Today’s photos come from Karen Holmen:

I am a long-time gardener in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. What started as a small backyard garden has grown over many years to a front-yard garden, a backyard garden that we can see from the house, and a garden in the back half of our lot. At one time there were many red oaks in the yard, and many years ago we lost most of them, opening up space for more garden. It’s still shady with some sun, so I stick to plants that tend to do well in part shade, part sun. Lots of hosta (except the deer really like them), astilbe (Astilbe chinensis,  Zones 4–8) is becoming a favorite, hydrangeas of many kinds, ladies mantle (Alchemilla mollis,  Zones 4–7 ), coral bells (Heuchera), daisies, Missouri primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa, Zones 3–7), bee balm (Monarda sp.), ligularia (Ligularia sp.) and more. I have made many paths and occasionally have a bench to sit on, to rest from weeding, to enjoy a cup of coffee early in morning, or to just relax. It’s turned into a garden with many rooms.

Embracing what thrives in this shady garden means lots of hostas. Here, different varieties are mixed together to create a lush, low-maintenance tapestry. View our guide to designing with hostas here.

Astilbe is a favorite in the garden, thriving in the light shade, flowering beautifully, and not as attractive to deer as the hostas.

This sculpture among hardy geraniums (Geranium macrorrhizum, Zones 4–8) is a favorite garden spot in the spring. View more garden ornament inspiration here.

Many paths lead you through the garden to different garden rooms where you can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning.

In a lightly shaded spot, perennials bloom around a perfectly circular walk anchored with a bird bath in the center.

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