The Scenario: A customer has a beautiful, high-end shed that sits in a wet spot and needs low-maintenance landscaping that matches its style.

Some sheds are strictly utilitarian–hiding our “junk” in the least obtrusive way possible in the most out of the way possible. Sheds end up located far away from hoses, in places where it can be inherently hard to grow some plants, like wet spots or shady spots. Leaving your shed unlandscaped is always an option, but leaves the opportunity for weeds to grow along the base, adding maintenance and leaning into an unfinished quality. This can be especially apparent when the shed is more than just your standard plastic shed. If the shed features interesting architectural elements, it begs for an equally upscale or interesting surrounding landscape.

This certainly describes the shed in question here with windows and multiple angles to the roof. It needs a full landscape design while reducing the maintenance of the homeowner. As with any design, the plants must fit the growing conditions if they are to be truly low-maintenance for the homeowners. As always, we amended the soil, but the underlying drainage issues are not resolved by soil amendment alone.

Eric approached the project like he was landscaping a miniature house. Around the front Eric placed “Sweet Kate” spiderwort, a cultivated variety of spiderwort that featured chartreuse foliage to complement purple flowers that bloom through the summer. Moving outward, Siberian iris give structure with upright foliage and deep purple blooms in the fall.

On the sides, he placed wet-tolerant shrubs, including an inkberry holly for evergreen interest, backed by a ‘Miss Kim’ dwarf lilac–a disease-resistant, long-blooming variety. The other side is balanced with a Virginia Sweetspire that will bloom later in the season and provide nectar for pollinators.

Finally, you’ll notice empty window boxes, perfect for adding annuals for summer color. This should be the only regular maintenance required for the bed, although yearly applications of slow-release fertilizer or compost will help the perennials and shrubs produce blooms.

With that complete, the homeowners should have a beautifully maturing landscape that will bring them joy for years to come.