Full shade corner

East London garden

This shady corner of an East London garden was a dark and underused space. The brief was to transform it into a peaceful seating area — somewhere cool and restorative to retreat during warmer months.

The aim was to create the feeling of sitting within planting, allowing foliage to soften the boundaries and blur the edges of the space. A restrained material palette creates cohesion and calm.

As the area receives no direct sunlight, the planting scheme was carefully selected for full shade conditions. Evergreen shrubs establish year-round structure, while ferns and grasses introduce softer textures and movement. Seasonal colour is provided by long-flowering geraniums, and contemporary trellising will support climbers that gradually screen the shed, enhancing the sense of enclosure.

The result is a calm, layered garden room — a shaded haven defined by texture, subtle contrast and resilient planting.

(Images from day of planting)