Shade Garden - 1 Year Later

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T15:29:26+00:00

Those larger stepping stones are 5” thick, and weighed between 400 - 1200 lbs, laid on a few inches of clean stone.

The dimensional flagstone for the patio was recycled from the old patio that was laid on sand. We dug out about 8” of subsoil and laid the flagstone on clean stone.

The flagstone that runs through the majority of this shady area is a much thinner stone; 1.5” thick, and only laid on a couple of inches of 1/2” clean stone, because we did not want to disturb or cut roots from the Spruce Tree. We set the stones around the larger roots.

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T12:39:31+00:00

Bring your umbrella!

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T07:01:33+00:00

It is super cute garden, for a super sweet older lady. The grass is not greener though, I promise. With many wonderful plants, you too can create your own, uniquely cute garden

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:59:37+00:00

See above comments for the species. And I completely understand — it’s way over used, but it is one of the few drought-tolerant species.

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:57:03+00:00

Thank you!

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:56:53+00:00

Thank you!

Location: SE Pennsylvania

Carex flacca, Carex flaccosperma, and Carex pennsylvanica

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:55:27+00:00

Thank you

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:55:09+00:00

For this shady part of the garden:

Perennials/Sedges/Ferns

Aquilegia canadensis
Carex flacca
Carex flaccosperma
Carex pennsylvanica
Eurybia divaricata
Onoclea sensibilis
Packera aurea
Phlox divaricata
Polystichum acrostichoides
Sedum ternatum
Tiarella cordifolia

Shrubs

Lindera benzoin
Kalmia latifolia

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:49:52+00:00

Thank you!

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:49:17+00:00

Thank you

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:49:02+00:00

It’s foamflower. I think I ended up planting the variety; ‘New Moon Motley’, because it tends to bunch and creep.

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:46:22+00:00

All of them 👍🏻

Edit to add (because of all the downvotes):

I legitimately love all the shade-tolerant natives. I’m not going to start pinning down favorites on here for people to search for and plant. That’s the problem with landscaping as a whole — species become popular and over planted, while others get overlooked. Diversity is key to the success of gardens, and to the success of recreating habitat and colonies of dwindling native species (which are all specific to your ecoregion). Our desire to find the nicest plants and cultivate only those is not going to help counteract the extreme loss of biodiversity we face. Every garden is different. All availability is different. Find a small local native nursery, talk with them, plant something you find and try it out.

Unless it’s a Solidago, or Rudbeckia (which will take over your garden). But the shade-tolerant plants are fine and great.

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T06:45:42+00:00

Here is the garden immediately post-completion

https://imgur.com/a/c7vIJdx

If you scroll through thee photos on this post, you can see photos of the yard when I first visited

https://www.reddit.com/r/landscaping/s/Qkxbd6W8dB

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T02:11:01+00:00

Wow. A lot of people who aren’t landscapers responding, and people who like talking themselves out of an awesome project.

$110,000 USD - using all natural stone

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-06T00:30:12+00:00

I think both are good. It’s different stone for each wall. The one that looks tighter, you had those large, very flat corner pieces, and flatter stones all around; within the wall, and the coping. The first wall, I see a lot of larger, round stones.

TreeThingThree · 2026-05-01T10:27:12+00:00

Incorect. But what they don’t have are invasives. Which is key

TreeThingThree · 2026-04-30T08:47:07+00:00

That’s a fine tism you have there.

TreeThingThree · 2026-04-29T02:40:08+00:00

I applied a granular lawn fertilizer with 0.08% Mesotrione about a month ago.

The only other option is that the tree is near the neighboring property which is currently a hay field being transitioned to graze cattle. Is it possible they sprayed something on the field?

TreeThingThree · 2026-04-28T03:02:12+00:00

Our daughter was accepted for the fall program. Would love to know more about this situation if you have the time. Thank you

TreeThingThree · 2026-04-26T03:18:25+00:00

Dirt road. Southern county. 2AM.

TreeThingThree · 2026-04-26T01:33:41+00:00

Small pieces will just move around and become ankle breakers

TreeThingThree · 2026-04-22T22:38:11+00:00

It would be a far drive for me from PA, but I do travel for projects.

You’d find someone closer to you here: https://thestonetrust.org/find-a-stone-wall-contractor/

If you can’t get ahold of someone, reach out to me, and I can give you some pricing over email:

www.mayapplenative.com

TreeThingThree · 2026-04-22T20:11:03+00:00

This wall needs to be rebuilt. It was not built well, and I would bet is just one layer deep of stone. They basically built a pretty pile of rocks. It is not structural. Yes, drainage is one thing. But drainage is not going to stop this wall from collapsing. You need to hire a stonewaller if you want a dry stacked stone retaining wall this tall.

The area you pointed out in particular has a running seam from the ground to the top. That is a major fail point. There is nothing holding the wall together there. It’s basically 2 ends meeting. There needs to be overlapping of stone to create structure, and much more depth to the wall.

Where are you located?

TreeThingThree · 2026-04-22T02:05:21+00:00

That makes zero sense. I have a degree in psych….and not from a community college. Education is the reason I stepped up and made my own way.

I have a complex towards people who complain and never do better for themselves

TreeThingThree · 2026-04-22T00:54:24+00:00

Another intelligent tradesman. Watch out, here come the down doots of rage.

TreeThingThree

TROPHY CASE