Made in the Shade: Creating Your Ideal Shade Garden 🌿

Made in the Shade: Creating Your Ideal Shade Garden 🌿

Learn how to create a vibrant, resilient shade garden filled with plants that thrive in low light and provide year-round beauty.

Shade gardens can be a challenge, but they also hold incredible potential for beauty, biodiversity, and resilience. Whether you have dappled woodland shade, deep pockets of cool darkness, or shifting patterns of light, there are plants that will thrive and transform these spaces into stunning garden retreats.

Join renowned garden designer Susan Calhoun as she shares her 28 years of experience designing shade gardens, both in her personal landscape and for clients with mature forested properties. This workshop will explore the different types of shade, plant selection, planting techniques, and the integration of native and ornamental species to create a lush, layered, and ecologically rich garden.

🌱 Workshop Highlights:

• Types of Shade & Their Challenges – Understand the unique conditions of shade gardens and how to make them work for you.

• Planting for Year-Round Interest – Learn to mix textures, colors, and bloom times for a dynamic landscape.

• Biodiversity & Sustainability – Incorporate native and shade-loving plants like Vine Maple (Acer circinatum), Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra), and Sweet Box (Sarcococca ruscifolia) to attract pollinators and create a healthy garden ecosystem.

• Design Inspiration – Discover how to create intimate garden spaces that celebrate the beauty of shade.

Attendees will receive a curated plant list to help them select the best shade-loving species for their garden.

Susan Calhoun, owner of Plantswoman Design, is a nationally recognized landscape designer with decades of experience creating exceptional gardens in the Pacific Northwest. Her expertise in shade gardening, sustainable landscapes, and plant selection has made her a sought-after speaker and educator in the horticultural community.

Support Vista Gardens: As a nonprofit, your participation helps fund future educational programs and community events that align with our mission of sustainable gardening.

This In-Person $30/person and Zoom $20/person workshop will be held in the Foundation Library with limited seating. Please select your preferred type of participation during registration (Vista Gardens Members receive 50% off all workshops).

Sign up today as a member to enjoy this discount along with other valuable benefits. Use the Membership link in the menu at the top of this page. After signing up check your email or junk-mail inbox for your membership confirmation).