This is a shade garden on the north* side of our barn, spring 2011. The darmera has sized up since then and I've moved the reading fairy under its big leaves. A bit too much yellow, I think, both the lady's mantle and corydalis tend to colonize if I don't pay attention.

*Erroneously ID'd as the south side in the post caption, and I'm not sure how to change that. Sorry for the confusion.

Nice composition, love the fairy

So that's what 'The Rocket' is supposed to look like! Beautiful plant, beautiful garden.

Evan, I've seen photos of huge swaths of The Rocket and it is quite impressive. I obviously don't have room for that in this bed, and also have to battle slugs which seem to particularly like the leaves of any type of ligularia. I also have 'Othello' and will likely have to dig that out, it turns into absolute lace about mid-summer - totally ruining the beautiful foliage.

Deb, one trick I learned on the Hosta forum was using ammonia for slugs. Now granted ours a bitties compared to what you have in the PNW, but it works!
Here's the Idea: http://garden.org/ideas/view/g...

Maybe around, not on, the Ligularia will help?

My Rocket was in about 2 hours of mid-day sun, otherwise shade, last year and it did very poorly. I moved to full shade and it seems much happier.

Thanks Evan, I'll try just about anything (absent poison) on those slimy creatures!

Good luck! I know it's not recommended for leaves as it burns, but it's cheap, breaks down readily and killing the eggs seems to help with control. Most of the apply after every rain, safe, deterrents drive me nuts...and ANE rain isn't PNW.

You have created the most wonderful feel with these choices. Thank you so much for sharing - you have given me a lot to think about now that we're re-doing our garden here and planning a new in Tx.

Thank you! I am finding I really like my shady gardens as much, and sometimes more, than the blazing sunny ones.

I am currently doing a new shade garden that includes Ligularia and Hydrangea, also, so it was great to see a photo that incorporates both. Because my garden, unfortunately, is at that infant stage still (just planted 4" pots 2 weeks ago and will be finishing next weekend), it was nice to see a mature garden with many similar plants. Your garden really has that great, relaxed feel.