To sit in the shade on a fine day…
· Escape Garden Design, Aspen, Colorado
"To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment." So wrote Jane Austen.
I.
I love to sit in silence beneath the green canopy of an old aspen, where the light comes through in trembling pieces and the sound of the leaves is like a soft conversation overheard from another room.
II.
There is no design in this. There is only attention. The tree was here long before me. The shade is its gift, given without intention. My only task is to receive it.
III.
Sometimes I think the highest aim of a garden is not beauty, not novelty, not even peace. It is the plain chance to sit in shade on a fine day. To look upon verdure. To be refreshed.
May your gardens, and ours, give that gift this coming season.
Common questions
What plants grow well in shade at high altitude in Colorado?
Native columbine, meadow rue, ferns, and thimbleberry all do well in the dappled shade beneath aspens in our valley. Shade at altitude stays cool and holds moisture longer, so these plantings often need less water than beds in full sun.
Do aspen trees make good shade trees for a garden?
Yes, with care. Aspens cast a light, moving shade that plants and people both enjoy, and they belong to this landscape. They prefer to grow in groves, so we plant them in groups and give their roots room rather than treating them as single lawn specimens.