I am working on creating a new bed in my front year which has dappled shade but can be dry. I'm looking for starts or cuttings that might do well there. I don't have much in the way of things to trade except seeds, so I'd love to do SASE if possible. Please email me dierctly if you can help because as we know the GW email doesn't always go through. Thanks, Ann (aba563@aol.com)

viola is a good ground cover with cute edible flowers that will grow in intense shade ust fine. probably some of the other stuff i have would do ok in shade, i have a lot of shade in the rainforest here. but i like violas for how easy they are to grow, and they fill in the spaces on the ground between the taller plants. can trade you some if you like.

I think you would be fine with hydrangeas there. If salvias are too floppy, try some veronicas or agastaches. You might even be able to grow baptista (false indigo). I have a similar exposure in my zone 5 Iowa yard. Trees along one side, and then it slopes too, so it is a bit of an odd long bed. It used to be grass and mostly invasive Asian honesuckle shrubs. I have only been gardening at this house for 1 1/2 years, so I am still experimenting; plus I am new to this zone and previously lived in zone 9. I first considered this area part shade and planted accordingly. Now I see there are pockets of more and less sun. In this area the plants doing best are: Hostas--This surprised me, but I see them in full sun around town now that I have started looking. Not sure if it is the same for zone 6. Foam flower--this looks GREAT right now with tidy foliage and is still blooming. I had some red tulips behind the foam flower and they looked lovely. Columbines--flowering nicely with airy foliage. Agastache--the one I have has short white flowers, but blues are common I think. Overwintered and re-sowed abundantly. My soil drains well so may be why they like it there. Garden phlox--were small plants last year from Bluestone spring sale. SO far they are growing nicely but will see if they flop. Today the whole area seemed to be in so much sun! Daylillies--will see how they do this year Foxglove--sowed last summer, getting ready to bloom, seems to be good for them in this spot. Monarda, bloomed last summer and no flopping. Soloman's seal--in a shadier pocket, but still gets some afternoon sun. Doing really well right now. helleborus--one little helleborus which has been doing great so far this spring, to my surprise. When I realized how sunny the spot was, I thought I'd move this little plant, but it is doign well. Toad lily--these are growing nicely and had attractive late flowers last year. Lobelia--there are some nice blue lobelias available. low growing veronicas--doing very well and blooming profusely. Happy planting. :)

I've been really happy with Sarcococcas humilus on a site similar to description. A bit slow to spread to total coverage, but a nice low evergreen that has good weed blocking coverage. Another for such a site though not evergreen is Epimedium XFrohenleiten. Lovely dense leaf coverage about 8-10 inch and golden flowers in spring. Seems to like 4-5 hours morning sun but an also stand medium shade all day, and forms a dense root mass that holds back vitrually ever weed around here except garlic grass(Allium Sp,?).