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I bought a house in April 04 in Southern New Hampshire. Someone who owned the house in the past was an avid gardener but the last owner was NOT.

I started out with 3 waaaaayyy overgrown rhodo's, a sad little magnolia tree, a few scraggly hostas popping out from nowhere and a bank of the ickiest shrubs right in front of the house. So, spring 05, had all the scraggly bushes cut to the ground and had mulched beds made. No loom or anything. The landscapers just made mulch beds out of the areas where the scraggly shrubs were.

My sun/shade situation differs from one end of the house to the other as we are in a woody area. Some spots get dappled all day, some get afternoon direct, some get an hour or two of direct then all shade. Schizo yard. So, I'm experimenting this summer to see what does good and what comes back.

I know hostas are good with shade and are hardy so that's how I started. And, unfortunately, I lost most of the plant markers and forgot what kinds I bought. Fun. Also, the few existing hostas from the first spring are now thriving, esp a huge green leafed one that is about 1-2 feet high and 4 foot wide. And, apparently I have a lilly, too! It didn't show up that first spring. Amazing what a little mulch and watering can do.

So, I then pruned back the rhodo's post bloom and they look great for next spring.

Also discovered a hygrangea and some kind of rose. They were all intertwined and didn't do much last spring. This spring I pruned a lot, disconnected them and the hydrangea bloomed like crazy! I didn't even know it was a hydrangea that first spring. Fun!

So, throughout the spring and summer I have planted an azalea, andromeda, various hosta, astilbe, another lily (stella doro?) that is reblooming now, foxglove, japanese fern, dead nettle, and recently a black-eyed susan (not sure of actual name), phlox, goldenrod. Will these all come back? not sure. And I'd like to divide some of the hosta and spread the love. Oh, and annuals such as coleus (I have absolutely fallen in love with coleus) and impatients.

Oh, and the sad small magnolia...well, there just isn't enough light for it where it is. Only 10 blooms this past spring. But, I did a little pruning and have been watering and fertilizing so hopefully, it will look a bit better next spring.