The She Shed

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The She Shed Extraordinary garden landscapes that harmonize people with the natural world and one another. We specialize in garden makeovers!

You'll be thrilled with our talented crew, exceptional expertise and customized service. Visit our website portfolio for great "before and after" garden projects and subscribe to our newsletter for garden inspiration!

09/16/2026

Shade doesn’t have to mean dull. 🌿

This season, we designed and built a number of shade and woodland gardens — and I was reminded again that some of the most beautiful gardens are created in the quieter corners.

Shade gardens can have colour, texture, movement and structure throughout the seasons. The key is choosing plants that are suited to the conditions, then layering foliage, form and bloom to create a garden that feels natural and abundant.

It was timely to be interviewed by House Digest about some of my favourite shade-tolerant plants and ways to bring colour and interest to shady spaces.

From foxgloves, astilbes and Japanese anemones to ferns, coral bells, Brunnera and Japanese forest grass, there are many possibilities.

And one of my favourite lessons in shade gardening? Glossy foliage like Bergenia and light colours really shine. Pale yellows, whites and soft lilac and pinks can illuminate a shady garden in a way that deeper colours simply can't.

🌿 Read the full article here:
House Digest: Shade-Tolerant Plants That Add Colour to Your Garden

https://www.housedigest.com/2248065/garden-expert-shade-tolerant-plants-add-color/

08/18/2026

Experienced Gardeners Wanted 🌿

We’re looking for a few experienced garden landscapers to join us this fall for a number of interesting projects throughout HRM, from Porters Lake to Halifax.

We’re offering:

• Part-time work — 2–3 days a week
• Above-market rates, commensurate with experience
• Interesting garden and landscape projects
• A chance to work outdoors, stay active and keep learning

You’ll need a reliable vehicle, be physically fit and comfortable working outdoors in both warm and cool temperatures. Most importantly, we’re looking for people who are mature, dependable, capable and take pride in their work.

This could be especially appealing to a retired gardener or landscaper who isn’t quite ready to put the tools away — someone who enjoys gardens, likes working with their hands, wants to stay active and would enjoy being part of a small, experienced team.

If this sounds like you — or someone you know — let’s connect.

Colleen
📞 902-209-3593
✉️ [email protected]

✨ The Ultimate Bathing View ✨We just wrapped up this installation and we are completely in love! We placed this gorgeous...
08/15/2026

✨ The Ultimate Bathing View ✨

We just wrapped up this installation and we are completely in love! We placed this gorgeous Styrax ‘Marley’s Pink Parasol’ right outside our client’s bathroom window. Now, they have a direct view of it while relaxing in their lovely soaker tub. 🛁🌸

Here is why this plant is the perfect match for a spa-like retreat:

🌸 Oh So Feminine: It brings a soft, delicate, and elegant energy to the view.
🌿 Charming Weeping Form: The branches cascade gracefully like a living waterfall.
👃 Delicate Scent: In late spring, it fills the nearby air with a sweet, light fragrance.

Imagine soaking in warm bubbles while watching these soft pink, bell-shaped flowers dance gently in the breeze. Pure bliss!

We planted so many foxgloves in our client gardens this season—and for good reason. 🌸These stunning biennials add height...
08/03/2026

We planted so many foxgloves in our client gardens this season—and for good reason. 🌸

These stunning biennials add height, elegance, and cottage garden charm, while also being deer resistant and happy growing in full sun or part shade. They’re as hardworking as they are beautiful!

Want foxgloves blooming in your garden year after year? The secret is to let them self-seed.

✨ Leave a few flower spikes to mature and set seed.
✨ Once the seed pods turn brown and begin to split, gently scatter the tiny seeds onto bare soil.
✨ Avoid heavy mulching or tidying too early—foxglove seeds need light to germinate.
✨ Keep the area lightly moist if conditions are dry.
✨ By allowing seedlings to establish each year, you’ll always have first-year rosettes and second-year flowering plants growing together for continuous blooms.

A little patience goes a long way, and your reward is a garden filled with these spectacular spires every summer. 🌿💜

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It’s been a cool, damp and slow start to season 11, but gardens have their own timing and rhythm. On sunny days, we’ve b...
05/29/2026

It’s been a cool, damp and slow start to season 11, but gardens have their own timing and rhythm. On sunny days, we’ve been busy preparing spaces for renovation — beginning with the careful rescue of valuable old plants that deserve another chapter. Editing, pruning, dividing, improving soil and making space for what comes next.

June projects will take us from Porters Lake to Bedford West, Hubley and Fairmount, and we’re looking forward to bringing these gardens back to life.

Emalea, Wendy, Amanda and I are ready for the season ahead. 🌿

Some gardens carry a sense of history the moment you step into them. Last week we worked in the garden of a beautiful Ri...
05/19/2026

Some gardens carry a sense of history the moment you step into them. Last week we worked in the garden of a beautiful River John home built in 1856. In nearly 170 years, the property has changed hands only five times — and it’s easy to understand why.

Perhaps like the current owners, each family was drawn not only to the home itself, but to the remarkable mature garden surrounding it. From nearly every vantage point, the landscape is beautiful: graceful evergreens, vintage perennials, climbing roses, honey locust, and native rhododendron overlooking the river.

It’s a privilege to help care for a garden that has clearly been loved and nurtured across generations. 🌿

A picnic with four women who shaped my life — my grandmother, mother, and two sisters. That’s me on my mother’s lap. Thr...
05/11/2026

A picnic with four women who shaped my life — my grandmother, mother, and two sisters. That’s me on my mother’s lap. Three of these remarkable women are no longer with us, but their love, strength, and influence remain woven into who I am every day.

I may have missed Mother’s Day by a day, but I still want to honour them — and all mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and caregivers whose quiet acts of love shape generations in ways both big and small. 💛



Season 11 is underway! Yesterday, we kicked off our second season working with a wonderful client in Glen Margaret, surr...
05/06/2026

Season 11 is underway! Yesterday, we kicked off our second season working with a wonderful client in Glen Margaret, surrounded by sunshine and warmth. Sully, the four-legged star, was on site as always. The granite rock and Pennsylvania Bluestone are stunning, and the attention to detail is impeccable. Emalea, Wendy, and I had a busy day: moving 19 Karl Foerster grasses, installing juniper shrubs, and tidying the gardens for an event this week. We can’t wait to add more beauty to this garden in June.

🌸

Some of the world’s most beautiful naturalistic urban meadows were designed by Nigel Dunnett. 🌱 I had the pleasure of me...
05/03/2026

Some of the world’s most beautiful naturalistic urban meadows were designed by Nigel Dunnett. 🌱 I had the pleasure of meeting Nigel when I attended his FLOW Masterclass at the Monastery of Astino in Bergamo, Italy, in 2024. His design aesthetic and process were both practical and deeply informative, and we shared childhood experiences that sparked a lifelong connection to plants and wild spaces.

Dr. Dunnett passed away on April 26. At just 63, he leaves behind an extraordinary body of horticultural research and ecological insight. The landscapes he created stand as a lasting legacy to his commitment to cultivating spaces that are both beautiful and resilient.

My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues in the industry.

There’s something about gardens and a good cup of tea—they both invite you to slow down, notice the details, and enjoy t...
04/18/2026

There’s something about gardens and a good cup of tea—they both invite you to slow down, notice the details, and enjoy the moment. 🌿☕

If you’re a woman who finds joy in digging in the soil, tending a few pots, or simply dreaming about your next planting, we’d love to see you at the Ladies Spring Tea at Barrachois Community Hall. 👩‍🌾

It’s an easy, welcoming afternoon to gather with other garden-loving women, share a few laughs, sip tea, and pick up fresh inspiration for the season ahead. 💚 I’ll be sharing some of my favourite container garden ideas—simple, beautiful ways to make the most of any space.

Come for the tea, stay for the conversation, and leave feeling inspired for spring. 🌸

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458 Shore Drive
Bedford, NS
B4A2C6

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