hydrangea or viburnum. And then use colorful shade perennial flowers to add color to the space.
