I'm with Deb on the swordfern! I have had a massive clump in my front shade garden for almost forty years.
It makes a wonderful green, vertical backdrop for other shade plants that I arrange in front of it, usually in containers. The contrast of caladiums, coleus, impatiens and other shade flowers is really nice against the green sword fern behind them.
One thing I have to remember is to prune back the previous year's fronds by the end of March or the job gets real difficult when the new fronds come up within the clump!
Also the sword fern needs little water in the summer as it is accustomed to the dry summers here.
Marilyn, do you have alkaline soil? That could be a problem.
