I took out a lot of flowering small stuff, and planted two redtwig dogwoods. They have grown beautifully in three years and now make a lovely woodland scene in dappled shade.
It's actually quite deeply shady until a shaft of sun hits the interior under the trees for short times during the day.
The three Green Tower boxwoods are a nice vertical background screening now.
They have psyllid nymphs which make the leaves curl and turn pale, but it doesn't hurt the plant.
The Japanese forest grass and the fuzzy blue lambsears have some presence now too. This is turning out to be a restful, quiet space.
It's not seen from the sitting areas, you have to go around the deck to take it in. But given that I have a straight, narrow courtyard garden, it's nice to round a curve in the path and find a hidden surprise.
The only other plants in the deep shade under the trees besides the hakonechloa, lambsears and redtwig dogwoods are several repeating clumps of Biokovo geraniums. And they were really pretty this spring.
There are a couple clumps that are out at the edge near the rocks and they get sun. They are nowhere near as dark green and full as the geraniums that are in shade.
I do have two Spanish Flare hellebores too, but they are not seen in summer. They make their appearance in late winter and spring.
The reason this shady garden is hidden now is largely because the viburnum has grown so tall. It's huge now. The aspens shade the viburnum, so the branching is getting a little open in the middle and in back, but it is still a dense screen that hides the garden under the aspens from the deck or the patio.
Of course the garden no one sees is the one I am liking right now. It has become a very nice spot and I make a point of rounding the gravel path to go by it. When I am able to get around on my injured foot better in late summer and next year, I will enjoy it even more as I pass by to the potting bench below.