Tennebrosus

Tennebrosus is Latin for "of dark or shaded places" and captures that element of the garden I may want this image to convey.  I don't much care for sun gardens, though I love some sun plants such as daylilies and  roses.  The lure of the garden is its cool shade, running water and mysterious darkness.   In the deep South where temperatures are routinely over 100 degrees in the summer, the garden becomes a true sanctuary.  In its deepest recesses grow moss, ferns and violets that are too delicate for the heat of the sun.  There one finds respite from the intensity of summer, and twinkling light with overhead canopies. 

Color is of utmost importance in such a garden.  Flowers should be muted - blues and whites and lavenders.   We may need red flowers at Christmas to warm us, but in summer we need flowers to cool us.