Hidden Treasures.
Gelsemium sempervirens, Carolina jessamine
Explore and experience the enchanting beauty of this peaceful shade garden of ferns, grass, herbaceous plants, and shrubs. Pause to enjoy the serenity and beauty of this shade-loving garden. Consider taking away some ideas for shady areas in your yard.
Growing Conditions
This garden is located on a rocky slope and shadowed in partial to dense shade. Low maintenance plants are featured that are well-suited to dry, shady conditions. Master Gardeners maintain the garden with a general spring clean-up at which time plants are thinned, moved, or replaced. New plants are selected that are deer-resistant and can tolerate low moisture and shade.
Description
A large metal arch marks the entrance to the garden. Visitors can walk along the stone pathway and down the steps to discover the hidden treasures of this peaceful garden of shade-loving ferns, grass, herbaceous plants, and shrubs.
The garden's diverse shrubs include pawpaw, bottlebrush buckeye, Summersweet, Virginia sweetspire, tree peonies, and witch hazel. Herbaceous perennials accent the landscape with color and visual interest throughout the growing season. Examples include bishop's hat, Christmas rose, Heuchera autumn bride, toad lily, and lungwort.
Background
The garden was created in 2002 by a Master Gardener, who was also an architect. Another Master Gardener, Carolyn DiPaulo was instrumental in the development and management of this garden. More recently, the garden was named the Carolyn DiPaulo Shade Garden in memorial to her commitment to the Master Gardeners program and this special garden.
Featured Plants
Ferns
- Dryopteris erythrosora, Japanese shield fern
- Matteuccia struthiopteris, Ostrich fern
- Polystichum acrostichoides, Christmas fern
Grass
- Hakonechloa macra, Golden Japanese forest grass
Herbaceous Plants
- Campanula rotundiflora, Bluebell bellflower
- Cimicifuga ramose 'Atropurpurea', Snakeroot
- Epimedium x versicolor, Bicolor Barrenwort, bishop's hat
- Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride', Heuchera autumn bride
- Pulmonaria sp., Lungwort
- Tricyrtis 'Sinonome', Toad lily
- Tiarella cordifolia 'Running Tapestry', Foamflower running tapestry
Shrubs
- Asimina triloba, Pawpaw
- Aesculus parviflora, Bottlebrush buckeye
- Chionanthus virginicus, Old man's beard
- Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice', Summersweet ruby spice
- Hammamelis virginianus, American witch hazel
- Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet', Virginia sweetspire
- Paeonia 'Shan Hu Tai', Tree peony
*This is not a comprehensive plant list. The garden is dynamic in nature and plants may vary from year.
