Tour a Gorgeous Atlanta Shade Garden

This Georgia homeowner has made the most of a shady spot and used quirky garden accessories, native plants and a creative eye to really bring the charm.

By: Felicia Feaster

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Photo By: Angela West

Shady Vignette

Heuchera and hosta and the playhouse in the distance create a magical ambiance in this Atlanta garden.

Grand Entrance

Symmetrical zinc containers containing contorted filbert provide a lovely welcome to this Atlanta Cape Cod.

Play Cottage

We love the moss-topped roof of this charming playhouse.

Birdhouse Art

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

Abundant Container

The abundant mix of hostas, fern and ivy in this container brings real lushness and dimension to this garden.

Outdoor 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.

Bird Love

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

Hydrangea Meets Heuchera

Color and texture mix beautifully in these bright pink and green hydrangea and the rich tones of this heuchera nicely potted in a zinc container.

Moments of Discovery

One of the appealing aspects of this Atlanta garden in the leafy Buckhead neighborhood are the many unexpected vignettes that the homeowner has created by mixing plants with simple garden accessories.

Shade Garden Sculpture

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.

Swimming Pool Grotto

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.

Looking Foxy

Various animal ornaments in this garden help to create its special, magical ambiance.

Sweet Garden Border

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.

Sheep Out to Pasture

A light touch with garden art and elements well-integrated into the garden is an instructive part of this garden's success. The homeowner also recommends an irrigation system as critical in keeping this Southern garden looking lush and healthy. Spraying for mosquitoes keeps it liveable in the summertime.

To Overwinter or Not to Overwinter

This Atlanta homeowner used to overwinter these enormous poolside Kimberly Queen ferns on her porch, but eventually decided the time and effort involved was too much. Now she just buys new ferns each year for these massive containers.

Succulent Planter

This vintage wheelbarrow is a lovely container for a variety of succulents.

Homegrown Arrangement

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.

Found Art

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.

Path of Least Resistance

A charming pea gravel path is announced with a pair of vintage wooden posts. This Atlanta gardener's secret to gardening in a steamy Southern climate: doing your work first thing in the morning before things get too hot.

House of Succulents

A crown of succulents caps this wooden birdhouse in an Atlanta garden.

Gate Keeper

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

Made in the Shade

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.

Beckoning Water

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.

Tiny Houses

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.

Perfect Symmetry

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

Circle Garden

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.

Dawn Redwood

A gorgeous dawn redwood tree is a commanding, majestic presence in this garden.