This client in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn didn't like the cavernous, dark space under the porch. She wanted to transform it so that it would look nice from the yard, and when in the downstairs playroom, whose doors opened to this area, it would have pleasant sights and scents. So we installed a simple fountain made from an antique Guatemalan sink and stone found at Keystone in Hudson, New York. On either side of the door zinc pots hold deep shade plants--the elephant ears are doing great, surprisingly, the ghost ferns, not so much. The trellis with a dragonfly made of butterknives is from Mohawk Industries, often displaying his creative metalware at the Brooklyn Flea. There's a hanging basket, where the caladium are very happily regenerating themselves, and under the stairs is a mix of heuchera (coral bells), ferns, and creeping jenny. The client added the small bench for her daughter, and it has become a lovely little area increases the size of the usable garden.

Before

Before

After

Trellis with Semi-Shade Clematis

Under the Stairs

Close-Up Shade Pot (A nice thing about shade gardens is that the dearth of blooming plants makes you work more with leaf color and texture.)

Here's another fountain we installed in the yard. It's also made of Guatemalan stone sinks.