This Brooklyn Heights backyard features a bluestone patio and custom-built ipe planters. The quiet, Zen-like setting is shaded by nearby buildings, so we picked a shade-tolerant mix of plants that will thrive here. The plants include dogwoods, rose-of-sharons, rhododendrons, and andromedas. When choosing plants that do well in shade, I find it’s generally helpful to think about the types of plants that grow in a woodland environment. This garden is watered using an automated drip irrigation system. The plants are illuminated at night with an automated low-voltage up-lighting system that runs through all the planters.
