I am just "preparing" an area for a shade garden that I will begin working on next spring.

I am planning on a few of the very large hosta towards the back/middle of the garden but hadn't really thought about what to put towards the front or to bring in some color until Carolyn pointed me to this forum.

Here is my space, let me know if you have any ideas! PLEASE

The same space from a different angle:

Hi Shari, welcome! I'm from East Central Wisconsin. Looks like you've got a beautiful area started for your garden. How exciting, I'm sure it's going to be awesome. Is the area in shade all day or do you get sun part of the day?

The outer edges get limited sun but most of it is shaded most if not all of the time.

You can see in this photo where there is spotty sun for a part of the day. There is a large pine what would be basically behind where I stood to take this photo. In a couple more hours, that will give even more shade. Does that help?

Yes it does. I don't have a lot of shade so I'm sure others will have more ideas, but in addition to all the different heuchera, I use astilbe, ferns, and cimicifuga. Some lilies will even do good in the dappled light.

Yay Sheri! You made it....

There are a number of different things you can plant in the shade with your heuchera.....

Ferns, hosta, primrose, brunnera, some violets - I grow a silver sumauri violet with my heuchs, colombine, I have Virginia Bluebells planted in my one heuchera bed in the back, as Chris mentioned, some lilies like a dappled shade, trout lily, Solomon's seal, foxglove, some monardas do well in shade..... what type of look are you after?

Honestly? I haven't begun to think much past the large hostas I want (and I haven't even decide just which ones I want). I am in the very early planning stages so I am impressionable. LOL

I think you can tell by the photo, I have a fairly good amount of space to fill. At it's longest point, the bed is a little more than 25' deep!

Sheri -

It will fill up fast, but it will be fun to fill it!

This looks like a fun project for you to plan and work on! What is the big shrub that's in there? You will have a great time filling this with shade loving plants. All the ones mentioned by others, and Soloman's Seal, Pulmonaria, and maybe a Hydrangea for something of larger size? (don't know how hardy they are for you) Have fun!

Kay, those are Lilacs.

I hope to start researching all of these ideas soon and start forming an official plan. Maybe some of these I can start from seed? I do a lot of seed starting in the winter and have 3 small greenhouses (REALLY small-they all sit in my craft room )

Hi Sheri, glad you came over to the forum. You have a great area to fill and it'll be exciting chosing plants to fill it in with. I like to mix shrubs and perennials. My very favorite shrub is hydrangea. For perennials, I like Hosta, Astilbe, Cimicifuga, Brunnera, Ferns and Foxglove, Solomon's Seal and of course Heuchera. Astilbe are heavy feeders and you have to be patient with Cimicifuga - they take a few years to establish really well. I love Cimicifuga's foliage mixed with Hosta and Brunnera though! Even some Astible have the dark foliage. In the sunny areas you could even use the dark colored heuchera.

I'm sorry I can't comment on starting from seed, I really don't have any experience with it. Best of luck with your decisions. Let us know what you come up with.

Cheryl

Well, I went to a DG RU yesterday and got two of the very large hosta in the plant swap. She didn't have a name but they look something like this one: http://www.nhhostas.com/libert... Not exactly like that though. I'll take a picture of the start I have tomorrow if it's not raining.

So now I know for sure I will have two of those in there. I also have a Mr. Big and am thinking about moving him over there. Now I have to start doing some research on some of the plants you all have mentioned above! You are all giving me great things to look into.

Thanks!!

Here is the hosta I got Saturday. (she had some Heucheras in her gardens too!)

and to show how big the leaves get:

I want one.

Nice one!!

Very nice! I want one too!

We have had the RU at her house a couple years now and I was lusting after her extra large hosta last year. I couldn't believe when I saw she divided some and had a few in the plant swap!

Here is my "plan" as it is right now. (the peony are already there as well as the lilac bushes.)

Sheri, you can definitely grow Monarda and Violas from seed. With the Soloman's Seal, all you need is one root about 6" long. You can cut this into about 4 pieces and plant them. Each section will grow a separate plant. Astilbes are harder to grow from seed, but it can be done. I have some growing from seeds in pots now. Some Ligularias would look nice in the back against that white structure. They get very large. There are basically two types, one get round leaves and has daisy like flowers. The other gets deeply cut leaves and has tall spikes of yellow blooms. They are also July & August bloomers, which is nice.