Hostas and ferns will be okay on the north side against the foundation. I have Azaleas planted against my foundation on the north side, and Hostas actually in my Southern exposure, which has mature trees to the East, South, and West of me, so not a lot of direct sunlight, some filtered, and some pretty dark shade. Another good shrub that gets large, but you can get smaller versions if you want, is Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). I recommend it to everyone in Oklahoma because it does so well here compared to other Hydrangeas. The leaves are very large, oakleaf shape as name indicates, huge conical white blooms in mid to late spring, that gently turn to a pink shade. The foliage turns red in the fall, and the winter branches are interesting, too, because they peel to a rusty red shade. It is pretty much an all around outstanding plant for Oklahoma. Doesn't require as much water as the other Hydrangeas either, once it is established. I planted it the first summer I lived in my house in 1999, and I have never regreted it. Some say it is slow to establish, but mine grew very quickly. Maybe because I purchased it in a 5-gallon container so it was pretty good size to begin with. It can grow to about 7' tall by 9' wide in fabulous conditions, but will generally run about 7' side and 5' tall. You can place some medium size hostas in front of it, perhaps variegated to add some interest, and small hostas and ferns in front of them. Japanese Painted fern is very pretty. I grow a few Hostas, 'Sum and Substance' which is a monster and has lime green foliage with leaves up to 18-24" long. It can take more light than the Blue Hostas and variegated hostas. Anything with the bolder lime green colors can generally tolerate more light. I also have 'Blue Angel' which is also a monster with powdery blue foliage. The leaves aren't as big as S&S but the plant itself gets huge. Give this one a pretty shady place as with all blues. There are hundreds and hundreds of Hostas available. Check out Plant Delight Nursery which has a nice selection, just to give yourself an idea of different textures, sizes, and colors. I don't really grow ferns except for the Holly fern which has done so well for me for about 10 years also. Doesn't need as much water. Hellebores, Epimediums, variegated Solomon's Seal, Jack in the Pulpits, Campanulas, Meadow Rues, Heucheras, Tiarellas, Toad Lilies, some Clematis, some lilies, will all do well in part shade. The only problem with shade around a lot of homes is tree roots. Hard to dig and prepare soil - amend, amend, amend with compost, chicken or cow manure, etc. But, the roots will eventually grow back. The plants I've mentioned will likely co-exist just fine with some tree roots. Your Elephant Ears will take some sun very nicely. More than a lot of folks think. They are Colocasias in the Aroid family. A better bet is Alocasias which look very similar but have a more upright habit, sold in many of the nurseries as Upright Elephant Ear. The foliage is a bit shinier, and they get every bit as big without needing as much water. Generally speaking, in a southern exposure you will get more sun, in the West you will get a good amount of sun along with heat. The north and east sides offer more protection from our relentless summer suns. However, that can change with things such as how large your trees are, how much shade they cast, the closer you plant to your house will afford more shade. Dawn suggests that you have your soil tested to see how much you need and what your soil needs, Consider mulching your plants, too. Fertilizers? I'm a lazy gardener so I use Espoma fertilizer products which you can just add at planting time or sprinkle on top in the spring. Some needs to be added monthly and some will last 2 or 3 months. If you want to add some butterfly and hummingbird attracting plants, let me know, What fun! You have pretty much a blank slate to work with. And.....welcome to the forum! Susan Here is a link that might be useful: Oakleaf Hydrangea

Thanks Brandon7 for post of your responses today. I am concerned about the big shade tree because a) it lives in what I think is a stressful spot (right next to the driveway), b) I may have a sewer pipe run through the yard which will run right next to the trunk on the other side from the driveway, and c)I just get a sinking feeling about it! My girlfriend, however, loves the tree. Add to that, I have had many trees cut down over this past year... she just doesn't have the tolerance to see another one go down. Given that I have all kinds of big trees that came with the house, I'd like to get some consistency with some of the more decorative trees. I love the bark on the Natchez, the drought tolerance, and the medium-large size...and the fact that these trees look their best when the rest of the greenery starts looking a bit worn from the summer heat by August. Maybe there are some disadvantages to the Crepes... please advise! Other than that, I have bought a few different types of Dogwoods, a Stewartia, a sunset red maple, paperbark maple, S. Magnolia Altus, Winter Red Hollies, Nellie Stevens Hollies and BlazerFoster Hollies. ... and natchez and dynamite red crepes. All purchased and planted in early spring. The Nellies can tolerate the partial sun, but in the area that I'm considering, I prefer the shape of the crepe. Brandon, or anyone else, I am happy to take advice on any or all of those plants.

Where you are, if your "part sun" can be made into afternoon shade, then that might be the best. Full sun in hot areas with containers means dedication to keeping up with the watering - often 2x per day - particularly if the plants are in smaller pots and the plants are loaded up with fruit. I think a number of folks in the hot west and south have created structures with shade cloth to give the plants some reduced sun at midday and in the hot afternoon. If anything, it would help keep the fruit itself from getting sun scald.

Hi Clint Vegetable gardening is different than ornamental. Full sun is best for a lot of them, depending on what you are growing and the season. We are coming to warmer months so I have my very productive tomatoes in morning sun and afternoon shade, zucchini full day sun, cucumbers and peppers got some sun and shade from a tree, have greens and lettuce, some in full sun, some in some shade, eggplants full sun, beans in full sun, still got some carrots to harvest before the heath in full sun, onions in full sun. To be successful, it is very important to plant them at the right time for your area. Silvia