A Backyard Made in the Shade

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Nestled in the East Towne Neighborhood of Wauwatosa sits a hideaway tucked behind Jackie Menzl’s cozy home. When Menzl bought her house 30 years ago, the backyard was nothing more than a standard Milwaukee lot … a rectangle of grass and clover, dappled in sunlight. Menzl realized she had a blank slate on her hands and quickly got to work.

“Initially, I installed a 14-foot brick patio,” she explains. “It features seating for five around a fire pit, a grill and a little bistro set.” While the patio was definitely a quaint spot, Menzl knew it was only the beginning. “At the end of that summer, I created a scale drawing of the yard so I could come up with a landscaping design over winter.

“I looked at the entire backyard space as an outdoor room; an extension of the house,” she explains. “Every year trees were added and that reduced sunlight further. Grass did not grow well for me, so I eliminated it, laying crushed-granite pathways instead.” Menzl filled most other areas with shade plants such as hostas, ferns and miscellaneous ground covers. “Ninety percent of the plants are perennials,” she adds. 

Pops of Color

Menzl adjusted her landscape design as trees grew and sunlight became even less of a commodity. “The flowers I originally planted had to change spots with the increasing shade,” she says. Shade-loving impatiens and begonias are now the most popular floral in the yard, offering a bit of texture and color. “Most of them are in pots I place in the few spots that get occasional sun,” says Menzl.

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While the flowering annuals complement the yard’s greenery, Menzl realized her shade garden needed colorful accents. “Adding some color breaks things up,’’ she explains. “If not, (the yard) would be nothing but green. I try to incorporate purple as well as bright yellow, blue and orange in various pieces throughout the yard.”

Visitors can’t help but notice a vibrant-yellow art fixture, tiffany-blue pillows and a hanging-plant stand painted in lively colors. “The purple bench in the back corner is perfect for seeing the yard from a different perspective,” Menzl says.

The Secret to Shade Gardens

April and May are busy months in the garden. “Once spring cleanup is done, I spread mulch so the plants grow up through it,” Menzl offers. “This is easier than spreading mulch around everything.

“From there it’s a matter of potting annuals, watering and weeding. I only get few weeds, and the ones I do get grow in the mulch and are easily removed,” she adds.

When asked how someone could cultivate their own shade garden, Menzl suggests starting with a design or plan like she did. “Just resist creating something that you don’t have the time, money or energy to maintain, she notes. “Keep it small, fun and sustainable.”

She also recommends familiarizing yourself with the varieties of shade plants. In addition to ferns and hostas, consider coral bells, astilbe, fox glove, primrose and dead nettle. “Make note of the areas where sun does penetrate and place your part-sun annuals in these spots,” she says, “but be prepared to change their locations as your trees grow.”  

Lastly, Menzl touts the benefits of a tiny yard. “Having a small Tosa lot helps me with maintenance. Anything bigger than this would turn joyful work into, well…work,” she laughs. “A small yard allows you the affordability to make it your own without breaking your body in the process.”

After three decades, Menzl says the plants and trees in her backyard are fully grown and the garden is complete. “I have always been intrigued by forest floors, and that is what my yard reminds me of,” she says. “It’s green and lush, and it’s all protected by the beautiful canopy above.”