I am a 68 year old man and I can tell a rose from a pine tree. The rose has thorns. lol Seriously I don't know much about flower gardening but I love to build things. My project now is to build/plant a flower garden in our back yard.
I have been in the process of retiring from my commercial art business for the last 3 or 4 years. We have lived in the country for many years. My son-in-law says "that I have to move on every few years because I have built something on all of my land. We just moved from a 10 acre property to a house in Waskom, Texas. Actually it is not a single family dwelling, it is a duplex. The 10 acre property was just too much to take care of and our plan was to remodel and move into the duples making it a single family home. We added a 24' x 33' garage with a small workshop. We also added a 24' x 12' garden room on the back of the house. We also made an 8' x 16' foyer on the entry.
There are only my wife and I, we really did not need all of the room. She took over one of the rooms that was part of the other side of the duplex for a sewing room. We are planning on using the remaining rooms, a living room, bedroom, bathroom and a kitchen as a bed & breakfast.
Now we come to the back yard. The half on our side of the duplex is about 60' wide and 35' deep. At the back is 60' x 30' of "raw" woods & brush. There are other houses behind the woods. We plan to leave the woods alone, except for a narrow path leading to the city park. We have made a small yard and patio for the bed & breakfast. The rest of the other yard will be mostly lawn.
Sorry to be so long but here is the question. All of the room that I have to build in now is the 60' x 35' area outside our garden room. It is mostly in the shade of two big oak trees. I want to build a "secret garden" in that area. I want to do it real nice and pretty. People who visit our bed 7 breakfast will be able to use the garden. If someone is interested in making suggestions, I have pictures at:
https://www.waskomtexas.com/237/
Hi Rolacoy. 
The fact that it is going to be under the canopy of two large trees means the plant choices are limited to shade lovers but that is fine as long as you do not want too many flowers.
I would do a meandering path going through lush plantings of ferns, hostas etc. to some sort of bubbling water feature. Not a pond as the lack of light would not make for ideal conditions but a water feature would be fine. Seating should be tucked in at discreet locations along the path and next to the water feature.
I am loath to give any suggestions for specific plants as I am not only not in your state but am not in your country either!
Anyone closer have any suggestions?
The fact that it is going to be under the canopy of two large trees means the plant choices are limited to shade lovers but that is fine as long as you do not want too many flowers.
I would do a meandering path going through lush plantings of ferns, hostas etc. to some sort of bubbling water feature. Not a pond as the lack of light would not make for ideal conditions but a water feature would be fine. Seating should be tucked in at discreet locations along the path and next to the water feature.
I am loath to give any suggestions for specific plants as I am not only not in your state but am not in your country either!
Anyone closer have any suggestions?