Tour a Gorgeous Atlanta Shade Garden

What a clever and aesthetic way to display wooden birdhouses, artfully arranged amidst the climbing hydrangea on this brick fireplace.

An outbuilding with a metal roof, natural stone fireplace (accented with holly ferns in containers) and outdoor kitchen makes this Atlanta garden perfect for all seasons.

A weathered wooden post is the perfect architecture for these twin bird feeders flanked by a lush hosta.

Savvy placement of sculptural elements within the overall design is one of the most successful aspects of this shade garden which features Japanese maple, a variety of ferns, tiarella and Solomon's seal.

The swimming pool in this Atlanta backyard blends wonderfully with the landscape itself (which features oakleaf hydrangea and Southern shield ferns), giving the sense of a hidden oasis.

This vintage clay border is the perfect way to define the flower garden at this Atlanta home featuring purple Stokes' aster, white Drift roses, creeping phlox, sedum and pretty, silvery artemesia.

This Atlanta homeowner has created a gorgeous arrangement for her outdoor table using only blooms from her own garden including hydrangea, heuchera leaves, spirea, fern and asters. You don't need an enormous cutting garden, just some imagination and a few well chosen accessories (here, an old card catalogue drawer) to create a similar look.

The homeowner found the wreath made from vines at Scott's Antiques in Atlanta, and it provides the perfect counterbalance to the long wooden bench and the confederate jasmine-flanked posts in her front garden.

A charming lattice gate beckons visitors to the flower garden past a lush gardenia bush.

This Atlanta homeowner has turned what some gardeners might consider a liability: ample amounts of shade, into an asset. Japanese maple, hydrangea and a great plant for shade, ligularia, give this shade garden dimension and a variety of textures.

We love the way this homeowner has sited her pool amidst a landscape of lush shade plants, creating a special, verdant oasis. The blue mazus winding up the slope is an evergreen groundcover that tends to be invasive, says the homeowner, but she calls it "wonderful" for both part shade and sun.

Mounting them on sturdy wooden poles in the midst of this verdant garden gives these bird houses a charming look and feel. 'Cherokee Princess' dogwood, astilbe and forysthia surround these garden focal points.

This bench becomes even more beautiful when anchored by these dramatically potted 'Butterfly' variegated Japanese maples.

This homeowner has favored native plants and passed down objects and flora from other family gardens to create her lush, naturalistic garden. Small boxwoods provide a tidy border in this circle garden, with bright green bishop's weed in the interior and a smoke tree commanding center stage.